CXO DX October 2023 by LeapMediaSolutions

» EDITORIAL

CHANGE IS CONSTANT IN THE DIGITAL LANDSCAPE The 43rd edition of GITEX is likely to be a busier show than ever before. A larger number of exhibitors will showcase the latest advances in their solution offerings. The footfall of visitors to the event is also likely to set new records. As we gear up for the event, it is worth reflecting on how Technology has come a long way in the past couple of decades from the PC boom to the AI era. New trends and innovations have always shaped the industry in the past and will do so in the years to come. Many of the leading Technology vendors have evolved over the years and are more diversified in their portfolios and focus as compared to a decade ago. Those who didn’t place their bets on the right trends missed out and some of them eventually faded away. For instance, companies that understood that cloud consumption is eventually going to accelerate and brought to market their cloud-delivered solutions were able to successfully ride the accelerated cloud adoption that happened in recent years. The multi-cloud era is now firmly entrenched as a preferred model of IT consumption for enterprises. Those adoption rates will continue to rise with all leading public cloud providers having their cloud datacentres in the region. Now, the buzz is around Generative AI and most leading vendors are either busy figuring out how they could enhance their solution offerings with Generative AI or have already brought out Generative AI-enriched solutions to market. At this year’s GITEX, we can expect to hear a lot more about these advances. There is a lot of focus around sustainability and with COP 28 just around the corner, there will be a lot more momentum around sustainability initiatives in the region. As far as the tech industry is concerned, leading companies are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and use sustainable practices in their manufacturing and services.

R. Narayan

Co-Founder & Editor in Chief

narayan@leapmediallc.com Mob: +971-55-7802403

SAUMYADEEP HALDER Co-Founder & MD

saumyadeep@leapmediallc.com Mob: +971-54-4458401

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RAMAN NARAYAN

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Editor in Chief, CXO DX

MALLIKA REGO Co-Founder & Director Client Solutions

mallika@leapmediallc.com Mob: +971-50-2489676

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Sunil Kumar Designer

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REGISTERED OFFICE: Office 10, Sharjah Media City | www.cxodx.com OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» CONTENTS CXODX - Oct 2023 - Cover.pdf 1 14-10-2023 03:15:14

CIO OUTLOOK

36 » IN THE DRIVING SEAT INTERVIEW C

24 » EMPOWERING IT OPERATIONS

CMY

26 » TRANSFORMING THE WORKPLACE

18 COVER STORY

32 » SEAMLESS NETWORK MANAGEMENT

18 » EMPOWERING TRANSFORMATION

34 » ENABLING COLLABORATION

Dell Technologies is well poised to handhold enterprises on the digital transformation front as they navigate their respective growth journeys

40 » HOLISTIC APPROACH

NEWS INSIGHT 15 » CISCO AND MANNAI TO ENABLE AND SECURE QATAR'S DIGITAL LANDSCAPE

44 SPOTLIGHT

44 » FWS 2023 PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE FUTURE OF WORK COLUMN

54 » AI IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE DATA THAT FUELS IT

42 » DELIVERING HIGH-PERFORMANCE STORAGE 43 » A UNIFIED APPROACH

58 » STRIKING A BALANCE IN STORAGE PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT

14 » SURGE IN DEMAND SPURS GITEX GLOBAL, EXPAND NORTH STAR DUBAI

58 » DEFINING YOUR CLOUD ECONOMIC MODEL

16 » FRESHWORKS REPORT REVEALS OPPORTUNITY FOR IT LEADERS LEVERAGING AI

62 » OBSERVABILITY IN DIGITAL ENTERPRISES REGULARS

GITEX SPOTLIGHT

28 » SHOWCASING THE DIGITAL EDGE 4

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

06 » NEWS 36 » TECHSHOW 38 » TRENDS & STATS

» NEWS

SOPHOS TO SHOWCASE ADVANCED SOLUTIONS INCLUDING MDR AND CSAAS Company to focus on Cybersecurity as a Service (CSaaS) that provides MDR, Incident Response, endpoint, network, and other portfolio security solutions through a single platform At GITEX Global 2023, Sophos will showcase its advanced cybersecurity solutions and services including Sophos Managed Detection and Response (MDR).

Harish Chib

Vice President, MEA, Sophos

Sophos will also highlight its new Sophos Incident Response Retainer, which provides organizations with speedy access to Sophos’ industry-first fixed-cost incident response services that includes 45 days of 24/7 Managed Detection and Response (MDR). The retainer cuts red tape, allowing Sophos incident responders to quickly respond to active cyberattacks to investigate and commence the remediation process. External vulnerability scanning and critical preparedness guidance are also included in the retainer, enabling organizations to proactively improve their existing security resilience by pinpointing and resolving issues that reduce the likelihood of a breach in the first place.

Additionally, the company will also focus on its complete, integrated CSaaS platform of protection. This provides a single interface into email, cloud, network, and endpoint security that is all backed by artificial intelligence, human threat analysis and open APIs that integrate with third-party tools and other cybersecurity vendors providing proactive protection and peace of mind. “The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, and there have been significant shifts in both business environments and the methods used in cyberattacks. Organisations are better secured against cyberattacks with Sophos MDR as an added layer because of the 24/7 human experts who monitor and react to indicators of intruders before they can launch a full scale attack such as ransomware,” said Harish Chib, VP, Middle East and Africa, Sophos.

REDINGTON SHOWCASES UNDER THE THEME ‘REIMAGINING THE DIGITAL AT GITEX GLOBAL 2023 Redington to showcase innovative initiatives and solutions, expediting customers' digital transformation journeys, during the five-day tech show. Redington, a leading technology integrator and innovation powerhouse, will showcase its strategy to ‘Reimagining the Digital Future’ at GITEX. The five-day event provides an ideal platform for Redington to demonstrate its commitment to shaping the future of technology and digital transformation.

determination to push the boundaries of what's possible in the technology realm as a technology integrator and chart a course toward a transformative digital future."

Under the theme ‘Reimagining the Digital Future’, the technology aggregator is set to unveil a spectrum of cutting-edge solutions and visionary concepts that hold the potential to reshape industries and redefine the technological landscape.

Visitors to the Redington booth can expect a showcase of breakthrough technologies and interactive demonstrations that explore the potential of artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and more. Through these immersive experiences, Redington aims to inspire businesses, industries, and individuals to embrace the possibilities that lie ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

"GITEX Global is the perfect stage for us to present our vision for 'Reimagining the Digital Future',” said Viswanath Pallasena, CEO, Redington Middle East and Africa. "Our participation underscores our

As part of its commitment to knowledge sharing and industry collaboration, Redington will also host a series of thought-provoking discussions featuring thought leaders, industry experts, and in-

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

Viswanath Pallasena CEO, Redington MEA novators. These sessions will delve into the challenges and opportunities presented by digital transformation and provide insights to guide businesses in navigating this dynamic landscape.

» NEWS

BARRACUDA’S GITEX SHOWCASE FOCUSES ON CLOUD APPLICATION SECURITY AND SASE SOLUTIONS The vendor intends to empower customers to innovate at pace, and embrace modern computing paradigms with the confidence in the security of their applications and data At this year’s edition of GITEX Global. Barracuda Networks will focus on demonstrating to regional businesses how they can protect their cloud applications and enable seamless access to users, irrespective of location and device. At its stand (C50 in Hall 24) at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the vendor will showcase the latest advancements to its Cloud Application Protection and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solutions. Toni El Inati – RVP Sales, META & CEE, Barracuda Networks said, “At Barracuda, we are here to empower our customers to innovate at pace, and embrace modern computing paradigms with the confidence in the security of their applications and data. This is what we intend to highlight to visitors to our GITEX stand.” Barracuda has regularly participated at GITEX for over a decade. As with previous editions of the trade show, the company will host live solution demos at its stand. This year, these include: Secure Access Service Edge (SASE): Barracuda’s cloud-first SASE platform enables businesses to control access to data from any device, anytime, anywhere, and allows security inspection and policy enforcement in the cloud, at the branch, or on the device.

Toni El Inati

RVP Sales, META & CEE, Barracuda Networks Cloud to Cloud Backup: This platform delivers a fast search and restore experience for Office 365 data, including Teams, Exchange Online, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Web Application Firewall-as-a-Service: Deployed in minutes, Barracuda WAF-as-a-Service is a full-featured, cloud-delivered application security service that ensures complete protection of all apps.

VEEAM SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON CYBER RESILIENCY

Google Cloud NetApp Volumes is the only first-party fully managed cloud file service in Google Cloud to fully support Windows, Linux, SAP, and VMware workloads.

Mohamad Rizk

Regional Director, ME & CIS, Veeam Software

Veeam Software’s participation at this year’s GITEX Global is centered around the theme - ‘Cyber Resilience To Keep Your Business Running’.

Mohamad Rizk, Regional Director, Middle East & CIS at Veeam Software said: “Digital transformation is important to every enterprise in the Middle East today. However, organizations are also facing the risk of increased cyberattacks, especially ransomware attacks. As per the Middle East and Africa edition of the Veeam 2023 Data Protection Trends Report, 86% of regional enterprises experienced at least one ransomware attack in 2022 and 79% of enterprises have a ‘Protection Gap’ between their tolerable data loss and how often IT protects their data. When your business is digital, protecting and recovering data is critical. Following the adage of, ‘When you modernize production, you must modernize protection’, data protection strategies must be equally inclusive of physical, virtual, and cloud-hosted workloads. In addition, to optimize their

agility and flexibility, businesses should plan for workloads moving across clouds and even back on premises. A data protection strategy should accommodate that fluidity.” Veeam will demonstrate how it offers organizations radical resiliency through the Veeam Data Platform - a single platform that provides data security, data recovery and data freedom for hybrid cloud infrastructure including Cloud, Virtual, Physical, SaaS and Kubernetes environments. In this age of sophisticated and frequent cyberattacks, the Platform gives businesses peace of mind, knowing their apps and data are protected and always available to keep their businesses running.

Ahmad El Dandachi

Enterprise Channel Lead, Veeam will have Microsoft UAEits own dedicated booth in Hall 7 stand number D-20 at GITEX.

OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» NEWS

SOLARWINDS EXHIBITS AT GITEX GLOBAL 2023 SolarWinds to showcase product innovations in booth #H7-F50 with in-depth demonstrations of its observability, database, and service management solutions SolarWinds will present at booth H7-F50 at this GITEX Global (October 16-20) alongside its value-added distribution partners in the region — CyberKnight and Spire Solutions — showcasing its award-winning full-stack observability products, comprehensive database management portfolio, and service management solutions.

Abdul Rehman Tariq Regional Sales Director, ME

SolarWinds enables companies to manage increasingly complex hybrid and multicloud environments to accelerate digital transformation, drive automation, modernize applications, and undertake cloud migration initiatives. The company has further enhanced its solutions through the unified SolarWinds® Platform, providing customers with full-stack observability powered by AIOps, database, service management, security, and automation capabilities to identify and remediate issues

and improve service delivery, reliability, and productivity — all while reducing costs. “Today, digital transformation and innovative technology are the main drivers of all industries and economies, which is why GITEX GLOBAL 2023 is extremely beneficial for our business. The trade fair is an ideal platform to tell the tech landscape what AI-powered innovations we offer to accelerate the digital economy,” said Abdul Rehman Tariq, regional sales director, Middle East. “Our participation in the event reflects our commitment to the UAE market and is a great opportunity to demonstrate how SolarWinds and our value-added distribution partners in the region can help organizations accelerate their digital journey and drive enhancements in hybrid cloud and observability solutions.”

DELINEA TO HIGHLIGHT PAM SOLUTIONS AT GITEX The company will showcase under the theme ‘Empowering Businesses for Secure Digital Future’ Delinea, a leading provider of solutions that seamlessly extend Privileged Access Management (PAM), announced its participation at GITEX Global 2023 under the theme ‘Empowering Businesses for Secure Digital Future’. Aligning with its mission of enabling organisations to meet an increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape and stringent requirements from cyber insurance providers, the company will use its GITEX participation to showcase its complete product portfolio and recent innovations, including enhancements to Secret Server, its award-winning vault solution. and to DevOps Secrets Vault. As the volume and sophistication of cyberattacks continues to soar, organisations are increasingly looking for a safety net and in the Middle East, 63% of companies have purchased some form of cyber insurance. However, due to a growing num-

ber of claims, insurance providers are becoming more risk averse, introducing more stringent requirements to qualify for cyber insurance while reducing the policy coverage. A recent Delinea survey report found that 47% of US respondents needed to purchase an MFA enforcement solution to meet cyber insurance requirements. “Companies in the Middle East are faced with a double-edge sword,” said Mohammad Ismail, VP Middle East, Africa & Türkiye at Delinea. “They need to protect their digital assets from increasingly sophisticated attacks and demonstrate the maturity and effectiveness of their cybersecurity strategy and infrastructure to insurance providers. At GITEX we will show attendees how the right PAM solutions can help increase their defences against bad actors and negotiate better insurance premiums and coverage.”

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

Mohammad Ismail VP MEAT, Delinea

Among others, Delinea will present the recently announced enhancements to Secret Server which introduced a new layer of security for highly sensitive accounts with MFA on credentials. Delinea will be present at stand B55 in Hall23.

» NEWS

CLOUDERA TO UNVEIL LLMS EMPOWERING BUSINESSES AT GITEX Visitors to the company’s booth can explore the future of AI with Cloudera's Generative AI and LLMs Cloudera, the data company for trusted enterprise artificial intelligence (AI), is participating at GITEX Global 2023 in collaboration with its partner, Digital Dubai, a government authority dedicated to advancing digital innovation and transformation. Cloudera will focus on AI and Sustainability this year, highlighting its commitment to driving innovation and collaboration with public and private entities. At Gitex 2023, Cloudera will showcase an LLM Chatbot Augmented with Enterprise Data for companies. The blueprint brings generative AI based on large language models to companies. With the Cloudera offering, businesses can develop their own AI application powered by an open-source LLM of their choice with their data, all hosted internally in the enterprise, empowering all their developers and lines of business - not just data scientists and ML teams - and truly democratising AI. Cloudera's Open Data Lakehouse helps customers unlock the potential of their data, irrespective of its location. Modern data architectures enable organisations to optimise cloud costs while preparing data for current and future AI developments. In the Middle East, the call for sustainability has reached new

heights, with data insights and hybrid data-cloud solutions emerging as pivotal tools for achieving a greener and more sustainable future. Cloudera recognises the transformative potential of data-driven approaches in various areas, including energy, supply chain management, waste reduction, and transportation. Initiatives like intelligent metering in Dubai, energy-efficient buildings in Saudi Arabia, and supply chain traceability in the UAE exemplify how data-driven practices can lead to significant environmental impact, efficiency gains, and cost savings.

DATAIKU TO SHOW GITEX 2023 DELEGATES THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF EVERYDAY AI Company to showcase latest tools platform, which puts governance front and center and integrates with OpenAI’s ChatGPT Dataiku, the platform for Everyday AI, will exhibit at this year’s GITEX Global under the theme, “Maximizing Business Value with AI: Scaling Across the Organization”. At a time when the region is displaying a notable uptick in the adoption rates of a range of AI technologies, Dataiku will use GITEX as a platform to showcase how it enables organizations to reap the maximum rewards from their AI investments by making AI accessible to users with varying skill sets and roles.

daily operations, we enable everyone to add value — to be extraordinary, and to power their company into the future as a competitive force. We will attend GITEX 2023 at a nexus point in the history of AI, when technologies such as large-language models have entered the public consciousness and are seeing accelerated adoption. Our goal at this year’s event is to put these developments in context and show attendees how they can leverage them to mature their AI mix.”

A recent Dataiku study shows 98% of UAE organizations see AI as a major business enabler and are investing more heavily in data science platforms. The poll also showed that UAE enterprises were acting on this belief. 74% of respondents said their organization had either maintained or increased investment in AI in recent months. More than two thirds (68%) of UAE organizations are investing up to half their tech budget in AI.

Dataiku’s GITEX 2023 focus will be its recently updated eponymous flagship platform. Dataiku 12 offers integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, allowing business users to incorporate the tool’s learning models into their native data projects by extending datasets and performing tasks using a visual interface and natural-language prompts. At GITEX Global 2023, Dataiku will exhibit from Stand CC2-15

Sid Bhatia Regional VP and GM, META, Dataiku “Dataiku is the Everyday AI company,” said Sid Bhatia, Regional VP and GM for the Qahwash Middle East, Turkey, Adel and Africa, at Dataiku. GM, AlJammaz Technologies “By empowering data experts and domain experts to work together to build AI into their

OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» NEWS

VECTRA AI TO DEMO AI-DRIVEN DETECTION AND RESPONSE PLATFORM FOR HYBRID NETWORKS After lengthy consultation with customers, company builds solution for hybrid age that gives SOCs ‘the ability to move at the speed and scale of their adversaries’ Vectra AI, a leader in AI-driven cyberthreat detection and response will introduce the region to a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity platform built for the modern hybrid environment during its participation at GITEX Global 2023.

detection and response (XDR) for hybrid attacks, at speed and scale. The Vectra AI Platform, with patented Attack Signal Intelligence, delivers the integrated signal enterprises need to optimize their investment in XDR.

“Cyber leaders long to be resilient to the twisting evolution of the hybrid threat landscape,” said Taj El-khayat, Area VP, EMEA South, at Vectra AI. “They want to modernize security operations with AI but do not feel able to justify to their colleagues the budgets associated with rip and replace. Nonetheless, they feel that without the ability to stay one step ahead, or at least keep up, with the adversaries, a major cyber incident is inevitable.”

At GITEX, Vectra will show how its new flagship platform can address what El-khayat calls the “spiral of more” — more attack surface, more sophistication in attack methods, more tools, more rules, more security analyst burnout.

In answer to its customers’ concerns, Vectra developed the industry’s first AI-driven, fully integrated hybrid attack detection and response platform, to deliver extended

The Vectra AI platform allows organizations to integrate Vectra AI’s public cloud, identity, SaaS, and network signal with existing endpoint detection and response (EDR) signal to arm SOC teams in their fight against the ever-growing sophistication, speed, and scale of hybrid attacks. The Vectra AI Platform integrated signal enables security teams to cover more than

Taj El-khayat

Area VP, EMEA South, Vectra AI 90% of MITRE ATT&CK techniques with patented and proven MITRE D3FEND countermeasures. Teams can also combine AI-driven behavior-based detection, signatures, and threat intelligence for the most accurate representation of active attacks in progress.

