AI-DRIVEN TRANSFORMATION SET TO ACCELERATE
Every organization strives to gain a competitive edge in its industry. In today’s digital-first landscape, companies that strategically adopt the right blend of technologies aligned with their goals are better positioned for success. It is increasingly evident that AI-driven automation is set to have a transformative impact in the current year and beyond.
Organizations are increasingly leveraging AI to optimize business processes, predict market trends, and deliver personalized customer engagement. Across most business functions, from supply chain management to dynamic customer support systems, one can see AI having a transformative impact. Governance is what most experts point out as a matter of concern with Gen AI likely to have a pervasive presence across industries.
On the other hand, the need for robust cybersecurity frameworks has never been more critical. The sophistication of cyber threats is escalating, pushing organizations to adopt advanced strategies like zero-trust architectures. These frameworks, centered on least-privilege access and robust identity verification, minimize vulnerabilities and enhance resilience. AI-driven threat detection systems are further bolstering defenses, offering real-time insights and automated responses to counteract evolving attacks.
In the Middle East, regional data governance and compliance with local laws, such as those in the UAE and KSA, are gaining prominence. With the rise of initiatives like the UAE National Cybersecurity Strategy, organizations are prioritizing data protection to foster trust and ensure operational legitimacy. Adhering to these frameworks is critical for maintaining regulatory compliance and securing sensitive information.
Looking ahead, the convergence of AI, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies promises to reshape industries and unlock new opportunities. Enterprises that are able to integrate these innovations while maintaining compliance and resilience will be well-placed to succeed. Organizations must look to harnessing these advancements to drive growth, enhance efficiency, and secure their operations in an increasingly interconnected world.
RAMAN NARAYAN
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief narayan@leapmediallc.com Mob: +971-55-7802403
Sunil Kumar Designer
R. Narayan Editor in Chief, CXO DX
SAUMYADEEP HALDER
Co-Founder & MD
saumyadeep@leapmediallc.com Mob: +971-54-4458401
Nihal Shetty Webmaster
MALLIKA REGO
Co-Founder & Director Client Solutions mallika@leapmediallc.com Mob: +971-50-2489676
14 » TAKING ADVANTAGE OF DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
While Gen AI is helping companies transform their processes and productivity, there are challenges on the road ahead that need to be addressed including data quality and ethical concerns
Sonali Basu Roy, Marketing Manager, Bulwark Technologies shares her insights on how she designs and implements marketing strategies that drive the company’s success
Cory McElroy, Vice PresidentCommercial Product Management at HP discusses the company’s focus on delivering solutions that enhance productivity, sustainability, and innovation
Cathy Mauzaize, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at ServiceNow says that as AI transitions from hype to its own ‘iPhone moment’ in mainstream business, the lessons from that not-so-distant era serve as a cautionary tale.
Andrew Elvish, Vice President of Marketing, discusses at length how the vendor has brought in innovations that are unmatched in the physical security industry
Sascha Giese, Global Tech Evangelist, Observability, SolarWinds writes about digital transformation tactics that will give GCC enterprises an edge in 2025
Alexandre Boutin, Director – AI, Mindware discusses opportunities for channel partners to lead the way
Omar Akar, Regional VP, META & CEE at Pure Storage writes that from the recalibration of AI ambitions to the balancing act between sustainability and data demands, business leaders must navigate a complex interplay of innovation and pragmatism
Sammy Zoghlami, SVP EMEA at Nutanix write about the need to focus on reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions is now a must, to meet pressing needs
DELL TECHNOLOGIES AND RAK ECONOMIC ZONE COLLABORATE
Partnership will drive innovation and new growth
Dell Technologies and Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide enhanced security, flexibility, and scalability to the companies in the economic zone’s thriving business ecosystem.
The MoU, signed by Walid Yehia, Managing Director - Gulf, Dell Technologies and Alida Helena Scholtz, Chief Financial Officer, RAKEZ seeks to enhance RAKEZ’s technological offerings and stimulate new growth opportunities as one of the leading business and industrial hubs in the UAE.
Through this collaboration, RAKEZ can leverage Dell’s Managed Services, AI, and multi-cloud offerings to increase operational efficiencies and drive innovation. The agreement also covers Dell’s Managed and Security Services, which will equip the economic zone to detect and respond to cyber threats, reduce risk, and
NetApp announced the appointment of Suhail Hasanain as the new Regional Director for the Middle East and Africa region. In his new role, Suhail will be responsible for driving business growth, fostering strategic collaborations, with continuous development of the ecosystem and delivering exceptional results across all sectors in the region.
With over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, operational excellence, and leadership, Suhail brings a wealth of ex-
protect its growing business community.
With Dell’s expertise and RAKEZ’s dedication to nurturing a vibrant tech ecosystem, this collaboration will bring tangible benefits to companies navigating the complexities of digital transformation.
Walid Yehia, Managing Director - Gulf, Dell Technologies, said, “In the UAE, RAKEZ’s commitment to innovation is evident in its adoption of emerging technologies to create a smarter, more efficient business environment. We look forward to working with RAKEZ to build an ecosystem that fosters growth, attracts talent, and contributes to economic development in the region. The collaboration not only strengthens our commitment to technological innovation across the UAE but also opens the door for expanded opportunities with the world-class business community.”
Ramy Jallad Group CEO, RAKEZ said, “Through our partnership with Dell Technologies, RAKEZ is actively transforming our business environment. By leveraging Dell’s advanced digital infrastructure and AI-driven solutions, we are enhancing our ecosystem and setting the stage for a new era of innovation and resilience in business. This collaboration highlights our commitment as a progressive economic zone to foster a dynamic, technology-driven future for enterprises of all sizes.”
SUHAIL HASANAIN APPOINTED AS REGIONAL SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR MEA AT NETAPP
He will lead NetApp’s operations and growth in the region
pertise to his new position. His in-depth understanding of customer and partner needs, combined with his ability to bring together cross-functional teams, will be instrumental in driving NetApp's success in the Middle East and Africa.
Prior to joining NetApp, Suhail led Dell's multi-cloud offerings in Saudi Arabia, where he successfully negotiated multiyear mega-frame contracts with government entities. His dedication to customer and team excellence has been evident throughout his career, making him a valuable asset to any organization.
As the Regional Senior Director for Middle East and Africa, Suhail will leverage his extensive experience and leadership approach to forge strategic collaborations with regional ecosystem, drive business growth, and ensure that NetApp's solu-
tions and services meet the unique needs of customers in the region. Leading the regional operation, Suhail will play a pivotal role in strengthening NetApp's presence and operations in across all the countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Jose Petisco, EEMi VicePresident at NetApp said, "Suhail's proven track record, expertise, and passion for delivering exceptional results make him the ideal candidate to lead our operations in this strategic region. He will further enhance our commitment with customers, partners and alliances, to strength our ecosystem and generate value add in all the strategic projects where NetApp is playing a key role to diversified economy and help shape a more sustainable, technologically advanced future. This appointment is another testament to NetApp commitment to the Middle East and Africa region”.
Suhail Hasanian enior Regional Director, NetApp
GENETEC STATE OF PHYSICAL SECURITY REPORT REVEALS EVOLVING TRENDS
Report highlights IT department's strategic influence and a purpose-driven approach to cloud and AI adoption
Genetec shared the results of its 2025 State of the Physical Security Report. Based on insights from more than 600 physical security leaders, including end users, channel partners, systems integrators, and consultants based in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa (MEA) markets, the report offers a comprehensive analysis of evolving trends in physical security operations.
According to the report, 48% of META end users envision hybrid deployments as their preferred approach within the next five years, compared to just 22% favoring fully cloud-based implementations and 25% planning to remain fully on-premises. This preference for hybrid-cloud is echoed by consultants and channel partners, with 53% of consultants planning to recommend hybrid deployments in the next five years.
“In the META market, where digital transformation and operational resilience are top priorities, the evolving role of physical security is critical. By placing IT at the center of hybrid and cloud implementations, businesses can make security operations more resilient, data-driven, and adaptable to the region's dynamic threat landscape, safeguarding both people and digital assets effectively," said Firas Jadalla, Regional Director – Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META) at Genetec.
The increasing adoption of cloud and hybrid-cloud solutions, the rise in cybersecurity threats, and the need to align physical and digital security have led IT teams to take an increasingly prominent role in influencing the acquisition and deployment of physical security systems. According to the report, 78% of end users in the META
region say physical security and information technology (IT) departments now work collaboratively. Additionally, IT departments are taking on an increasing role in the buying process.
The report reveals a significant rise in the interest toward AI adoption in physical security, with 46% of end users planning to implement AI-powered features in 2025, up from just 14% in 2024.
Mohammed Amin President, CEEMETA, Dell Technologies
WORLDLINE UNVEILS E-COMMERCE PAYMENTS SOLUTION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TELR
The solution will simplify online payments and optimise transactions in UAE
Worldline, a global leader in payments services, launched an e-commerce payments solution within UAE. Worldline’s full-service solution has been developed in partnership with Telr, the multi-award winning, Dubai-based payment gateway aggregator and provider. The solution will simplify online payments and optimise transactions, enabling global online businesses to take full advantage of the opportunities available in this exciting market. The UAE is a strategically important market in the Middle East and African regions acting as a hub for commerce.
Over the past 20 years, the UAE has become a global hub for investment and tourism, thanks to its strategic location and low-tax environment. E-commerce has seen rapid growth with a 20% CAGR since 2017, and revenues are expected to reach US$ 10.78 billion by 2029. With 99% internet and 96% smartphone penetration, over 71% of e-commerce payments are made via cards and wallets
(Statista). The UAE is committed to sustainability and digital transformation, with initiatives like Abu Dhabi’s Vision 2030 and the Dubai Plan 2021 driving innovation and growth.
The partnership will combine Worldline's global payments expertise with Telr's local market knowledge and strong relationships, empowering e-commerce businesses to capitalise on this strategically important market.
Khalil Alami, Founder and CEO of Telr, said: "Telr is committed to leading digital payment innovation and redefining the e-commerce landscape in the UAE. Our dynamic partnership with Worldline amplifies our commitment to driving growth and groundbreaking solutions, ensuring merchants reach unprecedented success and flourish in the UAE’s rapidly advancing digital landscape."
Worldline is launching the UAE solution
as part of its strategy to help businesses tap into high-growth markets such as Türkiye, South Korea and Thailand. Each market requires a specialized approach that caters to local consumer preferences. Recognizing the vast potential, Worldline is moving swiftly to launch new solutions, positioning businesses to succeed in these complex but fast-growing markets.