VMWARE TO HIGHLIGHT HOW MULTI-CLOUD AND AI HELP DRIVE TRANSFORMATION VMware Cloud helps modernise, optimise, and protect multi-cloud enterprises with new offerings and capabilities at Dubai World Trade Centre on October 16 – 20, 2023.

Ahmed Audat

Vice President & GM, MET & North Africa VMware will showcase its latest innovations and solutions to empower customers to become truly innovative digital organizations by securely managing and operating their operations across multi-cloud environments, at GITEX 2023 to be held

From its booth in Hall 7, Stand H7 - B10, VMware will demonstrate how its newest launches – many of which will be on show for the first time in the Middle East – can enable customers to drive enterprise adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and tap into the value of trusted data. The new solutions help to modernise, optimise, and better protect organizations with new cloud transformation capabilities; develop, deliver, and enhance apps across clouds; accelerate digital transformation at the edge; and improve the employee experience. Visitors to VMware’s stand will also get the chance to experience the company’s new Private AI offerings that drive enterprise adoption of generative AI and tap into the value of trusted data as part of a multicloud strategy.

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

Ahmed Auda, Vice President and GM, Middle East, Turkey & North Africa, VMware, said: “As we move rapidly into the AI era, VMware is dedicated to helping organisations embrace a multi-cloud and app-centric approach while simultaneously empowering them to tap the power of generative AI to gain maximum value from their data. We look forward to demonstrating how organizations in the region can achieve greater levels of agility and efficiency by embracing a multi-cloud approach, while also respecting data sovereignty rules and customers’ data privacy needs. We’re excited to meet customers and new prospects from all verticals to demonstrate how they can take their innovation to the next level.” VMware will celebrate its strong and diverse partner network at GITEX, with top partners including GBM Abu Dhabi, CCI and MIDIS Group joining its stand.

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» NEWS

INGRAM MICRO PARTNER WITH ZOHO FOR KEY MENA COUNTRIES The agreement covers countries including Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Morocco, Lebanon, UAE and Saudi Arabia Oman, Morocco, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. This move is expected to significantly enhance the availability and accessibility of Zoho products to businesses of all sizes across the region. Dr. Ali Baghdadi, SVP & Chief Country Executive – MEA, Ingram Micro, commented on the new initiative: "The integration of services between Ingram Micro and Zoho is a testament to our dedication to bringing the best technological solutions to our clientele across MENA. Zoho products can empower businesses to operate more efficiently and serve their customers better. We believe in the power and versatility of these tools, and we're excited to help usher in a new era of digital transformation in the region." Ingram Micro Inc., a global leader in technology and supply chain services, tannounced a new distribution agreement with Zoho, a global technology company, to bring Zoho's suite of products to multiple countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The primary focus of this initiative will be on Zoho Workplace, an enterprise collaboration platform, and Zoho Bigin, a pipeline-centric CRM for small businesses. . The countries covered under this agreement include Egypt, Qatar,

Hyther Nizam, President, Middle East and Africa at Zoho commented, "We are excited to become a trusted ally for Ingram Micro. This collaboration ensures that customers can easily access innovative, affordable and scalable software solutions that streamline their business processes and improve overall efficiency, especially as organisations increasingly shift towards cloudbased solutions. This alliance signifies a strategic move that will enhance Zoho's distribution network and further expand its presence in the MENA region."

TOSHIBA GULF INTRODUCES "BUILD YOUR OWN DATA CENTRE" INITIATIVE ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST This initiative will help its channel partners adapt to a data-driven future while optimizing costs and performance. Toshiba Gulf FZE (TGFZ), a fully owned subsidiary of Toshiba Corporation (Japan) managing the MEA region for storage products and solutions announced the launch of its "Build Your Own Data Centre" initiative across the Middle East and Africa.

to be aware of the kinds of storage backup companies need. We see many companies still using tape as a storage backup option, but a hard drive is the first choice for storage because the cost per GB is still very low compared to SSDs."

While cloud adoption is on the rise, many enterprises are finding value in balancing the two—a strategy known as a hybrid approach. This initiative will help educate and empower channel partners, including System Integrators, VARs, and VAD, to help their enterprise clients enhance their business-critical enterprise server storage systems and cloud storage capabilities while leveraging high-capacity hard drives.

As of 2021, approximately 63% of data storage worldwide still relies on traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). However, the landscape is evolving, and by 2025, SSDs are expected to claim a 16% share of data storage, with NAND making up 10%. Nonetheless, HDDs will continue to hold the majority share at 58%. By 2030, it's projected that HDDs will still account for 48% of total data storage, while SSDs will grow to 29%, and NAND will comprise 12%.

Santosh Varghese, VP, TGFZ said, “We want the data storage channel ecosystem

To raise awareness, Toshiba will host a series of events across the MEA, with

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

Santosh Varghese VP, TGFZ an aim to equip sales and pre-sales teams belonging with in-depth knowledge about enterprise-level storage and purpose-built hard drives.

» NEWS

DIGITAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY AND NUTANIX SIGN A MOU Agreement to support digital transformation and innovation in Saudi Arabia Nutanix, a leader in hybrid multicloud computing, announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the aim of developing mechanisms for government agencies to benefit from cloud services, explore digital business opportunities and intensify ways of cooperation to accelerate innovation and digital transformation in Saudi Arabia. The memorandum was discussed – in New York City - during a meeting involving a high-level delegation from the Authority, headed by His Excellency Eng. Ahmed Alsuwaiyan, Governor of the Digital Government Authority, with representatives of Nutanix - Mr. Pai Venugopal, Chief Customer Experience Officer, and Mr. Talal Al-Saif, Nutanix’s Sales Director for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and Egypt. The agreement was signed in Riyadh. H.E. Eng. Ahmed Alsuwaiyan said that this memorandum supports the Authority’s initiatives aimed at accelerating the adoption of cloud computing services, and applying international best practices in various fields related to digital government - in order to enhance the Kingdom’s digital leadership, localize the technology industry, provide the necessary support for the process of adopting cloud

computing services, and raise the quality of digital services. This is in line with the strategic directions of the digital government and achievement of the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. Mr. Talal Al-Saif added that the Nutanix platform enables hybrid cloud computing for public sector agencies by allowing them to run and manage workloads and applications across on-premises data centers, public and private clouds, multiple hypervisors, and containers as a single cohesive infrastructure.

Your business is a journey. Let’s secure it. Your email, data, network and apps, secured. Meet the team at GITEX Global 2023 - Booth: H24-C50

barracuda.com OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» NEWS INSIGHT

Cisco and Mannai join forces to enable and secure Qatar's digital landscape The strategic partnership paves the way for Technological Advancement and Digital Security for Qatar Threat Intelligence Sharing: Government agencies and critical infrastructure operators in Qatar will benefit from real-time threat intelligence sharing, enabling them to stay ahead of emerging threats and vulnerabilities. Compliance and Governance: The partnership will ensure that Qatar's cybersecurity framework aligns with international standards and regulations, facilitating seamless global collaboration and data exchange.

In a pivotal move that promises to reshape Qatar's digital landscape, Mannai Corporation Qatar and Cisco have embarked on a collaborative journey that is set to unlock unprecedented opportunities in the cybersecurity and managed services domains, fuelling Qatar’s digital ambitions. Qatar's ambitions to become a technological hub in the Middle East have been unambiguous, with a focus on smart cities, e-governance, and digital innovation. With celebratory success the partnership conquered at the 2022 World Cup Qatar, Mannai and Cisco combined strengths to build and deliver a secure and reliable network all through the global phenomenon hosted in 2022 by Qatar. However, as the digital horizon expands, so does the need for safeguarding against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. In response, Mannai Corporation, a leading Qatari conglomerate with a rich history dating back to 1950, continues to join forces with Cisco, a global tech leader renowned for its advanced networking solutions and cutting-edge cybersecurity offerings. The Mannai-Cisco partnership envisions a comprehensive approach to enhancing Qatar's cybersecurity posture and managing technology infrastructure effectively. As part of the joint vision, Mannai’s collaboration with Cisco Meraki and Thou-

sand Eyes represents a strong association, offering Qatar state-of-the-art cloud-managed networking solutions from Cisco Meraki and network visibility and intelligence from Thousand Eyes. Together, they will seek to elevate Qatar's digital infrastructure, providing enhanced network management, security, and performance monitoring, enabling organizations to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

Here are the key components of their collaborative vision:

Comprehensive Cybersecurity Solutions: Cisco's state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions are being integrated into Qatar's digital infrastructure, providing multi-layered protection against cyber threats. This includes robust firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and threat intelligence. Managed Security Services: Mannai, in partnership with Cisco, will offer managed security services to monitor, detect, and respond to potential cyber threats in real-time, ensuring proactive protection. Capacity Building: The partnership is committed to enhancing local cybersecurity expertise through training and skill development programs. This initiative aims to reduce Qatar's reliance on external resources for maintaining its cybersecurity infrastructure.

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

The winning alliance aims to significantly impact Qatar's digital landscape. By strengthening the nation's cybersecurity framework and providing advanced managed services, Qatar can confidently pursue ambitious digital initiatives while safeguarding its critical infrastructure and sensitive data. This partnership exemplifies the commitment of both Mannai and Cisco to help Qatar remain resilient in the face of ever-evolving cybersecurity challenges. The collaboration isn't limited to Qatar alone. The advancements in cybersecurity and managed services in Qatar have the potential to influence the broader Middle East region. This partnership promotes advanced technology solutions, best practices in cybersecurity, and the evolution of digital infrastructure management. In a world where the digital realm is increasingly central to our lives, securing Qatar's digital future is a collective effort, and the partnership between Mannai and Cisco is a promising step forward in that direction. Qatar is well on its way to realizing its vision of a safe and secure digital future, ensuring that its digital aspirations are safeguarded from cyber threats. The collaboration between Mannai and Cisco is set to enable and secure the digital landscape of Qatar. The partnership also reflects Qatar’s commitment to technological advancement and cybersecurity excellence.

» NEWS INSIGHT

Surge in international demand spurs GITEX GLOBAL, Expand North Star World’s largest tech and start-up event spearheads global tech takeover at Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai Harbour The surge in international demand has rallied the world’s largest tech and start-up event to scale even higher and bigger in 2023, spearheading a global tech takeover across two Dubai mega venues at this year’s GITEX GLOBAL . The 43rd edition of GITEX GLOBAL will take place from 16-20 October 2023, the blockbuster tech showpiece once again reaching full capacity at the Dubai World Trade Centre as it prepares to host more than 6,000 exhibitors, while Expand North Star, the world’s largest start-up event hosted by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, will kick-off its largest ever edition from 15-18 October 2023 at the new Dubai Harbour venue, featuring 1,800 start-ups from 100-plus countries at the Middle East’s biggest iconic superyacht hub. GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star will comprise a combined 41 halls spanning 2.7 million sq. ft of exhibition space – a 35 percent increase over the previous year – converging the best minds and most visionary companies to scrutinise, challenge, define, and empower the digital agendas of the world.

AI innovation wave, cybersecurity and launch shows fuel unprecedented growth

GITEX GLOBAL will present the year’s largest AI showcase and summit, its record growth fuelled by the AI innovation wave currently gripping the globe’s imagination, as 3,500 AI-infused exhibitors reveal how this next big technology shift is transforming lives, governments, business, and society. The AI boom has also added another layer of complexity to protecting digital assets and critical IP infrastructure, with the elevated GITEX Cyber Valley taking the fight directly to the dark cyber-criminal

underworld, gathering leading info-sec brands and global experts at the year’s biggest cyber security showcase. Amplifying this growth, launch shows GITEX Impact and Future Urbanism Expo promise to be the epicentre of ground-shaking shifts in climate technology, while advancing sustainable cities, and co-creating a net zero future ahead of the UN climate change summit, COP28. “The intense demand for involvement in GITEX from the global tech and start-up community is an acknowledgment of the strong impetus to learn, exchange, debate and challenge the recent developments in the tech sphere,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Executive Vice President of Events Management at DWTC, the organiser of GITEX GLOBAL and Expand North Star. “From AI, cyber to the mounting interest in clean tech, GITEX converges public and private sector leaders from more than 170 countries to explore the new unknown paradigms of the future digital economy.”

Expand North Star propels Dubai to forefront of global entrepreneurship economy

Expand North Star hosted by the Dubai

Chamber of Digital Economy will scale to a record size in 2023, featuring 1,800 start-ups start-up exhibitors this year Travers Nicholas to connect, inspire, and extend engageCountry General Manager for ments in Qatar, one ofDell the Technologies world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystems. More than 1,000 investors from 70 countries with $1 trillion under management will also converge at the new Dubai Harbour venue, as they look to ramp up the momentum in start-up investment after a year of tepid achievements. Saeed Al Gergawi, Vice President of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said: “Expand North Star is set to drive the next era of digital entrepreneurship and inspire the next generation of innovators and thinkers. “This landmark event will serve as a strategic catalyst to expand the future of Dubai’s digital economy, creating an unrivalled platform to gather key stakeholders from the global start-up community here in the emirate.” Elevating the global tech ecosystem, redefining entire industries

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» NEWS INSIGHT

Freshworks Report Reveals Massive Opportunity for IT Leaders Leveraging AI The annual “State of Workplace Technology” report finds IT is managing 71% more software than last year and using AI to combat growing software complexity on IT team’s work computers increased 71% over the last year. Despite this, IT professionals only use one third of the applications available to them daily (just eight out of 24), compared to half in 2022. ● IT teams put efficiency first. They rank ease of use and efficiency as top attributes of business software, ahead of feature suite, reliability and cost-effectiveness. ● AI eliminates repetitive tasks. IT pros agree AI frees up time otherwise spent on repetitive tasks (49%) and allows them to do more complex, meaningful work (45%). Moreover, IT pros estimate they could save more than five hours per week by using AI to complete repetitive tasks.

Dennis Woodside Freshworks president

Freshworks released the findings of its second annual “State of Workplace Technology” report, which found a 71% increase in the number of software applications on IT team’s work computers over the last year. To manage this spiraling complexity, the report found that IT pros—especially senior leaders and younger generations—are embracing AI to automate workflows and boost efficiency with 86% of IT pros reporting that their organizations are already using AI.

AI is poised to save companies time and money

While IT departments are expected to grow this year, it doesn’t mean they need to spend more. Freshworks found that companies in the U.S. could save $15,603 per IT employee each year using AI to eliminate time wasted on repetitive tasks. This means that an enterprise-sized company with at least 5,000 employees and an average of 200 IT professionals on staff could save a minimum of $3.1 million annually using AI. The survey also revealed: ● IT professionals are managing more software than ever and see an opportunity to simplify. The number of software applications

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“I’ve had a front-row seat to the mobile and cloud revolutions, and witnessed how both delivered powerful efficiencies that enabled IT teams to improve performance—without expanding costs,” said Dennis Woodside, Freshworks president. “We’re already seeing customers like Smartsheet and Sony Music Entertainment who plan to harness AI to substantially improve employee service, while saving on costs from legacy software accrued over time.”

Senior IT leaders are bought into AI

Directors and above reporting higher use and organizational support for AI. Notable findings include: ● AI use is generally encouraged at work. Seven in ten (70%) IT directors and above say that use of AI is actively encouraged by their company, compared to 44% of team leads/managers and 21% of individual contributors. ● IT leaders are leading the way to adopt AI. More than nine in ten (91%) IT directors and above currently use AI to support their workload, compared to 66% of team leads/managers and 33% of individual contributors. ● There’s a youth AI movement. Newer generations are playing a pivotal role in AI adoption. Eight in ten (81%) of Millennial and 75% of Gen Z IT pros currently use AI to support their workload, compared to 57% of Gen X and 27% of Boomers. “Business leaders adopt software for good reasons—to improve operations—but over time may face an unintended consequence of accruing more applications than they need,” said Prasad Ramakrishnan, CIO at Freshworks. “Smart, simplified technology, paired with the power of AI, will do more to drive productivity and efficiency than legacy software has done in decades. IT leaders who embrace automation and technological agility to reduce complexity will be the ones whose teams come out ahead.”

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» COVER STORY

EMPOWERING TRANSFORMATION

s a veritable powerhouse in the technology industry of the past several decades, Dell Technologies continues to be a partner of choice for organizations, when it comes to driving digital transformation. As organizations everywhere leverage technology to embrace change, explore new business models, and drive expansions, Dell Technologies continues to play a leading role in enabling many such leading organizations globally and locally.

Dell Technologies is well poised to handhold enterprises on the digital transformation front as they navigate their respective growth journeys

Mohammed Amin

Senior Vice President, CEEMETA, Dell Technologies

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Mohammed Amin, Senior Vice President, CEEMETA, Dell Technologies says, “Whether it is to enhance operational efficiency or reduce costs, it is encouraging to see that the pursuit of innovation remains an ongoing endeavor. This sentiment was evident in the recent Dell Technologies Innovation Index study, which reveals that businesses are confident in the strength of their organization’s innovation in the face of global challenges.” The Dell Technologies Innovation Index study polling 6,600 employees across 45+ countries reports that businesses are innovating despite uncertainty and innovation leaders are 2.2 times more likely to accelerate their way through a more challenging economic outlook. The study also explored areas where organizations faced obstacles, especially across five technology catalysts for innovation: multicloud, edge, modern data infrastructure, anywhere-work, and cybersecurity. In nearly all areas, complexity was mentioned to be the greatest stumbling block to unlocking potential. “At Dell, we believe innovation is the antidote to uncertainty. We help our customers navigate uncertainty by removing barriers so they can turn their business ideas into meaningful outcomes. Our deep, broad portfolio and capabilities are built

» COVER STORY on our ability to meet our customers’ greatest needs. From the PC to the core data center to the cloud to the edge, creating deep customer insights and driving innovation is at the core of everything Dell Technologies does. We leverage insights from all areas of our business to cultivate innovation deep into our portfolio. We focus on customer outcomes and are constantly trailblazing new solutions to meet our customers’ complex IT needs,” adds Mohammed. Today, every organization irrespective of its size but enabled digitally has the potential to go global. Investing in the right set of technologies gives an organization a definitive competitive advantage. “From small, independent businesses, to the Fortune 500, every organization needs to realize the full potential of its technology investments. They need connection, security, and access to data from multiple endpoints and sources with the insight necessary to turn that data into action. We are uniquely positioned to allow our customers to benefit from our competitive advantages and have a strong track record of delivering on our commitments in any environment,” says Mohammed.

Reinforcing the AI focus

AI today has a rising impact in different spheres of life, and it is increasingly common to embed AI in IT solutions. The emergence of generative AI has only enhanced the impact AI is certain to have across Business verticals. AI is key to unlocking value within data and thus is becoming one of the most important tools for businesses of all sizes. Enterprises have already adopted AI to automate complex processes, increase productivity, and accelerate results and outcomes in specific use cases. Generative AI (GenAI) is projected to contribute $150B to the global enterprise software TAM (Goldman Sachs) and $76B in GenAI Data center infrastructure and services TAM (Tirias Research). Keeping pace with the disruptive trends, Dell Technologies has evolved a strong AI focus in recent years and has announced a Generative AI based portfolio of solutions. Mohammed says, “The business possibilities for GenAI are broad, spanning many industries and different business functions, including marketing and sales, research & development, and customer operations and support. As the clear leader in compute and storage, Dell Technologies is at the epicenter of AI and has the world’s broadest GenAI infrastructure portfolio that spans from the cloud to client devices, all in one place. Dell Generative AI Solutions are a set of offers that span IT infrastructure, PCs and professional services to simplify the adoption of full-stack GenAI with large language models (LLM), meeting organizations wherever they are in their GenAI journey. These solutions help organizations of all sizes and across industries securely transform and become more agile.” With Dell GenAI Solutions, businesses can get more value from their own data for more data-supported, decision-making results, to increase productivity and drive more value to end-customers.

Currently, Dell provides customers with AI solutions and expertise that unlock the power of AI, automate intelligent decisions and define their paths to the future. The vendors help customers run AI workloads anywhere they need them and scale AI from proof of concept to production. “As the market demand for AI enabled solutions continues to climb, we will continue to capitalize on opportunities within four areas: AI-In which is ensuring AI is built into our products, AIOn which is offering solutions that customers can run their AI workloads on, AI-For which is how we use AI to modernize our business and AI-With which is how we work with our ecosystems of partners to make AI real,” says Mohammed.

AI INITIATIVES TO THE FORE

Over the last year, Dell has deployed several initiatives across various industries showcasing its utilization of AI for the betterment of society. This has been in alignment with the UAE and wider region’s vision for a thriving digital future.

Accelerating Societal Progress with AI

A significant highlight of these efforts this year has been Dell's collaboration with the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office. The shared goal seeks to fasttrack innovation in the realm of precision medicine by harnessing AI to address predominant challenges in the healthcare sector. It explores the process of cancer treatment programs in the UAE through the utilization of digital twins and AI, while also introducing the concept of mechanical modeling in cancer research. The approach involves assimilating data from diverse sources such as medical imaging, genetic data, patient records, and real-time monitoring data to construct a comprehensive tumor model.

Nurturing Future Innovators: The UAE AI Camp

Dell joined forces with the UAE's Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office, alongside the National Program for Artificial Intelligence and the National Program for Coders, to launch the UAE AI Camp. Attracting over 8,000 participants, this camp offered young visionaries the chance to develop their digital skills and explore the digital realm, fostering their understanding of future-focused fields. A dynamic collaboration, this endeavor was cultivated with the backing of 30 influential entities – spanning government, private sector, and international companies, all specializing in the domains of AI and coding.

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» COVER STORY technology that supports lower energy consumption and carbon footprint. Innovation starts with people; hence it is necessary for organizations to adopt a people-centric future of work strategy that enables collaboration, boosts productivity and innovation with intelligent, responsive and interruption-free technology. They also must simplify IT by adopting a modern unified lifecycle management that enables IT to update and maintain devices anywhere without disruption of users’ productivity while giving them access to virtual support for faster, touchless response. “ Dell has followed a strategy to empower its customers to collaborate, innovate, and embrace the shifts impacting workplace productivity. Dell works closely with their customers to create a modern workplace based on inspired user experiences that empower them to work how they want, not just how they need.

Ahmed Eid

Senior Director – Presales, CEEMETA, Dell Technologies

According to him, Dell’s commitment to AI-driven progress has not only redefined industries but has also been instrumental in advancing research and innovation in AI technology. Dell’s efforts reflect a sincere dedication to creating a positive impact by deploying AI solutions strategically. “From contributing to smart cities to facilitating groundbreaking medical discoveries, AI is now woven into the fabric of our daily lives. We are proud to support the potential and power of AI in shaping the digital economy of the future,” Mohammed adds.

A people-centric approach to computing

In an era when hybrid work culture is gaining ground, the Dell Technologies Innovation Index showed that 86% of UAE business leaders and 88% from KSA believed that, in part, people join their company because they believe they’ll be empowered to innovate. The study, however, also highlighted the need to fix the innovation gap. 58% of UAE and 54% of KSA respondents believed people also leave their company because they haven't been able to innovate as much as they hoped they would, citing aspects of their company's culture as a key factor holding them back from being as innovative as they want to or can be. According to Haidi Nossair, Senior Director - Client Solutions Group, Dell Technologies META, “This is the ideal time for decision-makers and IT managers to look at new technologies for result-driven changes. They must embrace a future-ready approach that empowers new talent, amplifies employee experience and supports a culture of innovation.” She elaborates, “Businesses will need intelligent devices encompassing AI to personalize the user experience, with a stronger sense of responsibility towards the environment with

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“We take a people-centric approach with our computing device designs. We provide systems with customers' needs in mind, built with AI to personalize and optimize performance, reliability and manageability. Our device AI application gives users the best possible connection, optimizing audio performance and energy consumption. We are also committed to supporting organizations to build their modern security strategy by providing systems with end-to-end security integration. We combine hardware, software, services and financing into one solution to simplify PC lifecycle management, and we offer a comprehensive portfolio of hardware, peripherals and software solutions built on the Zero Trust principles.,” says Haidi. In March 2023, Dell updated its commercial portfolio features with refreshed designs, enhanced collaboration features, and improved performance across Latitude, Precision, OptiPlex, and peripherals. Concept Luna, Dell’s breakthrough sustainable PC design, showcases the company’s sustainability efforts in creating more accessible, replaceable, and reusable product components. Dell has since introduced additional sustainable devices. The PC continues to hold its prominence in the midst of all changes, and it is expected that commercial and premium consumer PCs will continue to drive that growth, as secure end-user productivity, hybrid work, and the employee experience continue to be significant investments for commercial customers. “The PC will continue to be the gateway to the employee experience and a symbol of a company's commitment to innovation. Incremental improvements will drive the big changes. It represents a new chapter in business operations, enabled by extraordinary technological advances. Successful digital transformation adoption requires integrating a modern, intelligent, and secure user experience in the overall strategy, which will change how we live, work, and collaborate with one another,” adds Haidi.

Sustainability on the agenda

Dell Technologies has placed sustainability at the heart of its strategy and is focusing on creating innovative, sustainable technology and solutions to help customers improve business outcomes and reduce emissions.

» COVER STORY “Sustainability lies at the core of what we do, and we continue to work towards reducing our environmental impact, intentionally designing our products and packaging to reduce emissions and eliminate waste through various measures. We know we can make a huge impact in the choices we make when designing and developing our products. Our product engineering teams continue to innovate designs and use innovative material to deliver on our ESG goals.” One of our 2030 goals is that 100% of Dell’s packaging would be made from 100% recycled or renewable materials and the vendor has made some strong progress towards that achievement. “We are excited to introduce our first packaging made with 100% recycled or renewable materials - initially rolling out across the Latitude 7, 5 and 3000 series and Precision 5000 series - and extending to additional commercial and consumer products later this year. This new packaging was a real collaboration for next level materials, while still ensuring recyclability after use. Even the tape to close the box is made from paper, not plastic. It also has a luxurious look and feel, showing that sustainable can be sophisticated.” Designing products to be more repairable, reusable and recyclable gives new choices to customers who are using sustainability criteria to make purchasing decisions. Dell continues to expand the sustainability credentials of its Latitude 5000 series and Precision 3000 series devices. For example, the lids of the laptops are made from 71% recycled and renewable materials including bio-based plastic upcycled from the paper making industry as well as reclaimed carbon fiber from aerospace, automotive and bicycle manufacturing industries and post-consumer recycled plastic. “By focusing on the second heaviest part of the device – the lid – we are making a larger sustainability impact. The base of the systems also features reclaimed carbon fiber and introduce new bio-based rubber feet made from castor bean oil. The use of renewable materials like this reduces the use of petroleum-based materials. This series also marks an important milestone in our use of ocean-bound plastics, expanding beyond packaging into product featuring ocean-bound plastics in the fan housing,” says Haidi. She adds, “At Dell, our unwavering commitment to sustainability drives our business strategy. We combine innovative circular design principles with responsible asset recovery processes, prioritizing sustainable materials, reuse, and responsible recycling. Our goal is to empower organizations to advance sustainability across their operations. We are dedicated to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and actively contribute to accelerating the circular economy. Our holistic approach to sustainability not only guides our business strategy but also positions us as leaders in fostering positive change in a rapidly evolving world.”

Enhancing the storage experience

A key focus for Dell when it comes to storage is to empower businesses across the region with its end-to-end enterprise storage

Haidi Nossair

Senior Director - Client Solutions Group, Dell Technologies META

portfolio to help them unlock the value of data as they undertake their transformation journeys. “The key to transformation is taking rapid action at the right time, and in this fast-paced, ever-changing world, it is more important than ever to be ready. Ready to extract the most value from data, wherever it lives. Ready to put insights into action with automated operations and intelligence. Ready for security threats that can strike at any time, all while managing differing strategies across edge, core, cloud, IT staffing needs and exploding data growth. At Dell, our customers’ needs have always come first, and they have told us that they need to deliver innovation at light speed and address challenges in real-time. To accelerate the time between data creation and innovation, we realized that what is truly needed is a storage experience that is continuously modern. And the only way to do that is through software-driven innovation,” says Ahmed Eid, Senior Director – Presales, CEEMETA, Dell Technologies. He adds, “Our software-driven innovation has always been focused on what our customers need. Helping them turn headwinds into tailwinds to boost productivity, get the most of data anytime, anywhere all while remaining secure from threats. We offer our customers a continuously modern storage experience with an expansive portfolio of products and services that enable adaptable software architectures, multi-cloud-capable software, and comprehensive cyber-resiliency, all from a single vendor.” Over the last years, Dell announced enhancements across its storage portfolio, driving increased intelligence, automation, cyber resiliency and multi-cloud flexibility. More than 500 software advancements across Dell PowerStore, PowerMax and PowerFlex delivered faster data insights, better multi-cloud data control and increased cyber resiliency. The breadth of the portfolio offered OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» COVER STORY platforms that cost-effectively met the needs of small, medium-sized, and large businesses alike while providing room for ample growth. “We’re also seeing the adoption of Storage as-a-Service grow significantly. By 2025, more than 70% of all enterprise-grade storage capacity will be sold on a consumption basis – according to Gartner. This comes as no surprise, as data storage management can get complicated fast with challenges like capital budget constraints, cloud complexity, limited IT staff size, data security, and unpredictable data growth,” Ahmed adds. With its as-a-Service portfolio, Dell APEX Data Storage Services & Dell APEX protection storage for public cloud, IT leaders can meet changing demands by focusing on outcomes not infrastructure, through simplicity, agility and control. It enables organizations to respond dynamically to changing business needs, eliminate the risks associated with under-provisioning and wasted cost from over-provisioning, and save IT staff time and resources, through scalable and elastic storage resources built on industry leading technologies.

A firm partner focus

Dell has a strong channel network and program. The channel remains integral to its success in the region. The vendor also continues to enable partners to make a successful transition to working with emerging technologies. “Globally, Dell has the tech sector’s largest direct go-to-market and channel partner ecosystem, creating unparalleled market reach. We continue to empower our channel ecosystem to drive simplification of our portfolio where appropriate with a commitment to bringing the next generation of technologies to market. The Dell Technologies Partner Program delivers for partners today, and there is no better time to partner with us than now,” says Mohammed. Recently, Dell announced a partner-first strategy for storage. This new go-to-market strategy combines partner expertise and reach with Dell’s world-class team and storage portfolio, to deliver transformational outcomes for customers. With this announcement, Dell will compensate Dell sellers more when transacting storage through a partner. Dell will also quadruple the number of storage Partner of Record-eligible resale accounts for more predictability of engagement.

Securing enterprises

Dell Technologies at GITEX Global

At GITEX Global 2023, Dell is expected to showcase its end-to-end portfolio of solutions that are helping businesses thrive in today’s digital economy. This year, the vendor will shine a special spotlight on assisting enterprises to address the big five unsolved challenges that hinder their growth and productivity. These include the future of work, multi-cloud, AI, edge computing and cyber security. With Dell's end-to-end portfolio, regional businesses will be able to learn about new growth opportunities with best-of-class infrastructure solutions comprising GenAI, Data Management, security, APEX, multicloud, servers, and data storage solutions. As part of its commitment to innovation, Dell will also showcase a Sustainability Workspace, AI Hologram, and Digital Cities VR. It will also highlight solutions for verticals like telco, healthcare, financial services and energy. In addition to its Infrastructure Solutions Group segment, Dell will showcase some of its Client Solutions Group offerings. These include hardware such as desktop PCs, monitors and peripherals, rugged products, and software, including end-point security.

According to Dell's Innovation Index, which surveyed more than 6,600 business and IT decision-makers, nearly 77% of respondents have yet to explore a zero-trust architecture. Enabling organizations with a Zero Trust architecture is an opportunity that Dell is addressing with its newly announced Project Fort Zero. “Dell is committed to simplifying Zero Trust for our customers. We recently introduced Project Fort Zero to provide an end-to-end Zero Trust security solution for global organizations to protect against cyberattacks. Project Fort Zero builds on the momentum of Dell's Zero Trust Center of Excellence and partner ecosystem to accelerate Zero Trust adoption. I firmly believe Zero Trust will redefine IT security for a new generation of businesses operating in an increasingly interconnected world,” says Mohammed.

Dell offers end-to-end cybersecurity solutions to help protect data & systems, enhance cyber resiliency, and overcome security complexity. Security is purposeful and built into everything it does, from our hardware to its supply chain assurance capabilities to the cyber vault solutions and cloud-based services.

He adds, “Dell is a leader in helping organizations prevent cyber threats across any cloud, workload, or consumption model. For decades, we've helped organizations solve some of their toughest business challenges and now our goal is to do the same for security with Zero Trust as our north star.”

“At Dell, given the depth and breadth of our portfolio and services, we are uniquely positioned to address the security challenges across the entire IT ecosystem. We do this by equipping our customers with a Zero Trust architecture as many look to secure their environments better. Zero Trust is a cybersecurity architecture that only allows known, good activity across boundaries and data pipelines, “says Mohammed.

In the final analysis, Dell Technologies seems to tick all the right boxes with its extensive array of solutions that can help enterprises meet their expectations from their digital transformation pursuits. From AI to edge computing to hybrid cloud solutions to cybersecurity and more, the Technology juggernaut is well poised to handhold enterprises on the technology front as they navigate their respective growth journeys.

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

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» INTERVIEW

EMPOWERING ENTERPRISE IT OPERATIONS Sujoy Banerjee, Designation, Associate Director, ManageEngine discusses growth accelerators of recent times as well as how ManageEngine’s vast range of solutions designed to address specific challenges in IT management, security, and compliance have been well received in the region What does decentralized IT mean in the enterprise context? What are the challenges that come with it and how can these be addressed? Decentralized IT in the enterprise context refers to the distribution of IT responsibilities, functions, and decision-making across various departments or business units rather than being centrally controlled. This can involve different teams managing their own technology resources, applications, and infrastructure independently. The challenges for Decentralized IT can be of the following: 1. Different teams may adopt varied technologies and solutions, leading to a lack of standardization across the organization. 2. Decentralization can pose security risks if individual teams do not adhere to consistent security practices. 3. Integrating systems and data across decentralized units can be complex. 4. Without centralized procurement and management, there's a risk of duplicate tools and services, resulting in higher costs. We can work towards addressing these challenges by: 1. Implementing strong governance frameworks to ensure that decentralized units follow common standards, security protocols, and compliance requirements. 2. Define and promote standards for technology adoption and infrastructure to ensure compatibility and consistency. 3. Provide training and awareness programs to ensure that decentralized teams are educated about best practices, security measures, and organizational policies. Discuss your Middle East growth focus – has the growth in the region accelerated post covid? What do you think have the growth drivers in recent year? The Middle East has been a region of strategic interest for economic and technological growth. While several factors do point to the fact that the growth has accelerated in the region post COVID, it could be mainly because of the following growth drivers: 1.

The diversified economy of the Middle East has given newer

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2. 3.

opportunities, especially in the B2B Tech space. Digital transformation has only accelerated the need for IT solutions for enterprises as they face the uncertainties in an AI-powered tech world going forward. The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced and accelerated the idea of remote working thus putting the focus on how to enable remote work further and make it secure and provide a seamless user experience for people working remotely. It also puts emphasis on the need for training and upskilling for employees to keep up the pace for understanding and developing digital services.

What are among your most successful products in the enterprise space for the region? Some of ManageEngine's products that have traditionally been well-received globally and relevant in the Middle East include: ServiceDesk Plus: An IT service management (ITSM) tool that helps organizations manage and automate their IT service desk processes. 1. Endpoint Central: A unified enpoint management and security software that comprehensively addresses the requirements of IT admins. It empowers IT admins to perform patch management, software deployment, mobile device management, OS deployment and take remote control to troubleshoot devices. 2. OpManager: A network performance monitoring tool that provides visibility into the health and performance of network devices, servers, and applications. 3. ADManager Plus: A comprehensive Active Directory management and reporting tool that simplifies tasks related to user provisioning, group management, and AD reporting. 4. Log360: A comprehensive security information and event management (SIEM) solution that provides real-time threat detection, incident response, and compliance management. These products are designed to address specific challenges in IT management, security, and compliance. The success of these products in the Middle East is because of the factors such as the

» INTERVIEW and IT automation, we can resolve issues quickly and MTTR (Mean Time To Repair) on incidents. ManageEngine recently added Open AI Observability as a native capability to Site 24x7. The latest offering enables application owners to monitor the utilization of different OpenAI models seamlessly while tracking real-time performance and cost metrics — all within a unified view. With organisations embracing the AI wave and explore the capabilities of Generative AI, having a concise understanding of how to leverage such technology becomes important for businesses. ManageEngine aims to bridge this gap of understanding such capabilities so that businesses can identify opportunities to optimize models and provide a seamless user experience.Additionally, closely monitoring API usage and token consumption becomes essential to managing costs and enhancing overall application performance. Discuss enhancements to Log360, your SIEM solution In 2023, ManageEngine Log360 made significant strides in two pivotal areas: security and compliance. We commenced the year on a remarkable note with the introduction of the security and risk posture management capabilities within Log360. This marked a major milestone in our commitment to bolstering security measures. Moreover, we unveiled the much-anticipated MSSP edition of Log360 Cloud, our cloud-based Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution.