Khalil Alami Founder, CEO, Telr
SNOWFLAKE LAUNCHES IN SAUDI ARABIA WITH NEW MIDDLE EAST HQ
Local Snowflake deployment on Google Cloud enables regional customers, such as Almarai, to maximise data value all while meeting data residency requirements
Snowflake, the AI Data Cloud company, announced its growing presence in the Middle East with the establishment of a new regional headquarters (RHQ) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and general availability on Google Cloud in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to better meet the Kingdom’s data residency and sovereignty requirements so that data can reside within the country’s borders.
As Saudi Arabia rapidly accelerates its digital transformation journey under Vision 2030, data sovereignty and privacy have become central to its strategy. The Kingdom’s Personal Data Protection Law of 2023 (PDPL), underscores the national priority on data integrity, privacy, and security. Working in parallel, the Saudi Arabian data analytics market is projected to exhibit a compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 30% during 2024-2032, highlighting the Kingdom's commitment to leveraging data-driven insights and AI technologies.
“Snowflake’s expansion in Saudi Arabia is a pivotal step in our commitment to supporting and empowering Saudi organisations to meet local data regulations with faster, cost-efficient, secure, and compliant data solutions,” said Mohamed Zouari, General Manager, Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Snowflake. “With our local deployment on Google Cloud, organisations in the KSA can use a foundational data strategy to unlock deeper data insights powered by AI, driving business innovation, all while meeting the highest standards of data residency and sovereignty.”
Customers across the Middle East have
already been using Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud to discover and securely share data, as well as execute diverse analytic workloads, via Snowflake’s existing regional deployment in Dubai. With the addition of Snowflake’s deployment on Google Cloud in the KSA, regional customers have further flexibility of choice for deployment, and are able to choose a geographical region that best suits their operational needs.
AMIVIZ PARTNERS WITH SANDFLY SECURITY TO DELIVER ADVANCED AGENTLESS LINUX SECURITY SOLUTIONS
The collaboration addresses the growing reliance on Linux in cloud computing, data centers, and IoT ecosystems
AmiViz, a leading cybersecurity-focused value-added distributor headquartered in the Middle East, announced an exclusive partnership with Sandfly Security, a global leader in agentless Linux security. This collaboration will bring Sandfly’s innovative intrusion detection and threat-hunting solutions to enterprises across the Middle East and Africa (MEA), addressing the region's growing demand for robust cybersecurity in critical infrastructure and digital transformation initiatives.
The partnership leverages AmiViz’s extensive distribution network and expertise in delivering cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions to expand Sandfly Security’s reach in the MEA region. Sandfly’s agentless platform, designed specifically for Linux environments, detects intrusions, malicious activities, and advanced persistent threats (APTs) without requiring software installation on host systems. This low-impact approach is ideal for businesses striving to secure their Linux systems
while maintaining operational efficiency. “Linux environments are the backbone of critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government, yet they often remain under-protected. Sandfly Security’s unique approach to securing these systems is a game-changer,” said Ilyas Mohammed, Chief Operating Officer at AmiViz. “By partnering with Sandfly, we are empowering enterprises in the MEA region with cutting-edge tools to defend against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.”
Sandfly Security’s innovative solutions complement AmiViz’s existing cybersecurity portfolio, ensuring that organizations can monitor their Linux servers in real time and respond proactively to threats. The collaboration also addresses the growing reliance on Linux in cloud computing, data centers, and IoT ecosystems, where traditional security tools often fall short.
“We are thrilled to partner with AmiViz
to bring our Linux security solutions to the dynamic and rapidly evolving MEA market,” said Craig Rowland, founder and CEO at Sandfly Security. “This partnership will enable us to address the pressing security needs of Linux systems across a wide range of industries, ensuring that organizations can safeguard their data and operations with confidence.”
Ilyas Mohammed COO, AmiViz
Mohamed Zouari GM, META, Snowflake
AL ROSTAMANI COMMUNICATIONS RECOGNIZED BY DUBAI POLICE AWARD AS A LEADING TECHNOLOGY SUPPLIER
The award celebrates technology providers that demonstrate exceptional service, innovation, and impact across Dubai
Police’s operations
Al Rostamani Communications (ARC), member of Al Rostamani Group, has been recognized by Dubai Police as one of its top technology suppliers, recognized for its industry leadership. This award highlights ARC’s longstanding partnership with Dubai Police and its commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions.
Dubai Police’s Supplier Relations Center (SRC) established this award to acknowledge suppliers who excel in supporting its strategic initiatives. The award celebrates technology providers that demonstrate exceptional service, innovation, and impact across Dubai Police’s operations. As a recipient of the award, ARC has distinguished itself as a valuable partner in Dubai Police’s efforts to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness through advanced technology.
“We are delighted to be the recipient of this award from Dubai Police, which affirms our team’s commitment to delivering worldclass technology solutions. Our work is a testament to our dedication to meeting the highest standards in security and efficiency that drive operational excellence. We are grateful to Dubai Police for this acknowledgment and look forward to further strengthening our partnership,” said Youssef Fawaz, General Manager- Al Rostamani Communications.
Since its establishment in 2002, ARC has grown steadily to become one of the UAE's prominent systems integrators. ARC’s comprehensive portfolio includes sustainable data centres, IT infrastructure, unified and enterprise communications, ICT automation, cloud computing, networking systems, IT security, applications, and telecommunication infrastructure.
Serving a diverse range of sectors—including telecom, government, oil and gas, utilities, finance, education, hospitality, healthcare, transportation, retail, trading, real estate, and construction— ARC continues to provide customized, end-to-end technology solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of each industry.
ALTERYX APPOINTS ANDY MACMILLAN AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Software Industry Veteran to Drive Product Innovation and Growth Acceleration at Alteryx
Alteryx, Inc., an AI platform for enterprise analytics backed by global private equity firms Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. (together with certain of its affiliates, “Clearlake”) and Insight Partners (“Insight”), announced the appointment of Andy MacMillan as Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”). In his new role, MacMillan will drive Alteryx forward in its mission to empower organizations to turn their data into insights and deliver better business outcomes.
“Andy’s capabilities and past leadership success in leveraging AI to drive product innovation and developing high-performing teams at scaled enterprise software companies aligns well with our investment thesis, and we believe his leadership will help propel the Company to new heights,” said Prashant Mehrotra, Partner at Clearlake. “We look forward to partnering with Andy and the rest of the team to support Alteryx in delivering new products and increased value to customers as it continues
to enhance its AI-driven analytics cloud platform.”
Deven Parekh, Managing Director at Insight Partners, said, “The Alteryx team is incredibly excited to welcome Andy as CEO. His wealth of experience, paired with his empathetic approach to leadership and deep enterprise software industry knowledge, will forge a new path to success. We can’t wait to see what Andy will achieve at Alteryx.”
With more than 20 years of leadership experience in the tech industry, MacMillan joins Alteryx from UserTesting, where he served as CEO. He also spent time as the Chairman and CEO of Act-On Software, helping to transform the company’s product portfolio. Previously, he held several positions at Salesforce, including leading its Data.com division, and also served in product leadership roles at Oracle and Stellent.
Andy
MacMillan
CEO, Alteryx
“Great companies are built on the foundational pillars of company culture and customer-centricity, and I’m delighted to join a company that follows this same philosophy,” said MacMillan. “Together with the team, we’ll lead Alteryx into its next phase of growth and product innovation to help our customers succeed in their analytics journey.”
IBM OPENS A NEW OFFICE IN QATAR
The opening of the new office reflects IBM's commitment to growth in Qatar and its dedication to supporting local clients in accelerating their digital transformation
IBM has inaugurated its new office in Al Mana Tower, located in the Corniche area of Doha, during an official ceremony attended by H.E. Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Qatar's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Timmy Davis, the U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, Shukri Eid, General Manager of IBM for the Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan, and Wissam Shmait, General Manager of IBM in Qatar, along with representatives from local clients and business partners.
The new office, launched on the sidelines of the Qatar Global AI Summit, underscores IBM’s strategic focus on expanding its presence in Qatar, a promising market with significant growth potential. With Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Digital Agenda 2030 driving the nation’s digital transformation journey, IBM aims to enhance local capabilities by delivering innovative solutions and consulting services from the heart of Doha. In highlighting the significance of this strategic milestone, Sami Mohammed Al Shammari, Assistant Undersecretary for Infrastructure and Operations Affairs at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, stated: “We are pleased to witness the expansion of IBM's presence in the State of Qatar and its role in supporting our journey towards building an advanced digital future. This step is not merely a commercial expansion but a partnership aimed at empowering various sectors in the country
to leverage the latest technologies and digital solutions. It also opens new horizons for collaboration between the public and private sectors. We remain committed to further strengthening a robust and advanced digital infrastructure that contributes to building a knowledge-based economy.”
In addition to serving local clients and partners, IBM’s new office in Qatar will play a pivotal role in supporting Qatar’s initiatives to develop its digital ecosystem and foster innovation.
TEALIUM SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH AWS TO ACCELERATE AI-DRIVEN GROWTH IN MEA
The strategic partnership underscores Tealium’s commitment to data privacy, residency, and AI innovation in the Middle East.
Tealium, a leading customer data platform (CDP), has entered into a global multi-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS). This partnership highlights Tealium’s investment in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, particularly the United Arab Emirates by aligning with regional data residency regulations and supporting the nation’s digital transformation initiatives.
By leveraging AWS’s secure and scalable cloud infrastructure, Tealium empowers enterprises in the MEA region to optimize AI-driven data collection, management, and activation solutions. This collaboration enables businesses to seamlessly access Tealium’s real-time CDP, ensuring compliance with local data privacy and residency requirements.
Tealium’s investment aligns with key UAE government initiatives, such as the
UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, which aims to position the nation as a global leader in AI by fostering innovation and advancing digital infrastructure. The UAE has demonstrated significant progress in AI adoption, with 42% of companies already utilizing AI in their operations. By adhering to local data localization regulations, Tealium supports the UAE’s goals of becoming a hub for technological excellence and a leader in digital transformation.
“As we expand our presence in the MEA region, we are committed to enabling enterprises to harness the power of AI-driven data strategies while maintaining the highest standards of data privacy and security,” said Robert Coyne, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Tealium EMEA. “This collaboration highlights our dedication to innovation and customer success, supporting businesses in achieving hyper-personalization and
Robert Coyne
Senior VP & MD, Tealium EMEA
enhanced customer engagement.”
This SCA reinforces Tealium’s broader global commitment to expanding partnerships and driving innovation in the MEA region. In addition to AWS, Tealium collaborates with industry leaders like Amazon Ads, Snowflake, and The Trade Desk to deliver privacy-centric, AI-enhanced customer data solutions.