Sujoy Banerjee

Designation, Associate Director, ManageEngine

region's specific IT landscape, regulatory requirements, and the evolving needs of enterprises. Tell us about the features of your cloud based observability platform. How are AI and ML enhancing observability? ManageEngine's cloud based observability platform - Site 24x7 focuses on cloud spend optimization and AI-powered monitoring that empowers IT operations and DevOps. Its broad capabilities help troubleshoot problems with end-user experience, applications, servers, public clouds and network infrastructure. Site24x7 is the one stop all-in-one monitoring solution which fulfills the businesses' need for continued observability. At ManageEngine we leverage AI and ML technologies, combined with a plethora of data collected using multiple network management tools to provide an all-in-one unified observability tool. We make use of AI technology to monitor your IT resources (AIOps) and machine learning for operations (MLOps). With AIOps, we provide organisations with proper insights that can better help them control their IT environment. With predictive analysis and anomaly detection, we aim to avoid downtime; we help organisations to stay ahead of the curve by automating solutions for potential problems thereby reducing time and effort spent on solving issues; and with the help of anomaly detection

Furthermore, we have introduced out-of-the-box support for two essential frameworks: the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) and Systems and Organization Controls (SOC 2). Additionally, we have introduced the MITRE dashboard for enhanced analytics and rapid threat detection, as well as the SOC dashboard to monitor key performance metrics of security operations. These enhancements not only demonstrate our adaptability to global compliance standards but also reinforce our dedication to providing a comprehensive security and compliance solution. How will your cloud based SIEM offering help MSSPs? ManageEngine's cloud-based SIEM solution is a robust managed security platform offering real-time monitoring and swift incident response. This scalable system employs advanced technology to safeguard an organization's entire network comprehensively. Featuring a centralised client management console, client-specific dashboards, and streamlined technician assignment and management, it simplifies the management of multiple client environments. Additionally, the solution boasts rule-based threat detection capabilities, allowing organizations to tailor threat detection methods to their specific needs. Elaborate on your solutions in the IAM space IAM solutions by ManageEngine that comprises of AD360 and our newly launched Identity360, are not just tools but can be strategic assets for enterprises. With Identity360, ManageEngine aims to help enterprises by handling their identity complexities and to ensure regulatory compliance all while prioritizing a seamless user experience. Identity360 helps enterprises to securely transition to the cloud and effectively manage identities and their access to applications while focusing on enforcing strong security controls. OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» INTERVIEW

TRANSFORMING THE WORKPLACE Ekta Puthran, Head of Sales APAC & MEA - Collaboration, Barco discusses how ClickShare elevates the hybrid meeting experience in the GCC Discuss Barco’s focus on enhancing the meeting experience at the workplace In recent years, the workplace has undergone a profound shift, with hybrid work becoming the new standard. The adoption of video collaboration technologies has been nothing short of transformative in the world of work. In a survey conducted of employees %59 by Barco ClickShare, it was revealed that prefer some form of hybrid working, reflecting the changing dynamics of the workplace. Despite the shift to remote work, in-person meetings remain vital for fostering company culture of employees believe that %55 and productivity. Approximately .important presentations should still be conducted in person The rise of video collaboration and meeting technologies like ClickShare, has played a pivotal role in reshaping how we work, communicate, and collaborate in the GCC region. Barco ClickShare plays a pivotal role in enhancing the meeting experience, fostering flexibility, and creating meaningful and efficient workplaces that drive engagement, collaboration, and .purpose ClickShare has emerged as a key player in this transformation to hybrid working, as it seamlessly bridges the gap between in-person and remote meetings, enabling equitable, seamless collaboration, no matter where the meeting attendee is. With ClickShare, companies can transform any meeting room into a collaborative space, free from .the constraints of traditional setups and cumbersome cables Discuss the growing demand for hybrid work solutions in the GCC The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region has witnessed a substantial surge in demand for hybrid work solutions, particularly for ClickShare products. Several factors contribute to this growth. Firstly, ClickShare offers an agnostic modern workspace that imposes no limitations. It seamlessly integrates with any peripheral and video conferencing platform, providing organizations with the flexibility and interoperability to choose .the tools and setups that suit their needs best ClickShare promotes flexible meeting setups, accommodating diverse requirements. Its user-friendly approach, including the ability for guest users to participate without additional software or app downloads, has made it especially popular in the GCC .region ClickShare's flexibility allows it to cater to a wide range of industries and verticals. Its primary focus is on enabling

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

Ekta Puthran

Head of Sales APAC & MEA – Collaboration, Barco collaboration in every meeting room, whether equipped with video conferencing devices or not. More recently, there has been .a growing demand for ClickShare in the education vertical How will you be showcasing this focus on hybrid meeting room solutions at GITEX At GITEX, the spotlight will be on the newest ClickShare’s cutting-edge solutions that empower organizations to create meaningful and flexible workplaces. The most recent innovations 2nd generation, the 50-include the ClickShare Conference CX premium model that brings more flexibility for the IT manager and offers an inclusive meeting experience for end-users in high.impact meeting spaces On show, the power of the ClickShare partnerships will be showcased as well. Through the Connect Partner program, Barco provides partners with the tools, resources, and support they need to successfully promote and implement ClickShare products, further enhancing the adoption of collaboration solution in the GCC and .beyond

EXPERT ADVICE

» GITEX FEATURE

SHOWCASING THE DIGITAL EDGE This year’s edition will have a larger number of Technology exhibitors, all primed to showcase the latest advances in their solutions, covering an extensive spectrum of technologies. AI to cybersecurity, Cloud to IoT, a comprehensive range of solutions at the showcase makes the event a must attend one. The event is likely to be buzzing with discussions around the latest trends and would be a good occasion for customers and partners to get first-hand insights from the vendor representatives at the stands.

Sid Bhatia

Regional VP & GM, META, Dataiku

ITEX Global 2023, as with all previous 42 editions is set to be a confluence of Technology brands, Technology and Business leaders, and decision makers along with other visitors from across the region. It has continued to expand with each edition and this year, GITEX is expected to see 6000 exhibitors while Expand North Star, the world’s largest start-up event hosted by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, featuring 1,800 start-ups will be held from 15-18 October 2023 at the new Dubai Harbour venue. The event will feature a showcase of new technologies from leading vendors that are redefining the digital landscape. From

Sid Bhatia, Regional Vice President & General Manager for Middle East, Turkey & Africa at Dataiku says, “We will exhibit at this year’s GITEX Global under the theme, “Maximizing Business Value with AI: Scaling Across the Organization”. At a time when the region is displaying a notable uptick in the adoption rates of a range of AI technologies, we will use GITEX as a platform to showcase how Dataiku enables organizations to reap the maximum rewards from their AI investments by making AI accessible to users with varying skill sets and roles. He adds, “Our GITEX 2023 focus will be on our recently updated eponymous flagship platform. Dataiku 12 offers integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, allowing business users to incorporate the tool’s learning models into their native data projects by extending datasets and performing tasks using a visual interface and natural-language prompts.” Version 12 also prioritizes transparency and trust in project outputs, eliminating “black box” tendencies in AI through Transparent Automated Feature Generation. It introduces Causal Machine Learning (ML) to guard against the common analytical error of confusing correlation with

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

causation, which can cause many different kinds of damage to the business and other stakeholders. Dataiku democratizes these capabilities, ensuring that anyone building ML models can understand the source of results. For Pure storage, the focus will be on new solutions which enable customers to move all workloads to all-flash solutions and eliminate the final remnants of legacy architecture and spinning disk from their data centres Omar Akar, Regional Vice President for Middle East & Emerging Africa, Pure Storage elaborates, “Legacy storage systems are a drain on enterprises’ IT teams and budgets as they are challenging to manage, require significant power & cooling, take up large amounts of space and their components fail too often, causing disruption and risking valuable data. We will highlight how customers can free up their teams by moving to all-flash so they can concentrate on more strategic tasks.” New announcements from this year which will be at the event include FlashArray//E, the latest addition to Pure Storage’s flagship FlashArray family of products, which delivers the simplicity and efficiency of flash for all file and block data repositories, from content libraries to backup sets to active archives. New models of FlashArray//X and FlashArray//C which deliver up to 40% higher performance, 30% more inline compression to stretch storage capacity, and new ransomware protection capabilities will be on display as well as will be FlashBlade//E, a scaleout unstructured data repository built to

» GITEX FEATURE

Omar Akar

Harish Chib

Regional VP, MEEA, Pure Storage

handle exponential data growth with industry-leading energy efficiency.

Vice President, MEA, Sophos

threat protection their business needs. It also helps organizations to proactively hunt for threats, scope their severity, initiate action, and provide actionable advice to address the root cause of incidents.”

Sophos is participating at GITEX 2023 to promote its advanced cybersecurity solutions (ACE Platform), including a large portfolio of endpoint and network products. With Sophos Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and Sophos Incident Response services, organizations are better protected against cyberattacks and can be more efficient/prepared to defeat phishing, malware, active lateral attacks, ransomware, and more.

OPSWAT is exhibiting under the theme, “Modernizing Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP)”, we will highlight the challenges in defending Middle East countries’ ever-evolving critical infrastructures and showcase OPSWAT’s proactive measures that can bring new confidence to the region’s OT security teams.

Harish Chib, Vice President, MEA at Sophos says, “Sophos provides a single integrated cloud-based management console, Sophos Central – the centrepiece of an adaptive cybersecurity ecosystem that features a centralized data lake that leverages a rich set of open APIs available to customers, partners, developers, and other cybersecurity vendors.”

Sertan Selcuk, VP of Sales, Middle East, Turkey, Africa, and Pakistan, at OPSWAT says, “Our GITEX theme is designed to emphasize that merely maintaining the status quo in cybersecurity is not enough. As an industry we must take bold steps to address both current and future cyberthreats that could potentially compromise our infrastructure.”

He adds, “The focus will be to highlight Sophos’ Cybersecurity as a Service capabilities, which is a combination of Sophos’ experts and tools provided as a service, that can help organizations of all sizes to deal with any cyberattack issues 24x7 365 days of the year. It helps organizations to have the right technology, people, and processes to effectively provide the active

OPSWAT’s GITEX exhibit will house a comprehensive CIP lab that will show IT and OT solutions, and how they work together to secure critical environments. OPSWAT solutions help organizations solve their most common challenges, including application security, cloud security, critical network security, supply chain security, endpoint management, security

operations, and email security. On the OT side of the lab, OPSWAT’s solutions enable safe and compliant usage of removable media, transient devices and enforce unidirectional data transfers. Products on display and available for demo will include MetaDefender Kiosk, Vault, and Drive, MetaAccess OT, OPSWAT Client, MetaDefender USB Firewall, NetWall, OTfuse, and Neuralyzer. Making these integrated solutions unique is the power of OPSWAT’s zero-trust technologies on its single-platform, providing Deep Content Disarm and Reconstruction (CDR), Multiscanning, Proactive DLP, next-generation sandbox, threat intelligence, file-based vulnerability, and country of origin detection. ManageEngine will be showcasing its entire suite of IT solutions, which consists of a portfolio of over 60 paid products Sujoy Banerjee, Associate Director at ManageEngine says, “ManageEngine is the enterprise IT management of Zoho Corporation. We position ourselves as one of the leading providers of IT management and security solutions worldwide. We will be showcasing our expertise in different IT market segments that focus on IT service management, endpoint management

OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» GITEX FEATURE

Ezzeldin Hussein

Regional Director, Sales Engineering, META, SentinelOne and security, operations management, advanced analytics, and other segments. We look forward to having insightful conversations with our booth visitors.” SentinelOne’s showcase at GITEX will include its integrated generative AI solution as well as other cybersecurity solutions including Singularity XDR. Ezzeldin Hussein, Regional Director, Sales Engineering, META, at SentinelOne says, “At GITEX, we're excited to unveil our groundbreaking cybersecurity solutions such as Purple AI, our integrated generative AI that empowers threat hunters and SOC analysts to swiftly detect and respond to attacks through natural language conversational prompts. Our XDR solution, Singularity XDR, amplifies protection from endpoints and beyond, offering unparalleled visibility and automated response capabilities. Singularity Identity puts an end to credential misuse with real-time infrastructure defense for Active Directory and deception-based endpoint protection. Singularity Cloud Data Security helps enterprises elevate their defences against advanced cloud-based malware with AI-powered threat detection for Amazon S3 and NetApp, ensuring their cloud storage remains resilient. Singularity Cloud simplifies runtime detection and response for cloud VMs, containers, and Kubernetes clusters to maximize visibility, security, and agility.”

Demand accelerators

Continued digital transformation as well as cloud migrations among others are serving as demand accelerators for new technology investments in the region. GITEX will serve as a perfect platform for IT decision-makers to understand what new solutions they could consider going ahead. Harish from Sophos says, “Cloud security spending continues to increase to match the scale of migrations. Monitoring configurations and access to data on cloud infrastructure is not just a compliance mandate, it’s also essential for protecting against data breaches, ransomware, and malware in the cloud. Given the pace of cloud migration and ongoing concerns around the protection of cloud workloads, organizations are increasing spend on cloud security.” He adds, “More broadly, digital transformation initiatives, pandemic-accelerated adoption of remote working, and the goal to connect data and resources across the enterprise, are expanding organizations’ attack surface. This has resulted in the acceleration of security program investments in technology and managed services like MDR.” Over the past year, regional businesses in the Middle East has benefited with the adoption of newer technologies such as cloud computing, advanced data ana-

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

Sertan Selcuk

VP of Sales, META, and Pakistan, OPSWAT

lytics and AI that has enabled enterprises to streamline operations and bring down overhead costs. Sujoy elaborates, “The widespread adoption of cloud computing capabilities has further given organisations the flexibility to innovate and launch new services as well as the option of scalability depending on their business needs. The continued digital transformation has led to the adoption of AI-powered platforms which has helped organisations to automate repetitive, time-consuming tasks thereby improving employee productivity and operational efficiency. Emerging technologies like AI and ML is expected to continue to cause disruptions and potentially transform the business landscape. Enterprises are now focused on leveraging these technologies to enhance the present technologies especially in cloud offerings. We can definitely expect more investment into such emergent technologies in the Middle East.” With GITEX Global expected to add further momentum to the region’s market, vendors will find new sales leads as customers look to decide on solutions that suit their organization’s objectives as far as new IT investments are concerned. Investments in AI, upgrades to networks and increased cloud migrations among others will be part of the continued investments towards further digital transformation.

» INTERVIEW

SEAMLESS NETWORK MANAGEMENT Sakkeer Hussain, Director - Sales & Marketing at D-Link Middle East & Africa says SMBs need hassle free network management solutions such as Nuclias that D-Link offers What do think are the issues faced by the SMB sector when it comes to networking investments? Building a high-performance multi-site network is a very complex task that can take months or even years when starting from scratch. Traditional enterprise solutions offer the extensibility, scalability, and features you need, but they can also be highly complex, requiring special services for deployment, maintenance, and expansion, special training for operation, and expensive annual maintenance contracts that must be kept current to receive all the latest patches and updates. And when it comes to managing and monitoring such networks, most organizations are paying for features they neither need nor use. According to an IDG Research Services survey, many businesses would be happy to give up certain functions or capabilities to reduce their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Of the over 100 respondents involved in purchasing network management and/or monitoring solutions, two-thirds said they were paying for features and capabilities that were unused and unneeded, while 55% of IDG respondents using solutions from the top vendors were willing to give up unused functionality to reduce cost. What are the typical security concerns that SMBs face when it comes to network management? In light of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, and other emerging IoT-related threats, many smaller companies are finding that security needs a multi-faceted approach that they cannot carry out alone. Cloud architecture allows a business to centralize its network management through security-enhanced networking devices for multiple locations through a

web interface. The Cloud architecture and the communications between the administrator’s browser and the Cloud must be encrypted, with security scan and penetration testing of the network solution itself. Consistent control and visibility across the organization is also needed, from strict access requirements, to virtual firewall, to traffic control, to strongly-protected databases, to swift failure detection, complete disaster recovery. What are the typical security concerns that SMBs face when it comes to network management? Nuclias Cloud is D-Link’s 100% Clounetwork management solution for Small-to-Medium Sized Businesses (SMBs) with multiple network deployment sites and limited IT resources such as hotels, restaurants, chain-stores, and campuses. It is a ready-made and independently-maintained solution that allows SMBs to manage and monitor their own networks remotely, or outsource this work to a Managed Service Provider (MSPs), featuring zero-touch installation, zero-cost platform upgrades and security fixes, unlimited scalability, 99.9% reliability, and a very light footprint. It is a comprehensive solution, encompassing network devices and the Cloud platform that runs them, for businesses seeking a hassle-free, worry-free IT network experience, where costs are transparent, and things just work. Nuclias Cloud is a 100% Cloud-managed network management solution that can deliver tremendous efficiency gains for SMBs with numerous small locations and modest IT resources, such as retailers, restaurants, gas stations, and hotel chains., and is well-suited to businesses who want a network that just works, without being bothered with configuration or administra-

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

Sakkeer Hussain

Director - Sales & Marketing, D-Link MEA

tion tasks. Networks and sites can be managed remotely through an intuitive interface and dashboard, without the need to open up ceilings or travel to other sites to rectify small problems, and without the need for specialized IT skills. New devices can also be onboarded automatically through a zero-touch process, meaning non-technical personnel can handle this task if necessary. Nuclias Cloud delivers the control and ease-of-use an SMB needs, without costly add-ons they’ll never use. What do you see as the opportunity for Resellers with Nuclias? Nuclias Cloud is ideal for SMBs who want a no-fuss, hassle-free network management solution that won’t break the bank, giving Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Systems Integrators (SIs) and other resellers a tremendous opportunity to create a subscription-based B2B revenue stream. The reseller can enhance and simplify IT management for their SMB customers by creating accounts, generating reports, and remotely installing, managing, and monitoring the IT infrastructure and/or end-user systems for many customers – all with minimal commitment in terms of training time, IT resources and capital.