SURVEY FINDS TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS
PREDICT MAJOR REVENUE SHIFT TO AI
26% of partners in the UAE believe that 76-100% of their revenue will come from AI technologies over the next 4-5 years.
Cisco released findings from its new Cisco Global AI Partners Study. The study, titled Bridging the Customer AI Readiness Gap – The opportunities ahead for partners, revealed that IT partners around the world are anticipating a transformative wave of AI technology demand that will drive the majority of their revenue over the next four to five years. According to the study, more than a quarter (26%) of partners surveyed in the UAE believe that as much as 76-100% of their revenue will come from AI-related technologies during this period.
The study highlights that 43% of partners in the UAE believe the demand for AI-related technology investments will grow by more than 75% in the next four to five years. The partners surveyed for the report highlighted infrastructure (26%), cybersecurity (26%), and sustainability management (11%) as the top three drivers of AI technology demand in the coming years. As AI demand surges, partners in the UAE also foresee a significant shift in their revenue mix. In the short-term, 37% anticipate AI will contribute to 26-50% of their revenue a year from now, while in the long run that contribution is expected to become even higher.
“As AI becomes a cornerstone of business transformation in the UAE and broader region, it’s essential for our partners to be equipped with the skills and tools needed to lead this shift,” said Ossama Eldeeb, Regional Director for the Partner Organization in the Middle East and Africa, Cisco. “The study’s findings reveal substantial opportunities for partners to drive AI adoption and support businesses in harnessing the full potential of AI. By investing in readiness and innovation, Cisco and our partners are prepared to deliver impactful solutions that align with the region’s ambitions and technological advancements.”
The Cisco Global AI Partners Study, a double-blind survey of over 1,500 IT partners across 29 markets, assesses partners’ capabilities in the age of AI. These findings align with the Cisco AI Readiness Index, which found that companies globally lack readiness for AI adoption, revealing gaps in infrastructure, data management, governance, and talent. Built on the insights from the Index, the Cisco Global AI Partners Study reinforces the crucial role partners play in helping customers achieve AI readiness.
Partners Show Confidence and Invest in Overcoming Challenges
The findings indicate a robust confidence among partners in their knowledge and understanding of various aspects related to AI technologies. The assessment focused on several specific solutions and capabilities for AI deployment across the four pillars of infrastructure, data, governance, and talent.
Ossama Eldeeb Regional Director for the Partner Organization in the MEA, Cisco
These capabilities include:
• Building scalable and adaptable AI-ready infrastructure;
• Ensuring sufficient GPU resources for ongoing projects;
• Assessing and maintaining latency and throughput of data centers;
• Understanding data sets, data sovereignty and privacy laws across different regions/countries.
While partners show strong confidence in their knowledge and understanding of deploying AI technologies, they also understand the challenges they need to address to maximise the opportunities ahead. The biggest ones are inexperience in deploying new technologies (69%), lack of knowledge of systems and processes (51%), and a lack of available technologies (46%). To address these challenges, partners are already heavily investing in upskilling existing employees in AI-related competencies, with almost 74% conducting either internal trainings or inviting external vendors to provide specialized training.
ARAB NATIONAL BANK LEVERAGES RIVERBED OBSERVABILITY
AND
AIOPS SOLUTIONS EXECUTES MAJOR DIGITAL BANKING UPGRADE AND ENHANCES CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES
Riverbed, a leader in AI Observability, announced that Arab National Bank, one of the largest banks in the Middle East and headquartered in Riyadh, has collaborated with Riverbed to help deliver on its commitment to meeting the high expectations of its customers through “brilliant digital interfaces.” By implementing Riverbed’s Platform – including Network and Infrastructure Observability and AIOps solutions – Arab National Bank has seamlessly migrated its core banking application and delivered top-quality digital experiences for over two million customers and over 4,000 employees.
Providing innovative tailored financial solutions and a fast and simple experience is central to Arab National Bank’s mission, and the Bank sees Riverbed as an essential business partner. “Riverbed’s NetProfiler, NetIM and AppResponse solutions allow our IT team to recognize where issues are, and to notify the right team to fix them quickly,” said Alaa ElJabari, Head of IT Telecoms in the Network Department at Arab National Bank. This rapid troubleshooting translates to an ability to ensure the digital services offered to the bank’s customers—from its online banking platform to its 24/7 support via a myriad of digital channels—perform up to the highest standards.
Most crucially, Riverbed also managed a critical migration of the bank’s core banking infrastructure to a new version of Infosys Finacle, an industry-leading universal banking solution. Such migrations, which are typically executed only once every decade, are highly complex and critical to a bank’s operations, requiring meticulous planning and flawless execution to avoid disruptions.
By leveraging Riverbed NetIM, an infrastructure observability solution, the bank ensured minimal downtime, maintained seamless service delivery, and safeguarded customer experiences during the transition. This successful migration not only modernized the bank’s core systems but enabled them to scale their operations to deliver more agile, innovative services in the future.
Alaa Eljabari also highlighted how the support of Riverbed’s team was critical to the success of the major CBS upgrade. “Riverbed’s Professional Services team worked closely with us to ensure we met our migration objectives. We benefitted from complete visibility of our back-end systems, were able to see exactly what was happening, and had full control of this activity,” said Alaa Eljabari. “With Riverbed, you’re not just buying a product - you’re buying an end-to-end service. It’s like buying a car complete with a driver.”
Describing how partnering with Riverbed gives Arab National Bank the confidence to continue deploying innovative technolo-
Moueen Zahreddine Senior Regional Director, EMEA Emerging, Riverbed
gies and rolling out new digital conveniences for customers, Alaa Eljabari explained, “We really can’t imagine not using the Riverbed Platform and their solutions. Our team benefits from the comprehensive network and application visibility Riverbed provides. This enables us to proactively monitor our IT environment, which results in a seamless experience for our customers. Troubleshooting used to be a time-consuming process but now we’re far more productive. I expect our partnership with Riverbed will grow further in the future, as we take them on our journey with us.”
Moueen Zahreddine, Senior Regional Director, EMEA Emerging, at Riverbed said, “At Riverbed, we’re proud to partner with forward-thinking organizations like Arab National Bank, helping them navigate complex transformations with confidence and accuracy. By providing full visibility into their IT environment and empowering their teams with leading observability and AIOps tools, we’ve enabled the bank to deliver seamless digital experiences, even during critical migrations. We look forward to supporting their continued innovation as they set new benchmarks in customer-centric banking.”
IT leaders believe there will be greater momentum towards embracing technologies that enhance business advantages on fronts including process efficiencies, productivity, enhanced security and optimized customer engagement
As technology continues to evolve, businesses are experiencing the impact of transformative trends such as AI, IoT, and cloud computing, alongside the further upgradation of entrenched technologies. These advancements present unique opportunities for businesses to implement innovative solutions, upgrade their infrastructure, and optimize operations. By strategically adopting these technologies, companies can boost growth, improve competitiveness, and ensure their organizations are prepared for the increasingly digital landscape ahead. IT leaders will be exploring several options on their roadmap that suit their organizations best.
Riasat Ali, Group Head of IT, RAK Ports says, “Depending on the industry, IT heads are focusing on modernizing legacy systems through cloud adoption, integrating AI for operational and strategic enhancements, and employing advanced analytics for data-driven decision-making. Cybersecurity remains a priority with investments in zero-trust architecture and proactive threat detection, while automation and sustainability are becoming critical components of IT strategies.”
Investing in solutions that are scalable and provide greater efficiencies at optimized costs continues to drive cloud adoption. AI, IoT, and edge computing are all key drivers of IT investments, and alongside, cybersecurity always remains a priority.
Ali Katkhada, Group CIO, Depa Group says, “In the current year, we are prioritizing the adoption of cloud-native technologies to achieve greater scalability, agility, and cost efficiency in response to the business demands. AI-driven automation is also becoming a significant focus, helping enterprises optimize processes, predict trends, and enhance customer engagement. With the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, building resilient cybersecurity frameworks, such as Zero Trust architectures and AI-driven threat detection systems, is critical. Additionally, data governance and compliance with regional laws, like those in the UAE and KSA, are key to ensuring trust and operational legitimacy. Emerging areas such as edge computing and IoT are gaining traction, especially for real-time decision-making in industries like our construction industry.”
Riasat Ali Group Head of IT, RAK Ports
According to Salahuddin Almohammadi, Group IT Director, HSA Group, along with cybersecurity and multi-cloud investments, the focus on sustainability will also be a priority.
“IT heads will prioritize strengthening cybersecurity to address increasingly sophisticated threats, leveraging AI and automation for operational efficiency, and optimizing multi-cloud environments for scalability and cost-efficiency. Sustainability in IT practices, including energy-efficient data centers, will also gain importance. Additionally, aligning IT strategies with business goals and addressing talent gaps through upskilling will remain critical,” he says.
The promise of Gen AI
When it comes to Generative AI in the enterprise, challenges such as data privacy, integration complexities, and skill gaps can slow adoption. Additionally, it is essential for organizations to prioritize aligning AI initiatives with their specific needs rather than being driven solely by hype. Failing to do so may result in poorly planned deployments, underutilized solutions, or outright failures.
Riasat says, “Generative AI is maturing rapidly, making it suitable for content creation, process automation, and predictive analytics. However, adoption challenges like data privacy, intellectual property risks, and output reliability mean enterprises must proceed carefully to maximize its potential.”Your statement highlights an important aspect of Generative AI adoption in enterprises but could be clarified for better technical and factual accuracy. Here’s a revised version:
Challenges include the need for governance frameworks when it comes to Gen AI, but more organizations will be pursuing the journey to onboard Gen AI in their processes and there would be pilot projects underway.
Salahuddin says, “Generative AI (GenAI) solutions are increasingly ready for enterprise adoption, with rapid advancements making them more reliable and effective. Gartner predicts that by 2026, over 80% of enterprises will deploy GenAI-enabled applications. However, challenges like managing AI hallucinations, ensuring privacy, and establishing governance frameworks must be addressed to maximize their potential.”
The primary incentive for Generative AI deployments lies in its potential to boost productivity and drive significant organizational gains. By unlocking new efficiencies, it enables businesses to achieve transformative growth within their respective domains. Ali says, “In corporate what matters is not the technology per se but rather the potential of enhancing revenues. Gen AI is seen as a tool and vehicle to facilitate that. Gen AI solutions have big potential to add huge value to corporate, offering capabilities in natural language processing, personalized customer experiences, and operational automation. However, we are facing several challenges that need to be addressed before massive adoption comes like regulation concerns and data privacy, as well as integration complexities with existing enterprise systems. Another issue is the requirement for robust governance to manage model biases and inaccuracies. While the potential is vast, enterprises need strategic pilot projects and skilled resources to effectively leverage Gen AI at scale.”
Surge in multi-cloud adoption
There has been surge towards hybrid and multi-cloud adoption with organizations replying on multiple cloud providers to leverage several benefits including flexibility, redundancy, cost optimization, and access to specialized services. This is going to be the definitive trend moving ahead.
Ai says, “Hybrid and multi-cloud adoption is heavily shaping CIO decision-making, with a growing emphasis on interoperability and the seamless integration of applications across platforms. Cost optimization has become a driving factor, pushing organizations to adopt tools that provide real-time visibility into cloud expenditure. The need for vendor diversification is also rising as companies aim to reduce reliance on single providers, while compliance with data sovereignty requirements is pushing CIOs to opt for regional cloud solutions. Additionally, specialized platforms for AI workloads are becoming essential as organizations look to enhance performance and analytics capabilities in their cloud strategies.”
Hybrid and multi-cloud adoption are leading CIOs to prioritize flexibility and scalability in their IT strategies, enabling them to leverage the strengths of multiple cloud environments. This shift allows for better risk management, cost optimization, and enhanced innovation as organizations seek to meet diverse business needs.
Riasat says, “CIOs are increasingly embracing hybrid and multicloud models to ensure vendor independence, optimize costs, and
Ali Katkhada Group CIO, Depa Group
meet data residency requirements. These trends are influencing decisions on workload distribution and security, as well as investments in tools for managing multi-cloud environments effectively.”
According to Salahuddin, “The growing adoption of hybrid and multi-cloud strategies is enabling flexibility and scalability while reducing reliance on single vendors. Trends like AI-driven cloud management and edge computing integration are optimizing performance and cost-efficiency. Additionally, zero trust security models and sustainability initiatives are reshaping CIO decision-making processes to balance innovation with risk mitigation.”
Taking stock of trends
There are several transformative technologies that CIOs and CISOs must take stock of in the year ahead.
Riasat says, “AI and machine learning continue to revolutionize decision-making and operations, while quantum computing promises breakthroughs in problem-solving and security encryption. Edge computing and 5G technologies are enabling faster, smarter infrastructure, and blockchain is ready to enhance data security and integrity.”
Ali mentions AI advancements will play a decisive role and others like Blockchain, Access Management and cybersecurity will be key fronts where there would be significant innovations.
He says, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to remain at the forefront of technological transformation, revolutionizing decision-making, operational efficiency, and customer experiences. Advancements in generative AI, predictive analytics, and autonomous systems will play a pivotal role in reshaping business processes. Blockchain technology (Defi, Digital twins and Metaverse) will also emerge as a game-changer, extending beyond cryptocurrencies to drive secure transaction processing, supply chain traceability, and decentralized identity management. Cybersecurity will see significant advancements, with a focus on Privileged Access Management (PAM) to enhance control over critical assets, identity management services for secure authentication in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, and AI-powered threat intelligence platforms to predict, identify, and mitigate evolving cyber threats.
He adds, “Additionally, quantum computing is expected to revolutionize cryptography and solve complex optimization challenges, while extended reality (XR) will provide immersive solutions for training, collaboration, and customer engagement. Finally, the continued evolution of 5G and beyond will enable ultra-reliable, low-latency communication, essential for IoT and edge computing applications, further solidifying its transformative impact on IT strategies.”
Advancements in AI and machine learning are significantly reshaping IT and security strategies at the enterprise level in several ways, enhancing domains like cybersecurity, operations, decision making etc.
Salahuddin says, “AI and machine learning are enhancing en-
Salahuddin Almohammadi Group IT Director, HSA Group
terprise IT and security strategies through predictive analytics, advanced threat detection, and automated operations. These technologies reduce false positives, improve response times, and help identify patterns that indicate potential breaches. They are also critical for proactive risk mitigation, providing organizations with a competitive edge in securing sensitive data.”
AI and ML tools are empowering organizations to optimize processes, reduce manual workloads, and enhance operational efficiency. Ali mentions among other aspects that ML technologies help in the predictive maintenance of IT infrastructure.
According to Ali, “Advancements in AI and machine learning are driving significant changes in enterprise IT and security strategies. AI-powered tools now enable real-time threat detection and mitigation, identifying anomalies, phishing, and ransomware attacks with greater precision. Machine learning also supports predictive maintenance, enabling organizations to proactively manage IT infrastructure and prevent failures. Behavioral analysis is becoming a key security strategy, using AI to monitor user behavior and detect potential insider threats. Additionally, intelligent automation is streamlining routine IT tasks, such as patch management and incident resolution, allowing teams to focus on strategic priorities.”
Riasat has similar insights to share. He says, “AI and machine learning are transforming enterprise strategies by enabling predictive threat detection, automating routine operations, and enhancing security through behavioural analytics. They are also driving improvements in system reliability with predictive main-
tenance capabilities.”
The ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape requires a multifaceted approach that combines advanced technologies, proactive threat intelligence, and robust incident response plans.
Riasat says, “Zero-trust architecture, robust identity management, and securing hybrid cloud environments are central to cybersecurity strategies. Organizations are also focusing on improving incident response, enhancing employee cyber awareness, and preparing for advanced threats like ransomware.”
According to Salahuddin, “Cybersecurity priorities for IT leaders include adopting zero trust models, enhancing threat detection with AI, and implementing robust incident response plans. Employee training and third-party risk management are critical for creating a secure environment. Regular security audits, data encryption, and compliance with regulations will also remain focal points for building resilient defences.”
The zero-trust approach has revolutionized cybersecurity in recent years and is increasingly deployed by organizations. Further, the advent of remote and work-from-anywhere workforce highlights the need for multi-factor authentication to ensure all possible vulnerabilities are addressed in an era where the volume of the potential attack surface continues to expand for all organizations on the digital transformation journey.
Ali says, “Cybersecurity strategies for IT leaders in scattered environments are centered around building Zero Trust architectures, which verify every user and device regardless of location or context. AI-powered threat intelligence systems are being deployed to automate the detection and response to increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Business continuity planning is another top priority, with organizations emphasizing disaster recovery simulations and resilience testing to prepare for potential disruptions. Securing hybrid work environments is critical, as distributed teams require robust endpoint protection and multi-factor authentication. Furthermore, third-party risk management is gaining attention, with businesses adopting stringent vendor assessment protocols to mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities.”
The era of collaboration in the workplace
As the world embraces a balance with hybrid workstyles, the demand for collaboration technologies and solutions is set to grow steadily. This shift will drive continuous innovation, paving the way for more advanced and seamless tools to support flexible work environments.
Riasat says, “As hybrid work continues to define the modern workplace, the demand for advanced collaboration solutions is on the rise. Organisations are increasingly seeking tools that enable seamless communication and coordination among geographically spread teams. These solutions must go beyond basic video conferencing to include features like AI-driven productivity enhancements, integrated project management, real-time document collaboration, and robust security to ensure data protection. Scalability, user-friendliness, and integration with existing enterprise systems are also critical factors driving the adoption of these platforms, as businesses aim to support flexible and efficient work-
from-anywhere models.”
Collaboration solutions will embed more AI features along the way while cybersecurity concerns are addressed to ensure aspects like data security in hybrid work environments.
Ali adds, “The demand for collaboration solutions is indeed expected to grow as hybrid and remote work models become permanent in the workplace. Organizations are investing in unified platforms that integrate video conferencing, messaging, Metaverses and document sharing to ensure seamless communication among teams. AI-powered features, such as smart scheduling and automated meeting notes, are becoming essential for enhancing productivity and efficiency. Additionally, tools designed to support employee well-being and flexible work arrangements are gaining traction, as companies aim to create a balanced and supportive work environment. Security remains a top concern, with enterprises focusing on protecting data and ensuring compliance in their remote collaboration ecosystems.”
Salahuddin believes that aspects like flexibility along with the possibility of working with advanced tools that ensure productive work means that hybrid models are here to stay. And so the need for collaboration solutions will continue to be robust in the foreseeable period.
He says, “The demand for collaboration solutions enabling hybrid and work-from-anywhere models will continue to rise. Employees increasingly value flexibility, and businesses offering advanced tools like video conferencing, interactive displays, and digital whiteboards are better positioned to retain top talent. These solutions foster seamless communication, inclusivity, and innovation across remote and in-office teams.”
“The demand for collaboration solutions is indeed expected to grow as hybrid and remote work models become permanent in the workplace. Organizations are investing in unified platforms that integrate video conferencing, messaging, Metaverses and document sharing to ensure seamless communication among teams.”
MAPPING THE TRENDS AHEAD
The impact of AI will become more pervasive across industries in the year ahead. Cybersecurity will for instance be a domain where AI will have a key role to play
ARajesh Ganesan President, ManageEngine
s we enter 2025, the adoption and impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continue to expand across industries. From redefining IT metrics to enhancing industrial operations, the pervasive nature of AI is transforming how businesses operate and protect their digital environments. Industry experts share their perspectives on the trends, opportunities, and challenges we can expect in the coming year.
Aligning IT Metrics with Business Outcomes
The need for IT investments to have tangible ROI is increasingly important to
ensure investments are happening in a relevant direction that meets organizational objectives and not Technology for Technology's sake.
Rajesh Ganesan, President at ManageEngine, emphasizes the importance of IT leaders demonstrating the value of their investments. He explains, “While dashboards provide metrics that point to the operational performance of a technology, they don’t always present a clear case for the business benefits derived. That clarity can be gained by aligning IT with not only operational efficiency but also with business velocity and opportunity costs.”
For example, in industries like healthcare, metrics such as user behavior tracking, continuous availability of critical assets, and visibility into vulnerabilities are vital for maintaining operational efficiency. Ganesan advises CIOs to focus on KPIs that directly link IT efforts to business outcomes, ensuring alignment between technology and organizational goals.
AI’s Expanding Role in Digital Maturity and Industrial Operations
AI integration will scale significantly in 2025, according to Ganesan, who adds, “The pursuit of digital maturity is reshaping how businesses are operating, and AI is playing a pivotal role in it. Enterprises will view AI integration from the lens of scaling up its usage and generating ROI.”
Similarly, Jim Chappell, Global Head of AI and Advanced Analytics at AVEVA, highlights AI’s potential to revolutionize operations. “In 2025, as every area of AI continues to evolve, they will be more
closely integrated, and barriers to entry will drop. Autonomous systems reacting in near real-time and sophisticated analytics will deliver end-to-end insights across the industrial value chain, accelerating efficiency and profitability,” he states.