A Global Trusted Cybersecurity Specialist for Digital Infrastructure Helping drive the transition to a totally trusted digital world www.exclusive-networks.com

» INTERVIEW

ENABLING COLLBORATION Phil Marlowe, Managing Director, Middle East at AVI-SPL, a digital enablement solutions provider that designs, integrates, manages, and supports on-site and cloud-based communications and collaboration technologies for organizations, discusses their focus in the region.

Discuss the Middle East focus of AVI-SPL in brief: is the most trusted provider of AV, UC, and video collaboration solutions in the Middle East and North Africa. Locally in the region, we provide full-service integrated system designs for permanent installation. We've handled numerous projects in some of the most iconic buildings and well-known venues. Key sectors we serve include corporate, government, education, healthcare, hospitality, and museums. What does your platform Symphony offer to customers? AVI-SPL Symphony is an award-winning user experience management platform to administer, monitor, control, and analyze your multi-vendor AV, UC, and meeting environments. Symphony provides a seamlessly integrated, end-to-end, collaboration workflow for end users and operators alike. For IT leaders, it reveals actionable intelligence about how meeting technology and spaces are truly used so investments and resources are optimized. Symphony serves as a central hub for administrators to manage various aspects of AV, UC, and meeting environments. This includes configuring devices, setting up user permissions, and ensuring the overall health and functionality of the system. The platform provides real-time monitoring capabilities, allowing operators to keep a close eye on the performance of AV and UC equipment. This includes tracking the status of devices, identifying potential issues, and responding promptly to ensure a seamless user experience. Symphony offers centralized control over a range of AV and UC devices, irrespective of the vendor. This can include audio systems, video conferencing equipment, displays, and more.

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

The goal is to simplify the user experience and improve the efficiency of managing diverse technologies within an organization. It aims to create a seamless collaboration workflow for end users and operators. This means providing an integrated and intuitive experience for individuals participating in meetings, as well as streamlining the processes for those responsible for managing and maintaining the AV and UC ecosystem. By offering insights into how meeting technology and spaces are genuinely used, Symphony helps IT leaders make strategic decisions to optimize investments. This involves ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and aligning technology deployments with actual user needs and preferences. Is the market demand for collaboration solutions growing across verticals? What do you see as driving this growth? The pandemic forced a large portion of the global workforce to shift to remote work. As organizations are now transitioning back to more traditional work setups, many are adopting hybrid models, with a mix of in-office and remote work. Collaboration solutions are essential for maintaining communication, connection, and productivity in dispersed teams. Businesses are increasingly operating on a global scale, with teams, clients, and partners located in different parts of the world. Collaboration tools facilitate seamless communication and collaboration, breaking down geographical barriers. Ongoing advancements in technology, including cloud computing, high-speed internet, and improvements in audiovisual capabilities, continue to enhance the functionality and accessibility of collaboration solutions. This makes it easier for organizations to implement and utilize these tools.

» INTERVIEW User experience management platforms, like AVI-SPL Symphony, highlight the importance of a seamless and user-friendly collaboration environment. As organizations prioritize user experience, the demand for solutions that enhance the overall collaboration workflow is on the rise. The concept of flexible and agile work environments has gained prominence. Collaboration solutions support these flexible work models, allowing employees to collaborate effectively whether they are in the office, at home, or on the go. You offer VR room design in your portfolio - discuss this opportunity and demand in the region? There is significant demand in the Middle East for virtual reality (VR) design services that can help businesses envision, validate, and get feedback on room designs and technology integrations before they invest in and build them. VR accelerates the design process while building buy-in for the finished results. This service allows multiple stakeholders to be engaged in human-centric design thinking, including the often-overlooked end user. The Middle East is witnessing a growing demand for Virtual Reality (VR) across various sectors. This surge is attributed to the region's commitment to digital transformation, with VR finding applications in education, healthcare, and corporate training. In education, VR provides immersive learning experiences, while in healthcare, it aids in medical training and patient education. VR is also making significant contributions to tourism and real estate through virtual tours and experiences. The government's investment in smart city initiatives further integrates VR for creating interactive urban environments. Moreover, increasing consumer awareness is driving demand for VR in entertainment, gaming, and virtual events. The entrepreneurial spirit in the region is fostering innovation, with startups actively exploring and developing VR applications. Overall, the multifaceted adoption of VR reflects a dynamic and expanding landscape in the Middle East. How is the demand for collaboration as a service? how is this delivered? Collaboration as a Service is experiencing increased demand, fueled by the shift towards flexible work models and the need for cloud-based collaboration solutions. This service, delivered through a cloud-based infrastructure, offers organizations scalable, cost-efficient, and integrated collaboration tools. AVI-SPL has the expertise and resources to support hybrid workforces. We refresh meeting rooms, quickly scale UC and cloud video capacity, and keep costs predictable so IT resources remain focused on strategic business goals. Our CaaS solutions bundles unified communications (UC) applications, AV devices, and IT services. We help clients deliver the essential capabilities that drive successful collaboration and support it with an uptime SLA. We package hardware, software licensing, training, maintenance, and service into one program.

Phil Marlowe

Managing Director, Middle East, AVI-SPL

"The Middle East is witnessing a growing demand for VR across various sectors. This surge is attributed to the region's commitment to digital transformation, with VR finding applications in education, healthcare, and corporate training. In education, VR provides immersive learning experiences, while in healthcare, it aids in medical training and patient education." OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» CIO OUTLOOK

IN THE DRIVING SEAT Leveraging technology investments to enable business growth, innovation, and efficiency are among the key expectations from a CIO who is in the driving seat as far as Technology strategies go within the organization. He will need to choose what needs to be done to enhance the IT capabilities of the organization, which in turn will accelerate the Business on its growth trajectory

he CIO plays a pivotal role in an organization as he decides the IT strategies. With IT becoming a business enabler, and quite integral to a company’s success, it becomes imperative for the CIO to make a careful selection of priorities to focus on that will deliver outcomes favourable to the organization’s business objectives. These priorities will of course vary from company to company and from vertical to vertical although there would be some common ones as well. Many organizations in the region have embarked on digital transformation initiatives over the past several years and have reaped significant benefits. With technologies like Generative AI coming along, there will always be newer goals to focus on to keep pace with requirements for a robust IT infrastructure. For Abdulrahman Khaiwi, Head of Information Technology at Emirates National Schools, the priority is to look at utilizing Lowcode/Zerocode platform for more automation. He elaborates, “I would be focusing more on utilizing Lowcode/Zerocode platform to automate the processes both internal and external and educate selected key

users to be independent to enhance Varuna Shahand reengineer Group their business processes. Marketing Director,This Mindware will educate the selected users from the business units and help them own the automation of their processes and then introduce improvements and enhancements without even coming to the IT team for software development to deploy their proposed changes.” For more diversified groups, the challenges are different as there are multiple systems and different customer types to deal with across different businesses and markets. Manish Bindra, Group CIO at Galadari Brothers Group says his highest priority is to understand their customers better and provide a unified view of customers across the Galadari Group. “The Galadari Group is a conglomerate of diverse businesses operating across multiple countries. On one side, we manage Baskin Robbins, known for its low-ticket, high-frequency impulse purchases. On the other hand, we're involved in the automobile sector, selling high-value products that customers consider carefully before purchase. Additionally, we run a media business with Khaleej Times, catering to different customer types – readers, mostly

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

anonymous, and advertisers seeking greater value from their ads. Furthermore, we have B2B operations selling heavy equipment and generators, where the average transaction size reaches into the millions.” He adds, “From a technological perspective, this diverse business portfolio presents a variety of challenges. We not only serve different types of customers but also engage with them through various sales channels, utilizing multiple technology systems across multiple countries. Understanding the customer and establishing a unified customer view across all our business units is my topmost priority. Whether you're buying ice cream, a car, or reading a newspaper, we aim to recognize you as a single customer rather than as separate entities across various businesses. We aspire to better understand our customers, enabling us to provide personalized experiences and offerings. To achieve this, we are leveraging a range of technologies from Oracle, including Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud.” Elevating the Galadari brand is another key focus for him, highlighting the several known brands associated with Galadari. Developing a customer loyalty program is on the agenda. “While we have several beloved hero brands within our group, not everyone is aware of their association with the Galadari Group. To address this, we are undertaking multiple projects, including the development of a group loyalty program, which will encourage customers to spend more within the Galadari ecosystem. This will involve integrating transactional data from various sales systems, and we will be leveraging Oracle Integration Cloud for that.”

» CIO OUTLOOK analytics and IoT solutions to optimize our supply chain operations. Real-time data insights will help us reduce waste, improve logistics, and enhance our sustainability efforts.”

Abdulrahman Khaiwi

IT Head, Emirates National Schools Manish adds that alongside these initiatives, it will be critical to focus on cybersecurity as well. “While we are focusing on understanding customers more and more, we also need to take care that we protect the privacy of the customer and obtain their consent when gathering their data. Hence, my third priority is cybersecurity and data privacy. Given our international presence, we are committed to ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations in all the countries where we operate.” Jayaraj Perumalsamy, Group Head of Information Technology at Barakat Group manages IT a diverse portfolio of food and beverages companies. Listing out the first his top three priorities, he says, “We are committed to taking our customer experience to the next level. To achieve this, we'll focus on harnessing cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to gain deeper insights into customer preferences and behaviour. This will enable us to offer personalized recommendations and streamline the customer journey across our various channels, from e-commerce to in-store experiences.” He is also prioritizing supply chain optimization and sustainability. “In today's fast-paced environment, an efficient supply chain is a game-changer. Over the next year, we will invest heavily in advanced

Finally, Cybersecurity and Data Privacy are on his list of priorities. “Protecting our data and ensuring the trust and security of our customers is paramount. In the coming months, we will continue to strengthen our cybersecurity measures, including robust intrusion detection systems, AI-driven threat analysis, and employee training programs. Compliance with the latest data privacy regulations will be a top priority, and we'll be investing in advanced encryption technologies to safeguard customer and company data,” says Jayaraj. These technology priorities are not only about staying competitive in the market but also about delivering real value to their customers, partners, and stakeholders. “We're excited about the challenges and opportunities ahead, and we're confident that by focusing on these key areas, we will be better positioned to thrive in the ever-evolving landscape of the food and beverages industry.”

Balancing innovation and operational stability

The importance of balancing innovation and operational stability in the overall IT strategy can't be understated. In the quest for innovation, the stability of day-to-day IT operations must not be compromised. “Balancing innovation and operational stability in our overall IT strategy is absolutely crucial for our diversified group of food and beverage companies spanning manufacturing, CPG, distribution, wholesale, retail, and e-commerce. Innovation, as the buzzword suggests, enables us to stay ahead of the competition, meet evolving customer demands, and drive our companies forward. Whether it's leveraging the latest AI and machine learning algorithms to optimize our supply chain, adopting IoT in our manufacturing processes, or exploring cutting-edge retail technologies, innovation keeps us on the cutting edge,” says Jayaraj. However, operational stability forms the

Manish Bindra

Group CIO, Galadari Brothers Group strong foundation on which these innovations get built. Without operational stability, the entire business ecosystem could crumble, leading to customer dissatisfaction, loss of revenue, and a tarnished reputation. Abdulrahman says, “Innovation is not a choice anymore and is a major part of the strategy for CIOs. This should never be impacting the operational stability, on the contrary, it should benefit the daily operations by optimizing it and adding more value, reducing time and effort spent introducing simplicity and diversity. This enhances the operational excellence and hence provides greater stability.” He adds, “Engaging all stakeholders and involving different teams is always a catalyst to make the proposed changes successful. Onboarding the different team members will help in embracing the change and reduce the human resistance to change. Their buy in will speed up the adoption of innovative and disruptive additions to the business. Manish believes that while operational stability is essential to ensure there is no disruption in business operations, innovation is even more critical. “Technology has become a key enabler for business, and it is imperative that the IT function becomes a key partner in the innovation process within the business.

OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» CIO OUTLOOK

ing the supply chain, enhancing employee productivity by implementing collaboration tools and work automation plus driving sustainability initiatives are among several objectives that Jayaraj intends to follow.

Cybersecurity, a common priority

Addressing cybersecurity and data privacy concerns is a key priority for all IT heads.

Jayaraj Perumalsamy

Group IT Head, Barakat Group At Galadari Brothers, we are working on a forum called "Idealab." The objective of this Idealab is to bring together bright minds from various business functions, sensitize them to emerging technologies, and use design thinking to identify innovative solutions to problems. For 2024, a significant portion of my budget is focused on providing business stability, and a substantial portion is also dedicated to "Idealab."

Enhancing the digital experience

For Jayaraj, the key is to execute the vision of enhancing the digital transformation experience for their valued customers, dedicated employees, and all other essential stakeholders. “Our primary focus is on creating exceptional experiences for our customers. We're going to invest in advanced analytics and AI-driven solutions to understand their preferences and buying behaviors better. By tailoring our offerings and improving personalization, we aim to keep our customers engaged and delighted. We will further integrate our brick-and-mortar stores with our digital channels, allowing customers to switch between them effortlessly while enjoying consistent service and product availability.” Leveraging big data analytics for enabling data-driven decision-making, streamlin-

Abdulrahman says, “Cybersecurity and Data privacy are among the top priorities today, they will remain on the top as the new technologies, methods, AI based threats, and several other factors are evolving, making the detection and protection even tougher to sustain. Adding layers of protection is the way to go and hence the complexity in maintaining and securing the intellectual assets.” For a diversified group with operations in other countries, cybersecurity will be an area of constant concern and hence would require a cyber resilience strategy. According to Manish, “The focus on cybersecurity is vital because of the constant threat from external actors, and we need to ensure that our company's data assets are secure. Since we operate in multiple countries where data privacy laws apply, we need to give special focus to this. Recently, we have established a data privacy function and are in the process of implementing a data privacy tool to ensure that we collect and protect our employee and customer data according to standards. We have approximately 8 million customers landing on our websites every month, and we want to build trust with our customers, assuring them that the data they share with us is protected and will not be used without their consent. I believe our data privacy efforts will help us build that trust with our customers.”

Getting the measure

Finally, CIOs or IT heads need KPIs that provide a clear way to assess the performance of IT systems, projects, and processes. They allow CIOs to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of IT operations and to measure the benefits of their initiatives. For this, they need to have

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

some clear metrics that will allow them to analyse the outcomes. Abdulrahman says, “The success factors and effectiveness of any new initiative would refer to the main goal and purpose of the initiative. The implementation of any solution to address a business requirement needs to stay focused on the main goals throughout the phases, removing any “waste” or undesired function or task that does not relate to the requirement. Additionally, analytical reports with factual numbers give the correct indication of how the newly implemented solution has improved the business reflecting better results increasing business revenues, or addressing low customer satisfaction reviews. KPIs will be set on the key pain points that necessitated the new initiative, the benefits and enhancements achieved, and the feedback.” According to Jayaraj, CIOs need to track the costs involved in implementing technology solutions and compare them to the gains or savings achieved, whether it's through increased efficiency, reduced operational costs, or enhanced revenue. He mentions some more metrics that can help the CIO gauge the outcomes of his initiatives. “High availability and minimal downtime are key indicators of the effectiveness of the IT infrastructure. KPIs like order fulfillment time, inventory turnover ratio, and on-time delivery performance can provide insights into how technology is improving efficiency in the supply chain. In the retail and e-commerce sectors, customer satisfaction is everything. Metrics such Customer Satisfaction Surveys help assess how technology initiatives are impacting the customer experience. KPIs related to adherence to industry standards, regulatory compliance, and risk assessment can ensure technology initiatives keep us on the right side of the law and industry norms.” By monitoring and optimizing the various KPIs and metrics, IT heads can ensure that their technology investments continue to drive innovation, enhance customer satisfaction, and propel the business ahead.

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» INTERVIEW

HOLISTIC APPROACH Sunil Paul, Co-Founder and MD at Finesse, a leading system integrator discusses the key focus areas for the company

What are the current domains of focus for Finesse? Finesse focuses on several verticals, but the key ones of focus are BFSI, Energy, Education, Healthcare, the Public Sector, and Enterprises.

How do you help your customers with their digital transformation initiatives? We have 3 separate business units as below to offer holistic digital transformation for our clients.

While you were focused on the BFSI sector largely early, you have evolved and broadened your focus. What led you through this journey? While we have had various BFSI solutions from the beginning, we also brought in a lot of digital transformation & advanced cybersecurity solutions from the beginning and as we evolved. It just took some time for other domains to adapt to those advanced solutions such as AI / ML frameworks, Advanced Analytics, Intelligent Automation, MDR etc.

1CXO – Advising Digital Transformation: Digital Strategy Consulting and Advisory Services: We believe successful digital transformation starts with a clear strategy. Our 1CXO service provides comprehensive strategic guidance across numerous critical domains. Among the areas we provide advisory services are ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), Customer Experience, Digital Transformation, Corporate Services, Information Management, Data Privacy, Cyber Risk and Information Securi-

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

» INTERVIEW ty. Our experts are on hand to discuss how these services can help your business craft effective digital strategies. Finesse - Enabling Digital Transformation: This is our flagship offering for businesses seeking seamless technology implementation, systems integration, and ongoing support. We understand that every organization is unique, and their digital transformation journey should reflect their specific goals and challenges. At GITEX 2023, we'll showcase how we customize technology solutions to meet these unique needs, ensuring technology aligns perfectly with your business objectives. The portfolio of solutions on display includes for AI Chatbots, BI & Analytics, ECM, CRM, RPA, HCM and Corporate Treasury bundled with our 24/7 applications managed services support. Cyberhub 24/7 CSOC – Securing Digital Transformation: Cybersecurity solutions & Managed Security Services: Cybersecurity is paramount in today's digital environment. With our state-of-theart Cognitive Security Operations Center (CSOC) and Network Operations Center (NOC) located in Dubai, UAE, and our extended NOC & SOC facility in Bangalore, India, we will exhibit our extensive range of cybersecurity products, solutions, and services at GITEX. Visitors will learn about our proactive approach to threat detection, prevention, and incident response. Our portfolio of solutions under ‘Securing Digital Transformation’ includes for Digital Risk & Compliance, Digital Identity, Zero Trust, Cloud Security & Application Assurance, Data Protection & Privacy, Security Assessment Services etc, all packaged with our 24/7 managed security services. What are the typical challenges companies that you have worked with here have faced on undertaking digital transformation? Some of the typical issues that organizations face are a lack of strategy & proper planning, lack of resources, looking at only the front ends/customer touch points without giving attention to back-end systems & architecture, expectation management, user training & orientation, and involvement of the senior management.