Chappell also predicts the emergence of Generative Design AI (GenDAI), which automates routine design tasks. “Think of it as AI advancing beyond data management to actively designing solutions,” he says, citing the example of AI-optimized factory pipe layouts.
He adds that GenAI will also interface with both humans and other types of AI, allowing capabilities to be provided that were previously never possible.
“Further, autonomous AI systems can now handle dynamic processes, responding to changes and disruptions near-in-
Epicor
Rajesh Ganesan
stantaneously. The technology at work here is reinforcement learning, where AI optimizes even in transient situations such as startups, shutdowns, input level changes and other unexpected disruptions. With more predictable intelligence, industrial operators will benefit from stable, timely production as well as improved collaboration and innovation across the value chain. So, AI will do more of the industrial ‘heavy lifting’.”
Arturo Buzzalino, Group Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Epicor, predicts a significant shift towards autonomous systems. “The integration of AI tools into everyday work will foster symbiotic relationships between humans and machines, boosting productivity and innovation,” he states.
Buzzalino also highlights the emergence of polyfunctional robots in manufacturing, which can perform multiple tasks, enhancing efficiency and ROI. Additionally, he sees established business software like Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP) as a vehicle for AI adoption, opening opportunities to innovate and shape the post-AI era.
Beyond Large Language Models: Quantitative AI
While Large Language Models (LLMs) dominate discussions around AI, Stefan Leichenauer, VP Engineering at SandboxAQ, points out their limitations. “We are approaching the limits of a pure LLM approach. Many problems, particularly in drug discovery, materials design, or climate science, require a different kind of model. This is where Quantitative AI, grounded in numerical data from real-world measurements, becomes essential.”
Industries like agriculture, construction, and manufacturing are expected to adopt AI for agentic problem-solving, optimizing supply chains, and designing sustainable infrastructure. Leichenauer adds, “AI will also see greater integration into software development workflows, moving beyond simple code completion to planning and program architecture.”
He goes on to say, “Security, privacy, and bias are going to be big topics for 2025. As AI permeates more systems and is given more of a critical role, we need to account for new potential weaknesses and failure modes that open up. A pure language-based approach is vulnerable to biases and hallucinations because of the inherent imprecision in language data. Regulations and standards to deal with that problem could lead to LLMs being paired with quantitative models, like LQMs, which are grounded in objective numerical data.”
AI in Cybersecurity: Challenges and Solutions
The evolving cyber threat landscape presents both challenges and opportunities for AI. Santiago Pontiroli, Lead Security Researcher at Acronis Threat Research Unit, warns, “Organizations should brace for more sophisticated da-
ta-theft techniques, such as evolving QR code phishing scams, formjacking, and malicious browser extensions. The exponential growth of IoT devices introduces new vulnerabilities, and AI-powered cyber warfare could increase the speed and scale of attacks.”
On the defensive side, Pontiroli emphasizes adopting AI-powered security solutions and transitioning to quantum-resistant algorithms to counter emerging threats. Similarly,
Ezzeldin Husein, Regional Senior Director of Solution Engineering at SentinelOne, highlights the role of Generative AI in cybersecurity. “GenAI is revolutionizing workflows by enabling natural language-based threat hunting, generating actionable insights, and reducing the time to detect and respond,” he explains.
He adds, “Organizations in the Middle East are increasingly prioritizing AI-powered solutions to meet rising threats and
Maher Jadallah Vice President, MENA, Tenable
Jim Chappell Global Head of AI, AVEVA
Stefan Leichenauer VP Engineering, SandboxAQ
strict regulatory requirements. Gen AI adoption is accelerating, with businesses leveraging its capabilities to simplify investigations, boost analyst productivity, and scale operations cost-effectively. As AI-driven solutions mature, enterprises are embracing these technologies as a critical enabler for proactive, resilient cybersecurity, ensuring long-term protection and compliance.”
Consolidation and Resilience in Cybersecurity Strategies
Husein underscores the importance of consolidating point solutions into a unified security framework. “This strategy reduces complexity and enhances visibility, creating a more streamlined defense against emerging threats,” he says. Cyber resilience is another key priority, involving advanced endpoint protection, XDR capabilities, and continuous compliance management to ensure long-term security.
Pontiroli advocates for a Zero-Trust Architecture, which enforces least-privilege
access, robust identity verification, and environment segmentation. “Businesses must stay vigilant against AI-supported disinformation campaigns and invest in both technology and human expertise to keep pace with evolving threats,” he advises.
The shift towards multi-cloud environments brings new challenges. Husein predicts, “Security will be a key focus, with organizations prioritizing cloud-native security tools that offer real-time threat detection and compliance management. AI-powered security platforms and XDR will play a critical role in monitoring hybrid cloud infrastructures.”
Maher Jadallah, Vice President for the Middle East & North Africa at Tenable, observes an increase in cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure in the UAE. “Threat actors are focusing on vital sectors such as energy and water, threatening national security,” he notes. He also highlights the risks associated with Shadow AI, urging organizations to imple- ment practices that address vulnerabilities while enabling business operations.
Jadallah emphasizes the importance of contextual vulnerability management, which prioritizes the greatest risks and critical vulnerabilities. “This approach will redefine vulnerability management as exposure management, enabling cybersecurity teams to act strategically and mitigate threats effectively,” he explains.
The Road Ahead
Ezzeldin Hussein Regional Senior Director, Solution Engineering META, SentinelOne
The advances in AI, cybersecurity, cloud and other technologies will rapidly redefine how businesses operate and protect their assets. From leveraging Quantitative AI for complex problem-solving to adopting AI-driven security solutions, organizations must prioritize innovation and resilience. On the path forward, companies must harness AI’s potential to drive business outcomes, enhance cybersecurity, and create a sustainable, efficient future.
Santiago Pontiroli Lead Security Researcher, Acronis Threat Research Unit
CRAFTING MEASURABLE OUTCOMES
Sonali Basu Roy, Marketing Manager, Bulwark Technologies shares her insights on how she designs and implements marketing strategies that drive the company’s success. She discusses the key elements that contribute to building effective campaigns, the challenges she faces, and how she adapts her approach to meet evolving market demands
Discuss how you help enhance Bulwark's visibility in the region with partners?
Over the past 13+ years, I’ve had the opportunity to create brand awareness for new technology players and enhance brand equity for organizations as thought leaders in the cybersecurity domain. To achieve these goals, I’ve devised impactful marketing programs using direct channels like events, webinars, tradeshows, and roundtables; indirect channels like website banners, blogs, magazine ads, and interviews; and digital channels such as social media and email marketing. Collaborating with partners like marketing agencies, media houses, and PR agencies, I’ve executed campaigns under tight timelines for maximum impact. A strategic approach to key objectives, optimal resource and budget utilization, and a well-rounded marketing mix enabled me to deliver measurable results for both the organization’s campaigns and its channel community.
How do you help strengthen the partnerships with your vendors?
Bulwark serves the Middle East by delivering innovative solutions in collaboration with over 30 leading security technology vendors, addressing the region’s growing cybersecurity needs with the best available technologies. We have successfully collaborated with top cybersecurity vendors in the region & acted as an extended marketing arm for them. We have successfully introduced niche security technologies that address customer pain points and provide comprehensive, end-to-end solutions to meet their ever-growing and evolving security needs. Throughout the year, we participate in events, digital marketing and lead generation activities of mutual interest to create demand & high visibility for the vendors.
What are some of the key objectives to work towards in your role? How do you align marketing goals with broader company targets, especially in driving revenue growth?
Marketing serves as the first point of contact for any organization—from when a customer identifies their requirements via the website or corporate brochures, to lead generation through events, trade shows, roundtables, call-out days, and more. Thus, creating and executing a robust marketing strategy is a key aspect of my role.
Some of the primary aspects of my role include ensuring strong brand recall and consistent visibility. We focus on developing well-crafted and relevant campaigns tailored to specific target audiences, verticals, and regions. Additionally, we prioritize participation in third-party events, trade shows, and conferences of relevance throughout the year.
Digital marketing is an integral component of all our strategies. We undertake digital campaigns to ensure ongoing branding, visibility, and lead generation. Effective campaign management, evaluation, and lead follow-up are essential for measuring ROI on marketing expenditures and ensuring impactful outcomes.
What are the challenges typically faced in your domain?
Some challenges faced in the marketing domain would be to measure the ROI from each marketing activity undertaken. Sometimes, it may take few months or a year’s timeframe for a MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead) to get closed. Hence, it gets challenging for us to account for the leads generated from a campaign & provide a feedback accordingly to the management & the participating vendors on the ROI behind the investment for each campaign.
As the sole resource in the Marketing department, I manage a wide range of responsibilities, including branding, lead generation, events, digital marketing, social media marketing, PR, media management, and third-party marketing agency coordination, among others. While it can be demanding, it’s incredibly rewarding to approach these challenges with a positive and proactive mindset!
How important do you think is the synergy between sales and marketing teams to drive greater success for the company?
Sales and Marketing work together to create a powerful synergy that drives organizational success. While Marketing focuses on building branding, visibility, and lead generation, Sales converts those leads into business opportunities and drives revenue growth. Marketing acts as a business enabler, laying the groundwork for engagement, while Sales serves as the powerhouse for business development and revenue generation.
Sonali Basu Roy Marketing Manager, Bulwark Technologies
ELEVATING THE FUTURE OF WORK
Cory McElroy, Vice President - Commercial Product Management at HP discusses the company’s focus on delivering solutions that enhance productivity, sustainability, and innovation
Cory McElroy Vice President - Commercial Product Management, HP
Discuss the focus on AI integration in helping redefine the Future of Work
When we talk about the future of work, we aim to solve for the entirety of how people work and the various elements of their environment. This includes not only PCs but also accessories, meeting room experiences, applications, and the full workflow ecosystem. It’s about understanding how users work and innovating in partnership with all the tools they use, whether they’re from HP or third-party ISVs.
Is the PC still central to productivity in offices, especially in an era where mobile devices dominate?
Absolutely. From the feedback we’ve received, the PC has never been more integral to productivity. While mobile devices are essential for accessing data and information, the PC remains the center of productivity. It’s about how the PC, phone, printer, and conference room setups work in unison. This synergy drives employee productivity and reinforces the PC’s critical role. It’s an exciting time for PCs, with innovation in silicon from Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD, and the advancements in Microsoft’s roadmap. These innovations bring new levels of battery life, performance, and collaboration capabilities, making this a vibrant space to be in.
How do your partnerships with Intel, AMD, and Nvidia shape your offerings?
Each company has unique strengths, especially with AI and GPU acceleration. Each partner brings distinct value to the ecosystem. Nvidia, for instance, plays a significant role in data centers, training models, and enabling edge inferencing on PCs with their graphics cards. Intel and AMD are driving advancements in compute capabilities with neural processing units (NPUs), achieving trillions of operations per second (TOPs). This provides an array of compute engines—CPU, GPU, and NPU—that applications can leverage for high performance, extended battery life, or a combination of both. Our workstation portfolio, which caters to creators using Adobe Suite or Autodesk, benefits immensely from
GPU-based AI acceleration. The breadth of HP’s portfolio allows us to cater to varied customer needs through these partnerships.
How has AI influenced your product lines, and can you share highlights of recent innovations?
AI has been a part of our journey for years, influencing multiple product generations. Early on, we integrated on-device machine learning to optimize thermals and skin temperatures based on usage scenarios like “in the bag” or “on a lap.” We’ve since expanded to AI-driven video collaboration tools through our Poly Studio offering. Now, with the introduction of NPUs, we’re accelerating CPU, GPU, and NPU capabilities for on-device AI, bringing more impactful tools to users. Our goal is to keep enhancing value through innovations that improve workflows and productivity.
With more compute happening per system, how does HP address energy efficiency and sustainability?
Energy efficiency is a critical focus, especially as customers become increasingly conscious of their carbon footprint. One benefit of on-device AI is reduced reliance on energy-intensive cloud computing. We’ve developed hardware-based power consumption monitoring—introduced in our G11 notebooks and now expanding across the portfolio—that provides up to 97% accuracy in tracking power use. Our Smart Sense technology, leveraging AI, reduces power consumption by up to 40% compared to previous generations. This optimization enables all-day or even multiday battery life, making it both practical and sustainable.
How do your current PCs compare to their predecessors in terms of power consumption and functionality?
The advancements are remarkable. Features like Smart Sense enable power optimization based on usage, reducing energy consumption by up to 40% generation over generation. Coupled with new silicon technologies and efficient NPUs, our systems offer over 24 hours of video playback and 10 to 12 hours of heavyuse applications like Teams calls. These real-world performance gains highlight how innovation in hardware and software integration benefits users.
What features do your base models offer, and how do they cater to commercial needs?
Even our base models, like the ProBook 4 series and EliteBook 6 series, offer premium features. These include metal chassis construction, 16:10 displays, and all the necessary I/O options. They’re designed to provide a modern, reliable experience at an affordable price. As you move up the lineup to our 8 series or ultra-premium models, you get enhanced capabilities tailored for high-performance needs.
Is everything in your PC lineup now AI-enabled?
We categorize our PCs as AI-enabled if they have an NPU. These include Intel’s Meteor Lake and AMD’s Hawk Point or Phoenix architectures. Beyond that, we offer “next-gen AI” models with NPUs delivering over 40 TOPs, 16GB of memory, and CoPilot Plus capabilities. This stratified approach ensures that we cater
to varying customer needs, from foundational AI support to ad
vanced AI-driven workflows.
How is this wave of AI-enabled PCs driving market adoption?
Market adoption is driven by a combination of AI readiness and transitions like the shift from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Progressive customers want to lead in AI adoption, while others are laying the groundwork by refreshing their infrastructure. We encourage customers to embrace this journey now, as the pace of technology change is accelerating. Starting early ensures they stay competitive and future-ready.
What is the average lifecycle for commercial PCs, and is it evolving with AI advancements?
Globally, the average lifecycle is about three and a half to four years. While this supports a modern experience, some customers are accelerating their refresh cycles to keep pace with the innovation curve. AI and other advancements are prompting a re-evaluation of traditional cycles, especially for organizations seeking to lead in technology adoption.
Any final thoughts on the future of work and HP’s role?
The future of work is an ever-evolving landscape, and HP is committed to delivering solutions that enhance productivity, sustainability, and innovation. By integrating AI deeply into our products and fostering robust partnerships, we’re well-positioned to navigate this transformation and empower our customers to thrive in a connected world.
-
“Market adoption is driven by a combination of AI readiness and transitions like the shift from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Progressive customers want to lead in AI adoption, while others are laying the groundwork by refreshing their infrastructure.”
RAISING THE BAR
Andrew Elvish, Vice President of Marketing, discusses at length how the vendor has brought in innovations that are unmatched in the physical security industry
What is the key focus for Genetec in addressing the evolving threat landscape in 2025?
The threat landscape in 2025 is really defined by risks emerging from inconsistent or uncoordinated security postures among governments, organizations, and private companies. At Genetec, we place a huge emphasis on addressing this by delivering a unified platform that improves operator efficiency and brings greater coordination to the Security Operations Center (SOC). One of the tools we’re particularly excited about is our new workforce management tool, Genetec Operations Center, which enhances coordination and operational effectiveness in security management. For years, security professionals have struggled to adapt work management tools meant for IT teams or enterprise productivity solutions to their unique needs. This tool is specifically designed for security professionals to manage, measure, and report on their work. It’s a powerful Kanban-based tool that we believe will revolutionize how security teams operate.
We’re also introducing forensic search capabilities that leverage large language models and artificial intelligence to streamline security investigations. This innovation enables seamless searching and surfacing of metadata from leading camera brands like Axis, Bosch, Hanwha, and Ipro, along with access control integrations like Mercury and HID. These features enhance both efficiency and precision in security operations.
Security Center SaaS is our cloud-based security platform. This solution is particularly appealing in the Middle East because it’s not an all-or-nothing offering. Customers can choose how much of their operations are in the cloud versus on-premises. This flexibility allows organizations to tailor their security infrastructure to meet their unique requirements.
Genetec has a unique approach to cloud-based solutions. Can you elaborate on this?
Genetec takes a nuanced approach to cloud-based solutions. Unlike others in the industry who mandate fully cloud-based systems, we emphasize hybrid deployments. Not everyone wants their operations entirely in the cloud, and our software is designed to accommodate as much or as little cloud integration as our customers need.
The true benefit lies in our continuous innovation. Much like your smartphone, our solutions deliver regular updates, security patches, and new features. This ensures that businesses and governments can maintain control over their data while benefiting from cutting-edge technology delivered on a near-daily basis. Whether on-premises or in the cloud, our customers can make informed decisions about managing their data securely and efficiently.
Andrew Elvish Vice President of Marketin, Genetec
What sets Genetec’s Unified Security Solutions apart from the competition?
Genetec’s Unified Security Solutions approach is unmatched in the industry. Our platform integrates video surveillance, access control, license plate recognition, intrusion detection, and more into a single pane of glass. While many have attempted this level of unification, the complexity often yields limited results.
We’ve invested over a decade in refining this approach, making it easier for security professionals to seamlessly transition between tasks—from reporting on access control to analyzing video surveillance or tracking campus movement. This ease of use allows operators to manage their sites effectively and with confidence.
How do Genetec’s channel partners contribute to the success of your solutions?
Our channel partners are integral to our success. Unlike competitors with thousands of channel partners, we work with a select few who possess the expertise to navigate the complexities of security deployments. They consult with end users to ensure the solutions meet the desired outcomes for businesses, governments, and organizations.
Our software’s intuitive design further supports this by enabling natural and efficient interactions, putting operators in control. This combination of skilled channel partners and user-friendly software guarantees the best results for our customers.
Discuss Genetec’s focus on leveraging AI in its solutions?
At Genetec, we often joke that AI stands for "absolute ignorance," but in truth, our approach is very intentional. We see AI as a tool that serves security professionals, not the other way around. By leveraging machine learning, computer vision, and large language models, we enable intelligent automation that enhances decision-making.
For example, AI helps process large datasets to uncover actionable insights, improving searches, license plate recognition accuracy, and overall situational awareness. Our focus is on providing intelligent automation tools that empower security teams to make informed decisions and improve their operational efficiency.
Which industries are driving demand for Genetec’s solutions in this region?
Transportation infrastructure, such as airports and citywide traffic systems, is a major driver in this region. We’re also seeing substantial demand in citywide surveillance projects, where governments and municipalities collaborate with private businesses and citizens to share data streams.
Additionally, critical infrastructure projects, including data centers, are becoming increasingly significant. Data centers demand robust security measures, from perimeter protection to biometrics and radar systems, and they rely on our extensive network of integrations to meet their needs. Finally, sectors like retail banking, healthcare, and education continue to be strong verticals globally, though their prominence varies by region.
How is Genetec addressing the convergence of physical security and cybersecurity?
The convergence of physical and cybersecurity is a major trend in the industry. Traditionally, physical security professionals and IT professionals worked in separate silos, but now they’re becoming increasingly integrated. Security management and risk management are now part of broader IT discussions.
For example, some camera manufacturers have been banned in multiple countries due to cybersecurity risks. Customers now demand transparency and robust cybersecurity measures. Questions like "How secure is this camera?" or "What certifications does it have?" are more common than ever. Certifications such as CIRA, SOC 2 Type II, and ISO 27001 are now crucial.
Regulations like GDPR in Europe and specific government mandates in critical infrastructure sectors are pushing companies to
step up. At Genetec, we work closely with partners like Axis, Bosch, and Panasonic to ensure compliance and maintain the highest security standards.
Do you evaluate risks involved with customer deployments, such as device vulnerabilities?
Yes, risk evaluation is a key part of our approach. Partners often conduct cybersecurity audits for end-user sites. One surprising finding is the prevalence of outdated firmware on cameras, which is a significant vulnerability regardless of the manufacturer.
To address this, our system includes features like a security score dashboard. This tool assesses a customer’s site and flags issues like outdated firmware, weak passwords, or missing patches. By automating these insights, we empower customers to maintain a high level of security on an ongoing basis.
What are the latest advancements in your video management systems (VMS)?
The biggest advancements in VMS right now are in forensic search capabilities. Over the past five years, our camera partners have significantly enhanced the metadata streams their cameras produce. This includes improving edge processing capabilities. We’ve streamlined the search process by introducing a unified search interface. Instead of manually searching through individual camera feeds, users can now use a single search box to access data from all connected cameras. This innovation simplifies investigations and delivers more precise results.
Additionally, our VMS integrates data from multiple sources, such as access control and license plate recognition systems. This unified platform enables comprehensive analysis and a deeper understanding of security events.
“The convergence of physical and cybersecurity is a major trend in the industry. Traditionally, physical security professionals and IT professionals worked in separate silos, but now they’re becoming increasingly integrated. Security management and risk management are now part of broader IT discussions.”