Discuss your new vendor tie-ups.

We have onboarded various vendors in the areas of AI, IoT, MDR, Data Privacy & Security, Digital identity, etc. Discuss how you think some of the disruptive trends like Generative AI for instance will play out in the enterprise space and how Finesse intends to leverage these in your portfolio. We already started providing Generative AI solutions to our clients on top of our AI Chatbots business. However, the biggest challenge with enterprises is not technology or integration, but their public exposure to data and therefore data privacy issues. Briefly tell us about your focus for this year's GITEX As seasoned participants at GITEX for over a decade, we, at Finesse, possess a keen understanding of GITEX's profound influence, extending not only to the broader technology landscape but also to specialized sectors like digital system integration and transformation. GITEX stands as a crucible of innovation, a dy-

Sunil Paul

Co-Founder and MD, Finesse

namic platform unveiling cutting-edge technologies and solutions that shape the future of the technology industry. This far-reaching influence permeates niche domains, instilling innovation and prompting businesses to embrace progressive practices and solutions. Beyond this, GITEX offers an abundance of knowledge sharing opportunities, enabling professionals to remain abreast of emerging trends and continually enrich their expertise. For Finesse, being an active participant in this transformative event offers a myriad of advantages. It grants us a global platform to demonstrate our expertise in digital system integration and transformation, facilitating the formation of strategic partnerships and providing valuable insights into emerging technologies. Through GITEX's extensive networking opportunities, we engage with industry leaders, experts, potential clients, and partners, significantly expanding our market reach. This heightened visibility solidifies our position as industry pioneers within our niche sector. This empowers Finesse to excel and make substantial contributions to the ongoing progress of technology and innovation across the board. At GITEX 2023, we are excited to showcase a range of products, solutions and services aligned with our theme, "Holistic Digital Transformation Solutions: Advising, Enabling, and Securing." These offerings are designed to address the diverse needs of our customers in today's rapidly evolving digital landscape. Our GITEX 2023 partners are Secureworks, Hyland, Adrenalin & emudhra. OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» INTERVIEW

DELIVERING HIGH-PERFORMANCE STORAGE Fissal Oubida, General Manager-ME, Africa, CIS and the Indian Subcontinent, Lexar discusses how its new product launches will address growing requirements for high performance storage What are the new products and solutions Lexar is showcasing at GITEX? We are unveiling the future of memory and gaming products at GITEX Global. Lexar’s latest product line-up includes a new microSD card, internal SSDs, DRAM, and portable SSDs, and will be showcased at its stand D1, Hall No.1, of the Dubai World Trade Centre. The new product lineup includes microSD cards, internal SSDs, DRAM and portable SSDs, which are designed to work seamlessly with multiple devices such as sports camcorders, tablets, smartphones, and even drones. As is the case with all Lexar products, the newly expanded portfolio will offer high-speed performance combined with higher memory capacities, allowing users to capture, access, play video/games and transfer high-definition multimedia files including 4K video at blazing speeds. What are some of the trends driving growth for data storage products in this region? Lexar’s increasing focus on the gaming sector comes at a time when the Middle East’s gaming market is expected to grow from USD 5.71 billion in 2023 to USD 9.63 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 11.01% during the forecast period (20232028). According to the recent Modor Intelligence report, the growing penetration of smartphones, the proliferation of ARbased apps, and online gaming are crucial factors driving the growth of the gaming sector. Moreover, the Middle Eastern gaming market is witnessing massive investments from global and regional players as companies have identified a huge demand in this relatively untapped market.

Fissal Oubida

General Manager - MEA, CIS and the Indian Subcontinent, Lexar Lexar's new memory and gaming products unveiled at GITEX Global 2023, are addressing the growing need for an increase in memory capacities, blazing speeds, performance, and power efficiencies. How key is the Middle East market for Lexar? How are you looking to expand your market reach here? Lexar has aggressive growth plans for the MEA region. It is the right time for us to extend our legacy of delivering superior performance in the vibrant MEA market with our range of products for all segments including gamers, videographers, and content creators. Additionally, we are firming up our distribution channel with key distribution partnership agreements across the region, with a focus on improving customer service at all touchpoints. We have appointed the region’s best distributors to ensure that our products are easily and readily available at all major retail outlets and online shopping platforms such as Amazon UAE and Amazon KSA. To complement our regional strategy, we’ve also made key management hires in recent months and opened offices in some of our major markets. Moreover, there’s been a renewed emphasis on stepping up our marketing and branding efforts in our key markets, the positive results of which we are already seeing.

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

What are your key customer segments in the region in addition? Our latest products are specifically designed to meet the unique needs of photographers, videographers, content creators, gamers, and PC enthusiasts of all levels. We will continue to offer the future of memory solutions to our professional and gaming communities. Our new product lineup has been extensively tested and is specifically designed to work seamlessly with multiple devices such as sports camcorders, tablets, smartphones, and even drones. We are proud to offer the quality, performance, and reliability Lexar users expect How key are channel partners for Lexar? Channel partners are key to Lexar’s market penetration and brand presence in the Middle East, Africa, and India markets. We are fully geared up to meet the growing demand in the region through the network of our channel partners and retail partners in the region. We have partnered with the regions top distributors like Redington India, Mitsumi Distribution, Mbuzz Distribution, ASBIS, etc and we are committed to providing outstanding customer service, with friendly interactions, personalized advice, and expert support.

» SPOTLIGHT

FWS 2023 PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE FUTURE OF WORK

A day-long summit discussing the evolving impact of new and emerging technologies including Generative AI on the future of work and awards that recognized outstanding achievements by technology leaders and brands were the highlights of the 6th edition of the Future workspace Summit & Awards

he 6th edition of Future Workspace Summit, organized by Leap Media Solutions, at the Address Skyview Hotel in Dubai saw a huge turnout of Technology stalwarts and thought leaders converge on a platform to discuss how new technologies are impacting the future of work.

The event’s sessions helped shine the spotlight on technologies that are enabling Tamer Odehthe hybrid workplace. The and securing Regional Director, SentinelOne theme of Sales the event this year was sustainability and there was a panel discussion that focused on the topic. The day also includes awards segments. Awards presented included Technology Accelerator of the Year Awards, Technology Transformer of the Year Awards, CIO of the Year, and CISO of the Year Awards as well as recognitions for outstanding

technology vendors, partners, and leading Sales and Marketing leaders. The vent also had an extensive exhibitor arena that saw a good footfall of visitors at the exhibitor booths. The event sponsors included platinum sponsors of the day – Dell Technologies & Ingram as well as Huawei and Redington. Gold sponsors included Accops-Virus Rescuers, Manage Engine, (Logitech, Tech First Gulf, and Almoe), Mimecast & Bulwark Technologies, Barco and AVI-SPL, Lenovo- Logicom, Freshworks-DMWorld, Pure Storage, Mindfire Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise & Ingram, D-Link, Sophos, and Trend Micro. The event’s silver sponsors included Cloud Box Technologies, Azcom IT Distribution, Finesse, Ensure Services, and Asbis.

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

» SPOTLIGHT The day’s agenda included keynotes and panel discussions covering a range of aspects from collaboration to storage, cloud, cybersecurity, and more that are impacting the changing nature of work. Alaa Abuasabeh Solutions Architect ME&CA, Huawei EBG was the first keynote presenter of the day and he spoke on ’Empowering the Future of Space Workplaces with Smart Office Solutions.’ The second speaker of the day Charbel Zreiby, Director, Channel Data Center Specialists at Dell Technologies CEEMETA, spoke about ‘Accelerate Intelligent outcomes with AI’. The third speaker of the day, Ashley Woodbridge, Field CTO, Infrastructure Solutions Group, META, at Lenovo discussed How Edge AI is Transforming the Workspace. Following him, Samer Semaan, Channel Manager, Pure Storage spoke at length about ‘Uncomplicated Data Storage Forever;. Ekta Puthran, Head of Sales - APAC, MEA, Barco, the next speaker of the day gave her keynote on the topic ‘Modern Agnostic Workspace- Challenges/Solutions’. The next speaker, Vijender Yadav, Co-Founder, MD, and CTO at Accops spoke on ‘A Thousand Trees a Day: Sowing Seeds of Sustainability in Workspaces’ Aamir M Sheikh, Channel Lead GCC at Freshworks spoke on Employee-Centric IT_ Deliver a Seamless & Effortless Experience. Following up, the next speaker, Keyur Shah, Manager Sales Engineering at Sophos spoke on ‘Achieving Better Cybersecurity Outcomes”. Rejeesh Kumar, CTO at Mindfire Technologies presented his keynote address of the day on the topic ‘From Defense to Dividends: Building Resilience in Cybersecurity as a Strategic ROI Driver’. Bhavin Gandhi, Senior Solutions Architect, Trend Micro presented the final keynote of the day on 'Zero Trust- Simplify your Journey' The event saw as many as six panel discussions on diverse topics. The first panel discussed ‘Women in the hybrid workplace.’ The

Alaa Abuasabeh

Solutions Architect ME&CA, Huawei EBG

Charbel Zreiby

Director, Channel Data Center Specialists, Dell Technologies

Ashley Woodbridge Field CTO META, Lenovo

OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» SPOTLIGHT

Ekta Puthran

Head of Sales - APAC, MEA, Barco moderator for the session was Kelly Machado, Head of Digital, UAE Government and she was joined by the panelists Loubna Imenchal, Head of Enterprise Business at Logitech Africa Middle East Turkey Central Asia, Dr. Eng. Suaad Alshamsi, IT Director at the Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure and Maréva Koulamallah, Business Consultant. The next panel discussion focused on a pivotal topic of our era. The eminent panelists shared some great insights on the topic ‘Driving Sustainability Goals for the Enterprise (with technology). Shahood Siddiqui, Chief Digital Officer (CDO), CofeApp was the Moderator and the panelists were: •

Jayaraj Perumalsamy, Group Head of IT, Barakat Group

• • • •

Ali Katkhada, Group CIO, Depa Group Nassir Nauthoa, Executive Head, Azcom IT Distribution Phil Marlowe, Managing Director - Middle East at AVI-SPL Gigi Mathew Thomas, Group Director - IT & Digital Transformation Group Director - IT & Digital Transformation

The next panel focused on Generative AI – Opportunities and Challenges for the Enterprise Vineesha Satwani, CDO, (confidential) was the moderator and the panelists included some prominent names: • Raed Kuhail, CIO, Miral • Mohamed Shawky, IT Director, Emirates NBD • Linoy Kidd, CIO GBM MENAT, HSBC

Aamir M Sheikh

Channel Lead GCC, Freshworks

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

» SPOTLIGHT

Samer Semaan

Channel Manager, Pure Storage • • •

Vikalp Shrivastva, VP-Information technology and security, Kerzner International Charbel Zreiby Director, Channel Presales, Dell Technologies Faisal Ameer Malik CTO, Huawei Middle East & Central Asia, EBG

‘Navigating key cybersecurity challenges of today and the future’ was the focus of the fourth panel of the day. Shahab ud din, Group IT & Security manager, Ittihad international investment llc, moderated this session. The panelists included: 1. Ahmed Al kindi, Information security Director, MBZUAI 2. Zaheer Shaikh, CISO, Al Maryah Community Bank 3. Syed Ali Naqvi, Head technology and cyber security-International, Habib bank limited

4. 5. 6. 7.

Shijin Prasad, Head of Information technology department, Cure Medical centers Anoop Das, Enterprise Manager, Middle East, Mimecast Sunil Paul, co-founder and MD, Finesse Charbel Ghostine, Cloud Alliance Manager, Barracuda

The panel discussion on Managing and securing data across multi-cloud deployments was moderated by Somy Varghese, Head of Digital Transformation and technology, Etoile Group and the panelists were: • Sunando Chaudhuri, Director - Strategic Projects & Accounts, ADNEC Group • SatyaShankar Chirravuri, Head of Technology Platforms Cloud & Security • Dana Shatila, Head of IT Strategy & Plannin, Abu Dhabi Media • Samer Semaan, Channel Manager ME at Pure Storage The final panel discussion of the day focused on the topic ‘Low code, no code platforms - opportunities and challenges’. The moderator for this session was Careen Dsouza, General Manager- IT Business Technologies, Sobha Realty. The panelists were: • Bashayer Abdulhakeem Aldhagari, section head-Information Technology, Abu Dhabi Government • Imran Kannuti, Head, Ops Digitalization & Transformation, Banque Misr • Mohamed Gamal Abdelmksoud, Chief technology officer and Director, Accumed Healthcare • AliAsgar Bohari, Senior IT Director, Zulekha Hospitals. The ‘Technology Accelerator of the Year’ awards and ‘Technology Transformer of the Year’ Awards were presented earlier in the day between the summit sessions. The day’s grand finale included the awards presentation in the categories ‘CIO of the Year’, ‘CISO of the Year’ and ‘Workspace Transformation of the Year’ as well as vendor, distributor, SI categories. Awards were also presented to Sales and Marketing leaders from the region’s Technology industry. OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» SPOTLIGHT

Keyur Shah

Manager Sales Engineering, Sophos

Vijender Yadav

MD, and CTO, Accops

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

Bhavin Gandhi

Senior Solutions Architect, Trend Micro

Rejeesh Kumar

CTO, Mindfire Technologies

» SPOTLIGHT

'Technology Accelerator of the Year' — WINNERS — Abdul Azeem Baqar Mohammed IT Manager, Emirates Float Glass

Abubacker. N

It Manager, Sharjah Indian School

Gagandeep Singh Hoda IT Manager, Al Dahra

Hafiz Muhammad Umair

IT Manager, EMCOR Facility Services

Jasmita Malik

Information Security Manager, Majid Al Futtaim

Jijish Gopi

Cyber Security Officer, Department of Finance Dubai

Kunal Mithani

IT Manager, Tomini Shipping

Muhammed Zawahir

IT Manager, Two Seasons Hotel

Rajanikanth Ganti

Shajai V K

IT Administrator Systems Networks, Amina Healthcare

Senior IT Specialist, AMMT

Shinoy Raman Thachapully

Sabin Subramannian

IT Manager, Class Hospitality

Senior IT & Cybersecurity Manager, McDonald's UAE

Sajin Salim

Sunil Veigas

IT Manager, Abu Dhabi University

IT Manager, Atlantis Resorts

Syed Ali

Sajith Pillai

Healthcare IT Manager, Samaya Hospital

IT Manager, Millennium Place Marina

Syed Tabran Ahmed

Santhosh Pillai

IT Solution Architect, Truebell Group of Companies

Information Security Officer, Emirates Digital Wallet

Yousif Odeh

Shafahath Ashraf

Group ERP Manager, Unique Group

IT Manager, Emirates Driving Institute

Shaika Ali Juma

Zahid Ali

Information Security Manager, Dubai Culture

Cluster IT Incharge, Majestic Hotel

'Technology Transformer of the Year' — WINNERS — Ahmad Almulla

Aslam Abdul Kader

Hisham Airan

Dana Shatila

Imran Kannuti

Information Systems & Technology Manager, Food Fund International

Eng Mohammed Al Dhufairi

Isha Aljasmi

Almudena Berzosa

Gyan Prakash Srivastava

Digital Advisor, Confidential

Ali Asghar Safri

Chief Technology Officer, Avanza Innovations

Aliakbar Patwa

Chief Transformation & Strategy Officer at TQ Group

Arun Tewary

Advisor and IT Director, Alpine Creations

Head of IT Infrastructure and Services, Gulftainer Company Limited

Operation and Data Analysis Manager, Dubai Taxi Corporation

Head of IT Planning & Strategy, Abu Dhabi Media

Head Digitization & Transformation, Banque Misr

IT Director, SDTPS

IT Director, Ministry of Energy & Infrastructure

Chief Data officer -Head of Data & Analytics, Mashreq

Kashif Rasheed

Hemanth Kumar

Kelly Machado

Head of IT PMO, Union Coop

Head of Technology Operations, Shamal Holding

Head of Digital, UAE & Dubai Goverment

OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» SPOTLIGHT

'Technology Transformer of the Year' — WINNERS — Kishore Kumar

Senior Manager of IT Program Management, PRIME Healthcare Group

Majid Khan

Manager, Digital Transformation, Ajman bank

Mohamed Shawky

IT Director, Emirates NBD

Mohammed Faisal Idais

COO for Transformation, FinTech, InsurTech , IoT and AI ITIS Global

Nithin Vishwanathan

Sanil Manoly

Om Prakash Sharma

SatyaShankar Chirravuri

Saaim Aslam

Shafahath Ashraf

Corporate IT Manager, Leva Hotels

Cluster IT Manager, Radisson Blu Dubai Media City

Head of Enterprise Technology, Almosafer

Sageer NK

General Manager IT, Burjeel Holdings

Head of IT University of Wollongong

Head of Technology Platforms-Cloud & Security, Al-Futtaim

Group ERP Manager, Unique Group

Srinivas Narasimihaiah

Director IT, Julphar Gulf Pharmaceutical

Vineesha Satwani

Advisor & Though Leader – Digital, Confidential

‘CIO of the Year' — WINNERS — Abdalla Al Ali

Director of Information Technology & Innovation, DMCC

Adam Lalani

Arun Kumar Mohta

Group IT Head, FJ Group

Ashraf Salah ElDin

IT Director, GCC Services

Director Technology, Hilton Worldwide

Aiman Aljabr

Ayman Medaka

Daryananad Shetty

Director - Information Technology, Eltizam Asset Management Group

Dr Mohamed El Sabbagh

Head of IT, Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce

Senior IT Manager, Al Masaood National General Contracting LLC

Dr. Mohamed Hamed

Bashayer Al Daghari IT Section Head, ADIO

Head of Information Technology Al Nabooda Automobiles

Head of Information Technology Department, Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development

Bechara Semaan

Eyad Kashkash

Ali Katkhada

Group CIO, Depa United Group

Group Director of IT, Lakhraim Business Group

Fayaz Badubhai

Aliasgar Bohari

Byju Philip

George Akhras

Anish T Varughese

Careen Dsouza

Gigi Mathew Thomas

Head of IT, Havelock One

Alan Brouard

Director of Information Technology, Etihad Rail

Ali Al-Jasmi

Senior Director – IT, Zulekha Hospital

Director of IT, Skelmore Group

Senior IT Manager, ADPI

Bejesh Pereira

Head of IT, ME Dubai by MELIA

General Manager - IT Business Technology, Sobha Construction

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

CTO / CIO, Ceramica Platino Group

Ebrahim Kamalzadeh

EVP - Group Head of Technology, Al Ramz

Group IT Director, Al Yousuf Group

CIO, AMSI

Group Director - IT & Digital Transformation, Ittihad International Investment

» SPOTLIGHT

‘CIO of the Year' — WINNERS — Hamad Khalifa Alnuaimi

Mudassar Ali

Somy Varghese

Haris Bin Tahir

Muhamed Noufel

Sultan Al-Owais

Hoda A Khezaimi

Mustansir Aziz

Head of Telecommunications, AD police GHQ

Group IT Head Amina Hospitals, Amina Hospitals Group

Director of Emaratsec and Center for Cyber Security, New York University Abu Dhabi

Jaleel Rahiman

Director of IT, PRIME Digital, Prime Healthcare Group

Jayaraj Perumalsamy

Group Head of IT, Barakat group of companies

Karthikeyan Gurusamy

Head of IT, International Modern Hospital.

Head of Digital Transformation & Technology, Etoile Group

Cluster IT Manager, Royal Continental Hotels & Suites

Digital Lead, Prime minister's office

Sunando Chaudhuri

Head of IT, Automech Group

Director - Strategic Projects & Accounts, ADNEC Group

Peter Gesper

Syed Ashar Ahmed

Pragnesh Menon

Tamer Hamed

Raed Kuhail

Umesh Moolchandani

Group VP Of Infrastructure and Corporate Applications, DP World

Head of IT Malls, Entertainment & PMO EMAAR

Senior IT manager, Middlesex University

Executive Director-Digital & Technology, Miral

CIO, Dubai Cable Company (Ducab)

CIO, Bin Dasmal Group

Vishal Anand

Group Head – IT, Truebell Group of Companies

Ramakrishnan Natarajan

VP-IT, Emirates Hospitals Group

Senior Director of Information Technology, Jumeirah Group

Khaqan Shaheen

Riasat Ali

Wael Othman

Lenish Kannan

Salahuddin Almohammadi

IT Head MIR Plastic Industries

CIO, Western International Group Nesto/Geepas

Linoy Kidd

Group IT Services Manager, RAK Ports

Group IT Director, HSA Group

Samit Jha

CIO, HSBC

Group Head of IT, Petrochem Middle East FZE

Mamoun Alhomssey

Santhosh John Thomas

GCIO & Executive Vice President of Technology, ADIB

Mohamed Gamal Abdelmksoud

Group Information Technology Director, Accumed Healthcare

Mubaraka Ibrahim

Acting CIO, Emirates Health Services

Mubarik Hussain

Director of IT, Bloom Holding

CIO, African + Eastern

Shahood Siddiqui CTO, COFE App

Shailesh Mani

IT Head, DBMSC STEEL

Shijin Prasad

Group IT Manager, Cure Medical Centers, Cure Pharmacy, Al Nokba Medical Center, Abu Dhabi

Corporate Director of IT & Business Solutions, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation PJSC

WORKSPACE TRANSFORMATION OF THE YEAR WINNERS Dubai Taxi Corporation Mashreq The Aquila School Union Coop RAK Chamber

OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» SPOTLIGHT

‘CISO of the Year' — WINNERS — Rahul Cheruvelly

Manager IT, Emirates Hospitals Group LLC

Ahmed Alkindi

Information Security Manager, MBZUAI

Ahmed Nabil Mahmoud

Head of Cyber Defense Security operations, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank

Dr. Ebrahim Al Alkeem

Cybersecurity Operation Director, ENEC

Hasnain Juzer Ali

SGH Group UAE Director of Technology and Infrastructure, Saudi German Health UAE

Jayesh Nandanan

Information Security & Governance Risk Compliance Officer, Mediclinic Middle East

Kashif Khan

Head of Information Security, Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC)

Shabeer Mangattu Parambil

Senior IT Manager, Abu Dhabi University

Shahabuddin

Group IT Infrastructure & Security Manager, Ittihad International Investment

Sunil Kumar Nair

IT Manager, Al Ain University

Manoharan Mudaliar

Syed Ali Naqvi

Mohannad Hennawi

Vikalp Shrivastava

CISO, Truebell Marketing & Trading LLC

Group IT Manager, NAFFCO

Padam Sundar Kafle

Head IT and Automations, Aster Hospitals UAE and Oman

Head Technology and Cyber Security – International, Habib Bank Limited

VP of Technology & Security, Kerzner International

Zaheer Mubarak Shaikh

CISO, Al Maryah Community Bank

Category: Marketing and Sales Excellence Awards from Distributors

— WINNERS —

Excellence in Marketing Innovations

Excellence in Marketing Campaigns

Excellence in Campaign Management

Excellence in Channel Engagement

Chanchal Hotwani, Sr. Marketing Specialist at Ingram Micro

Nidhi Aiyanna, Sr. Marketing Specialist at Ingram Micro Gulf

Faraz Ali Khan, Marketing Manager, ASBIS Middle East

Excellence in Digital Marketing

Shaed Khader, Marketing Manager for Logicom Distribution UAE & Gulf

Excellence in Channel Marketing

Manikandaraj R. Marketing Manager, Citrus

Sonali Basu, Regional Marketing Manager, Bulwark Technologies

Category: Outstanding Achievement Awards for Business, Marketing & Sales Heads ( Distributors and SIs)

— WINNERS —

Marketing Leader of the Year

Tech Entrepreneur of the Year

Cybersecurity Business Leader of the Year

Marketing Innovator of the Year

Max Matveev, Head of Marketing, META at Ingram Micro

Jishant Karunakaran, Founder and Managing Director, Mindfire Technologies

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

Sunil Paul, Co-Founder and MD, Finesse

Varuna Shah, Group Marketing Director, Mindware

» SPOTLIGHT Category: Marketing and Sales Excellence Awards from Vendors

— WINNERS —

Excellence in Campaign Management

Excellence in Channel Sales & Support

Excellence in Distributor Management

Excellence in Marketing Innovations

Excellence in Channel Marketing

Excellence in Brand Marketing

Dona Issa, Marketing Lead, META at Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group

Kamlesh Lal, Marketing Manager – Dell Technologies

Mehwish Haroon, Channel Marketing Manager - UAE, Huawei

Excellence in Field Marketing

Nagham Halabi, Senior Field Marketing Manager, Veeam Software

Excellence in Product Marketing

Riddhi Anilkumar, Sr. Regional Marketing & Distributor Marketing Manager, Acronis

Samer Semaan, Channel Manager Middle East at Pure Storage

Sanchari Roy, Marketing Manager MEA at Barco

Sirin Akrouk, Regional Marketing Middle East and Emerging Africa, Pure Storage

Excellence in Channel Engagement

Spandana Gudapati, ME&CA Regional Partner Marketing Manager, Huawei Enterprise Business Group

Excellence in Partner Management

Umair Khan, Partner Marketing Manager at Cisco

Category: Outstanding Achievement Awards for Business, Marketing & Sales Heads ( Vendors)

— WINNERS —

Marketing Leader of the Year

Ben McDonald, META Marketing Lead, Dell Technologies

Enterprise Channel Executive of the Year

Charbel Zreiby, Director, Channel Data Center Specialists at Dell Technologies, CEEMETA

Channel Sales Leader of the Year

Ekta Puthran, Head of Sales, APAC and MEA, Barco

Enterprise Business Leader of the Year

Channel Visionary of the Year

Sakkeer Hussain, Director - Sales and Marketing, D-Link Middle East

Vendor Executive of the Year

Santosh Varghese, Vice President at Toshiba Gulf FZE

Business Strategist of the Year

Amar Mehta, Business Head - ME at Sophos

Loubna Imenchal, VP / Head of Enterprise Business at Logitech Africa Middle East Turkey Central Asia.

Channel Support Champion of the Year

Woman Executive of the Year

Most Infuential Business Leader of the Year

Maya Zakhour, Director Channel Sales- Eastern Europe, META, Iberia, & Latin America, NetApp

Sunil Titto, Director -Solution Sales, Accops

Havier Haddad Managing Director, Gulf Region at Dell Technologies

OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» COLUMN

AI IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE DATA THAT FUELS IT George Kurian - CEO at NetApp says that AI is built on a foundation of data - data storage, safety, and accessibility is critical to the insight and analysis provided by AI. And the AI capabilities of your organization are only as competent as the data that fuels it.

rtificial intelligence (AI) has recently been described in many ways—revolutionary, an economic game changer, a “beast” that is either overhyped or underhyped. I like to think about AI as a new frontier in the great tradition of tools that have propelled humankind forward— the next stage of the information revolution, like the industrial revolution or the scientific revolution that came before. And like any of the significant innovations before it, AI has the possibility to become a source for good, or a source for chaos. AI holds great promise for businesses: Predictive AI, powered by machine learning, is already being used to recognize patterns, drastically improve efficiency, and solve business and social problems better and faster than anything we’ve seen. It can be used to improve medical research, like predicting how proteins fold to affect biological functions. It can help detect financial fraud to protect both customers and the company’s bottom line. It can aid natural disaster planning by better predicting crises and their ripple effects. We know because we have been helping customers achieve these AI-driven objectives for many years.

And generative AI not only recognizes patterns but also generates new patterns. This capability can enable software developers to be more productive, help content creators deliver much more immersive experiences, and make it far easier for customers, employees, citizens, and students to find the information they need. All of these possibilities are made by one thing: data. This has long been true—better datasets have allowed prior generations of AI tools to deliver better predictions, and by using very large datasets, large language models have powered generative AI to achieve new levels of capability. Current innovations are rapidly improving these foundation models by using customers’ private data to provide better context or to fine-tune an existing model and make better decisions. The eminent computer scientist Peter Norvig summarizes it elegantly: “More data beats clever algo-

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

rithms, but better data beats more data.” Simply put, AI is built on a foundation of data—data storage, safety, and accessibility is critical to the insight and analysis provided by AI. And the AI capabilities of your organization are only as competent as the data that fuels it.

What this moment needs: integration, performance, and trust

Operationalizing AI requires managing multiple versions of models and keeping them up to date with the latest datasets. This means that massive amounts of data must flow freely—whether that is the enterprise’s own data or other relevant datasets that customers use to improve their AI systems. Of course, we know better than anyone that this isn’t the data equivalent of opening a spillway on a dam. Not only is the volume of data massive and unrelenting, but it’s scattered, often unstructured, and needs to be protected. Complex technology and disparate organizational and data silos are major hurdles to getting AI projects into production. To help you capitalize on the best of AI, you need the most complete, powerful, and sustainable solutions, without the bottlenecks of traditional data silos. Having a modern, intelligent, integrated-hybrid cloud data infrastructure is the foundation of AI. Whether you’re a small or large business, here’s how you can optimize your data engine to take advantage of the intelligent technology revolution: • Ensure that your data and AI organization are integrated. Often the biggest gap in organizational readiness for an AI-powered, data-driven future is the fragmented ownership of data, siloed data platforms and infrastructure, and a disparate range of specialists who operate in silos. For example, many organizations have data analysts and engineers who deeply understand the data, data scientists who can apply modern data analytic tools to that data, and business analysts who understand how to apply data and AI rec-

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• Prioritize the security and governance of your data. With great power comes great responsibility. The saying might be trite, but there’s a reason for its ubiquity, and it’s particularly relevant to AI. AI has benefits from a security standpoint—it can identify cyberthreats in real time and create models for error detection— but it also can be dangerous. With AI, your private data is far more valuable, but it can be a source of errors, bias, and other inaccuracies in your model. So it needs to be well secured and well governed. By optimizing your data engine, you can have a solid foundation to unlock the power of AI while doing so responsibly, safely, and affordably.

Our value: NetApp has been at the forefront of change many times before Data and data infrastructure is what we do best at NetApp. By leveraging our expertise, you can truly hit the ground running, ensuring unhindered focus on your customer demands.

George Kurian CEO at NetApp

ommendations to drive business outcomes. These roles need to work closely together as one team to accelerate AI impact. • Assess and consolidate your unstructured data. For many years, businesses have invested in tools to extract value from structured data such as databases, data warehouses, and business intelligence tools. Generative AI, however, provides a powerful engine to derive value from the majority and fastest-growing part of a company’s data—that is, unstructured data. Text is still the leading format of most organizations’ data; documents, audio files, and large files like imaging and videos constitute the largest percentage of a company’s data. Natural language processing (NLP) and computer vision (CV) are among the most mature AI tools, and certainly the fastest-application in generative AI, make sure you have an up-to-date view of your unstructured data landscape and its relevant applications so that you’re ready to use them with the generative AI applications for your business. • Integrate your workloads and data with intelligent hybrid multicloud infrastructure. Data volumes, types, and speeds are growing inexorably. With massive amounts of data to process, simplicity and integration go a long way. A data pipeline is effectively the architectural system for collecting, transporting, processing, transforming, storing, retrieving, and presenting data. Today’s leading-edge AI teams want to marry the scalability and unrelenting pace of innovation of the public clouds with the security and governance of on-premises environments by building hybrid cloud data pipelines.

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

For 30 years, through successive technological and business model revolutions, NetApp has not only endured, but also capitalized on each of these changes to deepen our expertise, help our customers navigate a changing world, and drive our own business success. We were here when client-server computing became the norm, when businesses migrated sales to the internet, when cloud became the disruptor, and when hybrid became the solution. As a result, we know what businesses need even as technology changes. AI is no different. We have enabled customers to use AI techniques to advance drug development and disease diagnosis, improve manufacturing and customer service, and reduce fraud, waste, and risk. And we use AI every day to develop and make our products and services much better. Only NetApp enables customers to integrate, access, and manage the full lifecycle of their data, and to do it for any data, for any application — including AI — anywhere.

"For many years, businesses have invested in tools to extract value from structured data such as databases, data warehouses, and business intelligence tools. Generative AI, however, provides a powerful engine to derive value from the majority and fastest-growing part of a company’s data—that is, unstructured data."

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STRIKING A BALANCE IN STORAGE PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT Alex McMullan, CTO International, Pure Storage discusses the advantages of streamlining storage platform development through a unified platform approach

he data storage market continues to rapidly evolve in dimensions of both scale and functionality, offering CTOs and CIOs a wide array of solutions — each with their advantages and drawbacks. Broadly speaking, there are two different thought processes when it comes to storage infrastructure — build versus buy, which can also be looked at as software-defined storage versus the appliance market. Both approaches aim to solve the same challenges.

Differing approaches to storage platform development

Following-on from the IT infrastructure explosion that began in the 1990s and the massive growth in data storage requirements this gave rise to, different mindsets evolved around the best approaches to the challenges it presented — especially for virtualization solutions. At one end of the spectrum there was an emphasis on software defined storage strategies, with the rationale being that with the right software one could manage any storage issue. At the other end of the spectrum were those who placed their bets on hardware-based solutions, aided by software. The advent of the internet and later the public cloud dramatically changed the dynamics of the data storage market, with differing sets of non-functional and functional requirements for NFS, S3 and block protocols. Together, they drove a whole new set of capabilities and aspirations that neither the software defined or hardware led storage platform approaches could completely address, and were the driving force behind a new wave of innovation in the market. They also created the conditions for companies focused on rapid innovation to thrive, while others chose the

path of iterative change and essentially the repackaging of existing solutions. This brings us to the present day and a storage market that continues to evolve at a rapid pace, both on the software and hardware fronts. Innovation in the sector is closely tied to the current and anticipated needs of CIOs and CTOs, who are looking to invest in platforms that can be evolved over time, with inbuilt flexibility to readily adapt to changing needs for traditional and VM-based apps evolving to containers and cloud-native deployments. However, in general, there is still some difference of opinion on the optimal way to approach platform selection, software-based solutions, or hardware focused approaches. Given the competing approaches to data storage platforms, engineering teams are faced with the challenge of finding a balance of iteration where software and hardware are deeply intertwined, without leaving each other behind — this gave rise to the hardware compatibility list (HCL) concept. Backward compatibility is also required in order to avoid sunk investments. A common way of dealing with this issue is to ensure that hardware sets can accommodate iterative change and that software models can integrate at the various stages of those same hardware platform changes. It’s entirely possible though to sidestep the software versus hardware platform selection debate by adopting an integrated software and hardware approach, which has numerous advantages, more on that to come.

Addressing

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

the

challenges

of storage platform development

Designing and creating a new platform is a major challenge that in the early development stages, will be dictated largely by its target, required functionality and the timeline. For example, if a new platform needs to be able to run containers and virtual machines, or to ship data to the public cloud. Knowing this will help determine the functional requirements of the platform and answer the question of which hardware capabilities can be built and which bought. To achieve the desired outcome, compromise will likely be required — at least in the early days of platform development. Key challenges include integrating offthe-shelf components and ensuring that software can keep-up with the pace of development. This stage of platform development is often referred to as minimum viable product (MVP) — that is developing a product that is good enough to capture the attention of the market and secure some early customers. At this stage, in terms of storage devices, there’s a strong argument that the primary requirement should be durability and reliability. These challenges must be addressed on day one, or the product is doomed from the outset. The second phase of product development follows the development of the initial version of the platform. This is focused on redesigning the compromises made in initial product development and in many cases, replacing off-the-shelf components with something bespoke that is more efficient and elegant. What’s most important is for the VP of engineering to have a clear view of the strategy and the product development roadmap.

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The benefits of a consolidated hardware and software development approach

There are clear benefits to having a consolidated hardware and software development approach. Chief amongst these is having a platform that can evolve, grow and adapt over time, future proofing the technology investment and offering cost efficiencies. Additionally, with a sufficiently agile software development capability, it is possible to work around the supply chain constraints that we've seen in the technology sector in recent years. Having visibility into hardware supply chains and the ability to flex avoids co-dependencies and delays.

Streamlining storage platform development through a unified platform approach

The choice CIOs and CTOs face in building-out a storage platform involving multiple hardware and software vendors, or going with a single vendor offering a unified platform (the one-stop-shop approach) can be challenging. There may be solid reasons for choosing either path. Increasingly though, there are many good reasons to consider a unified hardware and software platform approach when creating a storage platform, but a particularly compelling one that often gets overlooked is quality. A self-designed and managed hardware platform gives full transparency into its construction and components. Using the example of network cards, having a single type of card substantially reduces the number of tests that must be performed to maintain the quality level if different types of network cards are in different PCIe slots or storage nodes. Having fewer permutations of hardware that need to be supported with the software, results in higher quality and greater uptime because every possible code path can be tested in a much more comprehensive manner. A one-stop platform approach also yields supply chain benefits as well as support efficiencies, and avoids the blame shifting that can occur in troubleshooting, when working with a range of vendors.