THE AI BUBBLE BURST AND OTHER TRENDS THAT WILL SHAPE BUSINESS STRATEGIES
Omar Akar, Regional VP, META & CEE at Pure Storage writes that from the recalibration of AI ambitions to the balancing act between sustainability and data demands, business leaders must navigate a complex interplay of innovation and pragmatism
Right through the pandemic, supply chain disruptions and regional geo-political conflicts, IT has been the one segment that has been growing at an unshakable pace. Indeed, for 2025, Gartner projects that IT spending in MENA will once again rise by an appreciable 7.4%. And while the US$230.7 billion set to be invested in IT projects through next year underscores IT’s significance as a fundamental enabler of business, there are signs that reality is beginning to set in.
As business leaders mould their organisations’ strategies for the year ahead, they will be well served to take stock of ongoing shifts in market dynamics. Though these may appear gradual, the sudden and dramatic rise of AI stands testament to how rapidly such movements can gain momentum and upend businesses. So, for the savvy business leader, here are three key trends to consider when charting your organisations’ course for 2025.
2025 will see stricter selection on AI projects as bubble starts to burst Organisations are going to be more selective on AI projects next year. While PwC’s Strategy&, sees the Middle East’s generative AI race as a US$23.5 billion “opportunity”, I anticipate companies will pull back spending before fatigue sets in.
I expect the market will realign. The existing growth could become unsustainable because projects aren’t delivering ROI and realism will set in. Many organisations aren’t going to be able to convince business leaders that they need to invest in new technology when existing AI or GenAI projects haven’t delivered the promised benefits. While FOMO is still a huge driver for investment, we expect this will be tempered in 2025.
Non-customised AI solutions will fall out of favour in 2025. RAG will become a non-negotiable inclusion for Middle East enterpris-
Omar Akari Regional VP, META & CEE Pure Storage
es, and it will take over as the adopted method of implementing AI. As business leaders demand ROI from the speculative investments they’ve already made in AI, RAG will be crucial for success. This is because it provides a standard approach to customisation, improving results and reducing the possibility of hallucinations, rather than building, training and fine-tuning individual models from scratch.
Sustainability goals will be put at risk by AI and incoming wave of data centres
As the demand for AI and associated data storage continues to grow, sustainability is once again going to be in the spotlight. As AI drove greater use of computing resources across the region, which had a negative impact on energy reduction goals, sustainability was sidelined. But following Egypt’s and UAE’s hosting of COP summits, it is rising up the corporate agenda. How organisations view and implement sustainable practices is once again going to be on upper management’s radar. I foresee the following issues:
• More organisations will discuss their energy transition — how they are going to power the increased demand for data centres.
• As a method to highlight the impact of sustainability, Impact Accounting will become widely adopted at a senior level. As it focuses attention on environmental issues and associated costs, it will become the de facto means of calling out the benefits of sustainability initiatives in a language the C-Suite and board will understand.
• There will be a drive to build more data centres across many countries, as Middle East regulators continue to insist on data residency. However, how to power these and maintain both sustainability goals and ensure there’s enough power for powering homes and businesses will stay firmly in the spotlight.
Have we reached peak cloud?
There is a growing realism about the adoption of cloud. With increased expectations from regulation, more knowledge about the downsides, and geographical restrictions, 2025 could be the year we reach peak cloud.
On the regulation side, the Middle East could see DORA-like frameworks coming into force in 2025 and beyond, which will bring cloud service providers’ actions into focus. They will need to evidence the steps they take for compliance, for example, testing and resilience plans which are shared with regulators. Cloud Service Providers and Hyperscalers will be held accountable in a way they haven’t been before, and non-compliance will force remediation efforts across FSI industries. I expect some will be made an example of, to ensure tighter adherence to these new regulations.
Another element driving change is the ongoing disruption brought on by the Broadcom acquisition of VMware. In 2025 we will see if customers will accept their fate or adopt alternatives. Many organisations are still discovering what does and doesn’t work in terms of the other options out there and next year we’ll see if the alternatives can meet enterprise needs fully, or if organisational anger will subside and they stick with what they know.
Pragmatic Pioneering
As 2025 gets underway, the IT landscape will continue to be dynamic and transformative. Yet, it is clear that the era of unchecked growth and speculative investments is giving way to one of strategic discernment. From the recalibration of AI ambitions to the balancing act between sustainability and data demands, business leaders must navigate a complex interplay of innovation and pragmatism. Success in this evolving environment will depend on adaptability, foresight, and a clear focus on delivering tangible value.
“As AI drove greater use of computing resources across the region, which had a negative impact on energy reduction goals, sustainability was sidelined. But following Egypt’s and UAE’s hosting of COP summits, it is rising up the corporate agenda.”
FROM GOVERNANCE TO COLLABORATION: THE AI TRENDS DEFINING 2025
Cathy Mauzaize, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at ServiceNow says that as AI transitions from hype to its own ‘iPhone moment’ in mainstream business, the lessons from that not-so-distant era serve as a cautionary tale.
It’s been fascinating to see the shift of how business leaders across the C-Suite grapple with the impact of Generative AI over the last two years. All agree that this is a game-changer. However, the approaches and pace have been different, depending on who you speak to — department, industry, or even country. When I think about the conversations I’ve had with leaders across Europe, Middle East and Africa, a few trends are starting to emerge, which I see impacting the next year in AI. If 2023 was about learning and 2024 was about rapid experimentation, then 2025 is certainly the year of value realisation. Here are three trends that I believe will impact how businesses can realise the value of Generative AI in the coming year.
AI is the data, and data makes the AI
As more companies experiment with generative AI, many find their projects fail due to unclean or inaccurate data. This is the constant challenge: without good quality data, AI projects cannot succeed. Proof of concepts often fall short because they aren't based on real data and lack the time needed for proper training of the AI. The best planned AI initiatives are shifting from proofof-concept to proof-of-value, focusing on solving real problems — and these are set to become more than just buzzwords in 2025. Instead of merely demonstrating feasibility, projects should start with a concrete challenge and use real data to address it.
Another key to AI success, that we will see become more prevalent, is transparency around how data is being used and the value it provides to its owners. However, success isn’t just about having data, it’s about having clean and complete data — that is governed in a secure and compliant fashion. AI search technology can assist by seamlessly integrating data from various sources of
Cathy Mauzaize President, EMEA, ServiceNow
both structured and unstructured data, such as Workday, Qualtrics or even Microsoft Excel, and connecting it quickly for more effective AI outcomes. To truly get value from AI, organisations need to bring together three things: the availability of clean, complete data; transparency around how that data is governed and used; and the right philosophy to get value from the work.
Security, risk and governance break into the CEO agenda
There was a time during the rise of BYOD and rapid digital transformation when IT teams were primarily concerned with the impact of ‘shadow IT’ — an unregulated growth in the use of apps and devices outside traditional business controls. This led to fragmented systems, compliance risks, and inefficiencies that required large investments of time and resource to address. As AI transitions from hype to its own ‘iPhone moment’ in mainstream business, the lessons from that not-so-distant era serve as a cautionary tale.
The deployment of AI introduces both operational risks and broader strategic, reputational, and ethical concerns. Missteps in AI governance — such as algorithmic bias, misuse of data, or poorly defined accountability — can lead to significant regulatory penalties and erode trust with customers, partners, and employees. Amazon’s experiment in AI recruiting which revealed gender bias in the tool’s selection process is just one early example. The complexity and scale of these risks mean they are no longer confined to the CIO’s domain but require direct attention from the CEO and the broader C-suite.
This shift is not just about managing risks. C-suite engagement can ensure AI delivers its promised value. Effective governance can provide a competitive edge by ensuring responsible innovation, safeguarding brand reputation, and enabling transparency. CEOs must lead the charge in embedding AI ethics and governance into their organisation’s culture, setting the tone for accountability and aligning AI initiatives and use cases with broader business strategy.
In this phase of accelerated AI adoption, the CEO’s involvement in governance is not optional — it’s a business imperative. The companies that recognise this will not only mitigate risks but also position themselves to unlock AI’s full potential responsibly.
Embracing human-AI collaboration
We are on the verge of a major cultural shift in how AI will impact the way we work. Widespread adoption of this technology doesn’t mean that every single person will have to code or know the language of AI to keep pace. Instead, we’ll see a shift to people developing the skills to be AI capable and embrace AI augmentation effectively. Rather than technical STEM expertise
— although those skills remain important — the focus will be on finding the right approach to human and AI collaboration. Ensuring a balance of both intelligences to enable people and technology to seamlessly work in sync.
This means that the workforce will need to learn how to work alongside a series of intelligent assistants in the months and years to come, becoming familiar with how to use tools like Copilot to drive speed, efficiency and quality. Although this is not an AI skill as we know it today, leveraging AI to augment your daily life whilst layering your unique expertise on top — will set candidates and employees apart from the pack. That’s where the future of work is headed, and we will see this start to play out more generally in the world of work in 2025.
The leaders of tomorrow will seek an understanding of AI augmentation, alongside essential soft skills such as leadership, organisational skills, and creative thinking, from their talent. This isn’t in one industry or department. I can see every role evolving through this lens, with AI serving as a powerful assistant, rather than a competitor. It’s time to recognise this shift too — AI is here to support and enable workers, not threaten or limit their roles. The analytical thinking from the left-brain will work in tandem with AI augmentation, and that powerful combination will define the future of work.
“Widespread adoption of this technology doesn’t mean that every single person will have to code or know the language of AI to keep pace. Instead, we’ll see a shift to people developing the skills to be AI capable and embrace AI augmentation effectively”
CONTROL ALTER COMPETE
Sascha Giese, Global Tech Evangelist, Observability, SolarWinds writes about digital transformation tactics that will give GCC enterprises an edge in 2025
Sascha Giese
Global Tech Evangelist, Observability, SolarWinds
The dawn of 2025 brings a chance for the GCC to recalibrate its approach to transformative technologies, moving beyond the frenzy of hype to focus on meaningful progress. With AI and IT strategies maturing, regional enterprises have the opportunity to strike a balance between innovation and governance, addressing challenges like regulatory compliance and operational complexity. This year could mark the beginning of a more deliberate and impactful digital evolution, as businesses harness technology to shape a future that’s both efficient and sustainable. Here, we explore the key trends and tactics that digital leaders will use to gain an IT advantage.
1. Tempering of AI Ambitions
Before generative AI turned our heads, the GCC was already home to the world’s first AI ministry (in the United Arab Emirates) and was serving as a testing ground for thousands of use cases. From Saudi Arabia’s Mozn to Dubai’s SleekFlow, AI startups continue to put the Arab Gulf squarely in the global spotlight.
In 2025, however, we are going to see a slightly less frantic scramble to adopt AI. Generative AI created a storm that was equal parts inspiration and panic. Now, decision-makers across the region have come to realize that GenAI comes with a list of legal and operational challenges. A global study by SolarWinds in 2024 showed nearly half (47%) of IT professionals had had negative experiences, especially around privacy and security. The GCC is awash with regulatory frameworks restricting storage and use of data. Cross-disciplinary collaboration will be required if companies are to develop the right governance to remain compliant and retain the trust of customers.