The emergence of subscription and consumption models in storage platform development

Historical utilisation of storage capacity

(actual data written as opposed to allocated) has always been a target for CIOs, due to the low rates achieved where 60% would be considered as very efficient. Coupled with an increasing focus on energy efficiency and increased demand, every enterprise has looked for alternative approaches to manage these challenges whilst lowering longterm unit costs. We’ve seen the emergence of subscription and consumption models in storage, which is a positive development. Storage as a Service (STaaS) is a natural extension of the combined hardAlex McMullan ware and software CTO International, Pure Storage platform development approach, which is bringing further innovation to the storage market, offering quietly shelved or adapted, without wastgreater flexibility, reliability and ensuring ing vast sums of money. This is a positive storage technology is always up to date. development that actually favours the risk Best in class STaaS offerings will even oftaker and drives innovation. It also estabfer non-disruptive upgrades. lishes a clear path forward for storage platform creation. However, for STaaS to truly deliver on its promises, it must be backed by robust Storage innovation will conSLAs and built on an architecture that is tinue to be fuelled by comfocused on simplicity, as opposed to bebined hardware and software ing based around rebadged legacy tools In recent years, the greatest innovations and on-demand portals as cloud consoles. in storage platforms have taken place at These types of offerings can’t deliver a the intersection of hardware and softsustainable, non-disruptive, as-a service ware. This creates a compelling case for business. seeking a balanced solution that values hardware and software equally to address The increasing popularity of storage ever-evolving data storage demands of subscription models is giving rise to anorganisations. The exponential growth of other notable industry change related to unstructured data continues to create new risk management and mitigation. Before challenges in data storage, ranging from now, CIOs and CTOs faced an array of energy consumption through security to challenges when working to deliver on systems heading towards exabyte scale. a storage platform creation project, with high levels of risk. Subscription models These challenges will require giant strides are mitigating many of these risks because to be made in data protection, resilience of their flexibility. Now, when a project and materials science to welcome the next flourishes, it can be easily scaled, but at wave of applications, with the rapid innothe same time, less successful ones can be vators ideally placed to be at the forefront. OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

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DEFINING YOUR CLOUD ECONOMIC MODEL:

THREE THINGS TO CONSIDER

Rick Vanover, Senior Director Product Strategy, Veeam discusses why organisations need to have a cloud technology plan that matches their financial expectations

midst the sea of economic uncertainty, one thing is emerging as a non-negotiable for tech companies: a well-defined cloud economic model. With the escalating requirement to optimise costs, controlling cloud expenditure has taken a prime position on the priority lists of CIOs. Even though the first quarter of 2023 alone saw an overwhelming expenditure of more than $63bn on cloud services, recent history would dictate that as much as 30% of this spend is unnecessary. This startling fact puts a spotlight on the need for organisations to have a cloud technology plan that matches their financial expectations. Let’s delve into the three key areas tech companies should focus on.

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

- Understand the “why”

One of the first pieces of advice I give to businesses looking to move to the cloud is arguably even more relevant when assessing or defining a cloud economic model - make sure you understand why you are doing this in the first place. That means thinking beyond just a business outcome or “cloud is a cool technology that everyone is using”. Instead, you need to equate three factors here: The business factor - From a business perspective, you need to be clear on the objectives you intend (or originally intended) to achieve through migration. Is it for attaining greater scalability or fostering agile development? Are you

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seeking cost reduction or chasing performance enhancement? Having this clarity will not only guide you in developing a successful cloud strategy but also shape your economic model. The technical factor - On the technical side, there’ll be a whole host of factors that may not always equate with the business reasons for moving to the cloud. Things like functionality, resiliency, availability & security requirements - even if some of these are part of your original plan, expectation vs reality can be a real factor here. The economic factor - So finally, we come to the all-important question, how much is this going to cost? If the business reasons and technical requirements aren’t aligned, which is often the case due to the disjointed nature of teams defining them, the economics will fall short of expectations, resulting in the dreaded ‘Billshock’. Therefore, it is vital to devise a tech plan and model that matches expectations.

- Consider the data lifecycle

A common pitfall that businesses stumble upon while defining their cloud economic model is ignoring the data lifecycle. You need to think about where data is going to sit, and what it's going to cost - but this doesn’t (and more importantly, shouldn’t) stay the same over a seven-year data lifecycle. Your economic model should walk hand-in-hand with the data lifecycle, taking into account its evolution over time. The cost of storing data should diminish as it ages. Fresh data demands more resources, residing on high-performance, transactional types of storage. On the flip side, data approaching the end of its mandatory retention period doesn’t necessitate cutting-edge storage. Cloud providers may allow you to use snapshots indefinitely, but this could prove as costly as production. The data lifecycle progression can be broadly classified into three phases - performance tier, object storage, and archive storage. As you plan this lifecycle, remember to consider other crucial factors like ransomware resilience and regulatory compliance. If your data resides on higher category storage than necessary, you're flushing money down the drain.

- Discard the security vs economy dichotomy

Security and resilience are often perceived as standing in opposition to economic considerations. This especially holds when businesses are looking to upscale with the cloud, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Remember that the two main driving forces behind the shift to the cloud are enhanced resilience against ransomware and reduced costs - it's possible to do both. Immutability originated in the cloud, and cloud-powered disaster recovery is now a staple for most businesses, with the Veeam Data Protection

Rick Vanover Senior Director Product Strategy, Veeam

Trends Report 2023 revealing that 84% of businesses employ the cloud for their disaster recovery function. This false dichotomy usually stems from technical debt, a result of not including security in the cloud plan from its inception. Such an oversight can lead to a catastrophe or, at the least, hefty expenditure to correct the mistake. The problem magnifies when the business and tech teams operate in silos, which sadly is becoming more and more common. The solution? Factor in security right from the design phase and incorporate it into the economic model. Ensure that the tech teams are aligned with the business teams. Enter with a mindset balanced between ransomware resilience and your economic model. Embed security into your cloud strategy from day one. Be intentional and holistic in your approach to prevent creating further technical debt. As businesses navigate the choppy economic landscape, creating a cloud economic model rooted in the ‘why’ and balancing business, technical and financial considerations is crucial. A well-defined cloud economic model is not just a “nice idea” anymore - it’s a necessity for survival and growth. OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

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OBSERVABILITY IN DIGITAL ENTERPRISES The demands of digital enterprises are making APM and NPM tools redundant, while driving the development of observability tools that are more real time and context rich, says Walid Gomaa, CEO of Omnix International.

y definition, the term observability is used when there is an established relationship between the internal state of a system and its external output. By theory, if there is a direct relationship between the two, then observability and controllability of a system are interchangeable. In a more generic sense, observability is the extent to which you can understand the internal state of a complex system based only on knowledge of what are its external outputs. As a benefit, internal faults in a system that has an elevated level of observability can be rapidly diagnosed based on their external behaviour. In the world of information technology, software tools and best practices are used to aggregate and analyse, the stream of performance data or telemetry from an application workload that sits on a platform of hardware and networking infrastructure. This aggregation and interpretation of data, also called observability, helps IT to meet expectations of customer experience and service level agreements. Observability has been born from the relentless progress of digital transformation and multi-cloud across enterprises. Business applications are no longer on-premises and are often distributed with some complexity across hybrid cloud and multi-cloud configurations. Application performance management (APM) and network performance management (NPM) that used to work so well for on-premises environments have progressed to give rise to observability that extends the usage of telemetry from all types of distributed platforms, cloud, and on-premises. Observability does not replace APM and NPM; it is a more evolved and improved form of APM and NPM.

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

World of digital

Models of APM and NPM for managing performance have worked well with legacy systems. Typically, the telemetry of data from monolithic applications and legacy distributed applications used to be sufficient for APM and NPM tools to manage and describe their performance. For legacy systems, code rewrites were periodically spaced out, and dependencies between IT systems, IT infrastructure and application workloads were well established and documented. But today, digital enterprises do not use monolithic applications as their business-critical applications anymore or at least are transitioning away from them. Today’s digital enterprises are building applications with a business focus, using modern development practices, leveraging all types of cloud platforms. In the place of monolithic applications, we are seeing the use of open APIs, Kubernetes, docker containers, microservices, serverless functions, cloud native platforms, agile development, continuous development, continuous integration, and multiple programming languages. As a result of the demands of the faster pace of digital commerce, business driven services are being developed much faster, in many more places of the application stack, and for varying periods of activity. The typical telemetry windows used by APM and NPM tools for legacy enterprises are no longer adequate to manage digital enterprises. To track what is happening behind the scenes in digital enterprises, the demands for telemetry are much more demanding and exacting. Observability is using high quality telemetry, to capture context rich, correlated instances of every application request and execution in a digital enterprise.

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Components of observability

Other than the much more rapid window of telemetry, observability relies on four principal components to have influence on administrators of digital enterprises.

Logs

These are timestamped, millisecond-by-millisecond records of events and activities in a system. Software engineering teams can play back logs for troubleshooting and debugging.

Metrics

These are numerical values that measure application and system health over a specified period. They are used to track trends over time and identify areas where performance can be improved.

Traces

These record the end-to-end flow of every request, from the user interface through the entire application and infrastructure architecture, back to the user. They enable the identification of bottlenecks and performance issues.

Dependency

These maps indicate how each component of the application stack is related to another part of the stack whether it is components, IT resources, or applications.

Alerting

It is a mechanism for notifying engineers when certain conditions are met, such as when a metric exceeds a certain threshold or when an error occurs. This enables engineers to respond quickly to issues and prevent downtime.

Visualization

Visualization is the process of turning data into graphs, charts, and other visual representations that make it easier to understand and interpret. Visualization tools help engineers quickly identify trends and anomalies in the data. Using telemetry and these metrics, observability tools create contextual information for modern development teams including DevOps teams, site reliability engineering teams, and IT administrators. These teams now have enough contextual information to understand every event inside the digital enterprise and its cause and effect. In summary, the difference between yesterday’s APM and NPM and today’s observability tools is the difference between simply monitoring versus understanding the state of a complex digital system.

Walid Gomaa

CEO, Omnix International

"To track what is happening behind the scenes in digital enterprises, the demands for telemetry are much more demanding and exacting. Observability is using high quality telemetry, to capture context rich, correlated instances of every application request and execution in a digital enterprise."

OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» TECHSHOW

DGS-8600E SERIES CHASSIS SWITCHES The key components of DGS-8600E Series such as the main control unit, power system and the fan system support redundancy design. All system modules support hot-swap and seamless switching without manual intervention. DGS-8600E Series consists of three models: DGS-8603E, DGS-8606E and DGS8610E.

Highlights: • DGS-8600E Series, a new generation carrier-level core switch oriented for carrier's IP MANs and campus networks. Developed on the leading architecture of distributive multi-stage switching matrix and software platform, DGS-8600E Series provides high- performance L2/L3/L4 wire speed switching capacity by integrating services such as IPv6, network security, flow analysis, virtualization, with high reliable techniques including continuous forwarding, graceful restarting and loop network protection, the work efficiency of DGS-8600E Series and its maximum running time are guaranteed.

With the leading architecture of distributive multi- stage switching matrix, the ASIC switch chip and the multi-core processor, DGS-8600E Series meets the carrier-level core equipment requirements of high performance, high capacity, high density and expansion. DGS-8600E Series supports Green Architecture, significantly reducing equipment energy consumption, effectively cutting down operation and maintenance costs, and providing a perfect solution for the green and sustainable development of the network.

•

DGS-8600E Series supports high-intensity 10G service boards and realizes the wire-speed switching of 3 layers without blocking. DGS-8600E Series supports redundancy protection mechanism such as STP/RSTP/MSTP protocol, VRRP protocol, ring network protection, dual uplink active/standby link protection and LACP link aggregation. DGS-8600E Series supports redundancy protection mechanism such as STP/RSTP/MSTP protocol, VRRP protocol, ring network protection, dual uplink active/standby link protection and LACP link aggregation.

RICOH PJ WUL5860 PORTABLE LASER PROJECTORS RICOH PJ WXL5860 and PJ WUL5860 portable laser projectors provide an all-in-one solution to take your presentations to the next level. Ideal for stunning projections in office meeting rooms, classrooms or even as eye-catching digital signage in small spaces, these powerhouses provide an incredible 20,000 hours of maintenance-free performance. You can even begin any presentation out of the box with its quick start time of 10 seconds.They have a conveniently compact foot-

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

print, yet still deliver performance you need to see to believe. The new devices, alongside PFU’s iconic scanner lines, will be on display at GITEX GLOBAL (Concourse two, stand number CC2-17). This marks the first-time scanner products are showcased carrying the new brand, after they were rebranded to Ricoh earlier in the year.

» TECHSHOW

DELL LATITUDE 9440 Highlights:

These days work happens everywhere. Be it cranking on a presentation at the airport, taking client meetings from the kitchen or answering emails on the train, you can continue to collaborate and stay connected with style. The new Latitude 9440 caters to the needs of executives, salespeople and consultants, and it is packed with innovation in the world’s smallest 14” commercial PC. Inspired by the iconic design of our XPS line, but with a deliberate aesthetic for business users, the Latitude 9440 is clean, smooth and simplified. The machined aluminum and graphite color offer a sleek and premium look. Even with this beautiful two-in-one design, Dell has prioritized performance. Conference calls can take a toll on your PC but they are here to stay. Dell has updated thge thermal design to rear venting dual-fan systems for a cool and quiet experience.

•

Dell’s new design choices cater to the commercial user for a comfortable all-day typing experience. Stemming from the Concept Luna sustainable PC workstream, Dell has reduced backlit keyboard power usage by up to 75% and increased battery life by three hours with the new miniLED backlit keyboard technology.

•

The striking new keyboard includes wider keys with no gap (also known as zero-lattice), increased angle between keys and curvature on each key for easy tactile separation.

•

Images are sharper and more immersive on the new Latitude 9440.

•

Dell has fit a 14-inch display into a 13-inch chassis with 16:10 aspect ratio and InfinityEdge QHD+.

•

The Latitude 9330 made conference and video calls easier, and Dell has built on that with the 9440 integrating the world’s first haptic collaboration touchpad.

•

Dell is adding customizable haptic feedback for your touchpad to feel the way you like it for a seamless user experience.

•

The microphone on/off, camera on/off, share screen and chat functions are enabled right at your fingertips on the touchpad when on Zoom calls, with Microsoft Teams functionality coming later this year.

Highlights: •

4,700 / 4,000 lumens brightness

•

Exceptional 20,000 hours of maintenance-free performance, thanks to durable laser technology

•

Compact and easily portable design supports everyday use

•

Quick turn-on feature gives instant image projection

•

Flexible installation and easy projection by vertical / horizontal keystone, vertical lens shift, 360-degree

•

projection, four-corner adjustment and portrait mode

•

Compatibility with device management systems like

•

Crestron, AMX Device Discovery, Extron and PJLink via network

OCTOBER 2023 / CXO DX

» TRENDS

Gartner Forecasts MENA IT Spending to Grow 4% in 2024 IT Spending Projected to Record 0.9% Growth in 2023

T spending in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is forecast to accelerate in 2024, increasing 4% from 2023, according to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc.

MENA’s IT spending is projected to total $183.8 billion in 2024, up from $176.8 billion in 2023. In comparison, global IT spending is projected to total $5.1 trillion in 2024.

“IT spending in MENA is increasing because organizations, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, continue to focus on digitalizing their IT infrastructure,” said Miriam Burt, Managing VP Analyst at Gartner. “This is required to support regional governments’ push to implement their country visions for economic diversification, enhance public-private collaboration as well as bolster sustainability efforts towards net-zero targets.”

Software and IT Services Spending to Grow

MENA software spending is expected to record double-digit growth of 12.3% in 2024, followed by IT services spending, growing at 11.1%. “Organizations in MENA will invest more in software and IT services to accelerate digitalization and streamline operations by continuing cloud migration efforts and increasing automation and IoT capabilities. The spending will also be targeted to enforce compliance with regulation,” said Burt. “By 2024, we expect local organizations to increase their spending on embedding artificial intelligence (AI) into their strategic business and IT planning. Improving data management to yield greater monetization as well as strengthening cybersecurity security and risk management will remain top spending priorities in the region.” The devices segment is forecast to experience an upturn in 2024.

Devices spending in MENA is projected to increase 0.6% in 2024, up from a decline of 9.9% in 2023 (see Table 1). “The return to growth in devices spending can be attributed to various factors such as the growing aspiration of consumers in the region to own smartphones, aggressive marketing campaigns for new product launches by premium brands and the steady shift towards 5G for improved coverage, speed and consistency,” said Burt. “Higher affordability through greater access to financing options - such as buy now pay later (BNPL) - as well as the increasing number of ways to make digital payments through smartphones are also contributing to the recovery in the segment.”

Increased Focus on Generative AI

Gartner predicts that by 2024, 40% of enterprise applications will have embedded conversational AI, up from less than 5% in 2020. “Despite economic challenges, business executives in the MENA region are primarily investing in generative AI (GenAI) to enhance customer experience,” said Eyad Tachwali, Sr Director Advisory at Gartner. “GenAI promises to revolutionize public and private sector engagement with customers/citizens by delivering personalized, real-time solutions to complex inquiries.” Successful regional business and IT leaders are employing agile methodologies in their generative AI initiatives, focusing on quick testing and refinement while eliminating low-impact use cases. Currently, most MENA organizations are exploring the potential of GenAI by focusing on emerging use cases, such as generative value messaging (turning customer data quickly into customized content), coding assistance (translation of code from older coding languages).

MENA IT Spending Forecast, 2022-2024 (Millions of U.S. Dollars) 2022 Spending

2022 Growth (%)

2023 Spending

2023 Growth (%)

2024 Spending

2024 Growth (%)

Data Center Systems

4,249

24.3

3,783

-11

3,852

1.8

Software

12,254

8.1

13,457

9.8

15,110

12.3

Devices

30,279

-1.1

27,272

-9.9

27,439

0.6

IT Services

16,573

10.8

17,832

7.6

19,814

11.1

Communications Services

1,11,927

0.4

1,14,480

2.3

1,17,598

2.7

Overall IT

1,75,282

1,76,824

0.9

1,83,814

Source: Gartner (September 2023)

CXO DX / OCTOBER 2023

Vibin Shaju General Manager – UAE, Trellix