If businesses can walk this line, AI could be a major boon to multiple functions, including our overwhelmed IT helpdesks. It can bring advanced automation and support troubleshooters with
root-cause analysis. It can monitor more effectively and report more quickly. It can predict and advise on a range of support issues, such as storage capacity and security. Provided we take the time to understand AI, we can build a future where it supports rather than supplants employees.
2. Grounded Expectations of Cloud Computing
In 2020, the GCC looked to the cloud as the only way to remain operational during COVID lockdowns. Five years on – having taken stock of their capabilities and analyzed their ability to pivot in reaction to another crisis – business heads are settling on a compromise where at least some of their infrastructure is returned to premises. Hybrid IT and multi-cloud will dominate 2025 IT strategy. Taking back control will call for the procurement of observability solutions that cater to such environments. These solutions must be strong in full-stack monitoring that includes cloud infrastructure. And they must offer AI/ML integration that allows remediation of issues before they occur.
No longer blinded by the complexity of IT sprawl, helpdesks will be paragons of efficiency. And as generative AI takes its place in ITSM, smaller organizations will also be able to bring their IT home because GenAI will allow them to perform enterprise-grade ITSM functions without the need to consult (or pay) a team of outside specialists. Consequently, hours of humdrum manual labor will migrate into the hands of advanced digital platforms that can complete tasks more quickly. Innovative human resources will be redirected towards strategic and creative work. In the world of GenAI, words like “understaffed” and “overstretched” no longer apply to human ITSM teams.
3. ITSM joins the A-list
As a result of the reexamination of AI strategy and of the desire to repatriate large chunks of the IT stack, ITSM platforms will become indispensable to regional enterprises. They will be the backbones of IT service desks across the GCC in 2025. GenAI’s ability to slicken workflows and act as an ever-vigilant consultant will be integrated into modern ITSM platforms. Productivity will soar as IT professionals focus on more complex issues, resulting in boosts to efficiency and service quality. AI is ideally placed for incident triage, taking a fraction of the time humans require to assess, categorize, and prioritize. This rapid and accurate resolution of issues will come out in enhanced first-contact resolution rates, MTTR metrics, and CSAT scores.
In the midst of this new efficiency lies a shift to observability and a departure from in-house development of monitoring platforms. Between the rise of GenAI and the practicality and availability of open-source, it has become harder to justify the time and resources necessary to go it alone. Another driving force of the adoption of open-source tools is the regional IT skills gap. Plugging holes in its capabilities, an organization will be only too eager to go with a cost-effective, ready-made tool.
4. Soft Skills Will Take Precedence
With so much change surrounding them, and teams under pressure to make it all work, senior executives will be pushing for exceptional IT leaders to be installed. Change brings doubt, anxiety, and stress. The hard skills of a data scientist or IT troubleshooter will do little to reassure people that everything is heading in the right direction. Cultural change is in the air; soft skills like empathy, conflict arbitration, active listening, and collaboration will be the difference between an organization becoming a torn shell of its former self or a more resilient form of what it was before.
If corporate values are to remain intact and employees are to stay motivated, leaders must be inspirational. They must be able to instill a sense of confidence and togetherness while maintaining the understanding that accountability is critical. With the right culture, new technologies will add value rather than sow discord. Nowhere is this more important right now than in AI adoption, which requires the skills from several teams to ensure governance and innovation can go hand in hand and that solutions address ethical issues and multiple areas of compliance.
Control, alter, compete
Now that the power to shape their digital future is back in the hands of regional organizations, the benefits to employees, customers and balance sheets will become apparent. There are less mysteries on a journey when one travels in a reliable vehicle. IT is changing forever, so pick the right mode of transport and reap the rewards.
“As a result of the reexamination of AI strategy and of the desire to repatriate large chunks of the IT stack, ITSM platforms will become indispensable to regional enterprises. They will be the backbones of IT service desks across the GCC in 2025.”
AI AS THE NEXT FRONTIER
Alexandre Boutin, Director – AI, Mindware discusses opportunities for channel partners to lead the way
AI empowers channel partners to deliver transformative new solutions that drive efficiency, security, and growth for their customers. It does presents significant opportunities for channel partners by enabling new solutions, services and business models. Some of the areas include developing AI-powered solutions tailored to specific industries and offering automation tools to optimize business processes and IT infrastructure; advanced data analytics capabilities that transform raw data into actionable insights. Partners can also provide scalable AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) tools via subscription models; and enhanced cybersecurity, real-time threat detection, and improved customer experiences through AI-driven personalization. These capabilities are increasingly vital for modern businesses. AI solutions integrated with edge computing and IoT support real-time decision-making.
A comprehensive, strategic approach to AI integration is key for channel partners looking to capitalize on the transformative potential of this technology within their service portfolios.
To successfully integrate AI into their service offerings, channel partners should take a strategic approach that aligns AI initiatives with their overarching business models, customer needs, and existing technology ecosystem. This begins with carefully assessing their current service portfolio to identify high-impact areas where AI can deliver the most value. Partners should then leverage third-party AI platforms and form strategic partnerships with specialized AI vendors to augment their own capabilities.
Again, upskilling resellers’ teams with targeted AI training and certifications is a crucial enabler, allowing them to effectively deploy and manage AI-powered services. Enhancing managed services through AI-driven automation and monitoring, can drive significant efficiencies. Developing new AI-based consulting services, as well as embedding AI functionality into existing products, are also essential strategies for partners to consider. Grounding the foundations and upselling.
Underpinning these efforts, a focus on effective data utilization and robust data privacy measures is critical. This allows partners to offer AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) subscription models, enhance customer support through AI-driven automation, and provide ongoing AI monitoring and optimization services tailored to client needs.
Alexandre Boutin Director – AI, Mindware
AI offers an infinite number of selling and upselling opportunities. Resellers with the right strategic long-term approach will clearly develop. They only need to set a correct business planning with key milestones, priorities and build-up their skills accordingly. Mindware is here to support and help to convert those opportunities into sales.
To effectively educate clients on the benefits and ROI of AI solutions, channel partners should leverage a diverse range of strategies. This includes conducting industry-specific workshops and webinars that feature live demonstrations and real-world case studies showcasing AI success stories. Detailing the tangible ROI metrics from these examples helps clients visualize the quantifiable gains. Offering Proof of Concept (PoC) trials is also valuable, allowing them to directly experience the short-term benefits.
Developing comprehensive educational content like whitepapers, guides, and videos is crucial to build awareness and understanding. Providing personalized ROI calculations and using data-driven insights to benchmark AI's impact further helps clients grasp the potential benefits. Conversations should focus on articulating the business outcomes rather than technical complexities, supported by consultative AI strategy workshops and collaborative road mapping sessions.
Sharing third-party research and amplifying customer advocacy through testimonials and case study presentations can also effectively validate AI's transformative value. This multi-faceted approach empowers channel partners to comprehensively educate clients and demonstrate the compelling ROI of AI-powered solutions.
To differentiate themselves in the crowded AI market, channel partners take a step back, think about their strategic approaches and their organization fit to fit the purposes. A key tactic, based on their respective market reach, is offering industry-specific AI solutions tailored to the unique needs of verticals like healthcare, finance services, retail and manufacturing. Providing flexible AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS) models through scalable, subscription-based offerings can also help partners stand out.
Delivering end-to-end AI solutions in another edge - spanning consulting, implementation, and ongoing support - emphasizes the partners' comprehensive service capabilities. Importantly, these offerings should prioritize driving measurable business outcomes and ROI for clients. What is behind AI and the corresponding investment? What is the value and how much do I get in return for every dollar spent? What are the financing options?
Establishing specialized AI consulting practices to guide clients on strategy and change management, as well as offering AI training and education services, strengthens the partners' positioning as trusted advisors.
Additionally, developing proprietary AI tools and seamlessly integrating AI into managed services for predictive monitoring further enhances the partners' differentiation.
Strategic partnerships with leading AI vendors, allows channel
partners to create unique AI ecosystems that are difficult for competitors to replicate.
The AI landscape is rapidly evolving, presenting channel partners with a wealth of opportunities to leverage cutting-edge technologies and capabilities. A particularly notable trend is the growth of generative AI, exemplified by large language models (LLMs) that can be customized for diverse industry-specific applications. This empowers partners to deliver highly tailored, AI-powered solutions.
Equally significant is the rise of AI-powered hyper automation and intelligent automation platforms, which streamline business processes and boost operational efficiencies. Decentralized AI processing at the edge (Edge AI) also enables real-time applications that address latency-sensitive use cases. Ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations and offering robust AI governance frameworks are crucial considerations.
AI-driven threat detection and proactive security services are becoming essential for enhancing cybersecurity. Partners can also leverage AI to elevate customer experiences through personalization, chatbots, and other conversational interfaces. Predictive analytics powered by AI provide invaluable business insights, while AI solutions increasingly support sustainability and ESG initiatives.
In the healthcare sector, AI is transforming precision medicine, telemedicine, and diagnostic capabilities. The democratization of AI through low-code/no-code platforms empower non-technical users to harness these powerful technologies, opening up new opportunities for channel partners.
Forging strategic alliances with leading AI vendors is a critical pathway for channel partners to enhance their service portfolios and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving technology landscape. The first step is to carefully identify AI vendors whose technologies, capabilities, and roadmaps closely align with the partners' existing service offerings and target customer/industry needs.
Once suitable vendor partners are selected, the focus should shift to developing clear, mutually beneficial value propositions. This involves outlining the unique synergies, joint go-to-market strategies, and measurable business outcomes that the alliance can deliver to end customers. Leveraging co-marketing and co-selling initiatives, as well as participating in vendor certification programs to build expertise and access valuable resources, are effective ways to operationalize these alliances.
Channel partners must ensure seamless technical integration of the vendor's AI solutions into their own service stacks. Establishing joint customer success programs with shared performance metrics, and exploring upsell/cross-sell opportunities to expand the solution portfolio, further strengthens the alliance. Channel partners should collaborate closely with AI vendors on the co-creation and customization of industry-specific solutions. This allows them to deliver highly differentiated, vertically-focused offerings that address unique customer pain points.
THE UNSTOPPABLE RISE OF AI: A LOOMING THREAT TO DATA CENTRE SUSTAINABILITY?
Sammy Zoghlami, SVP EMEA at Nutanix write about the need to focus on reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions is now a must, to meet pressing needs
As pressure on data centres mounts due to energy consumption and a spotlight on how they impact net zero ambitions, organisations have to face up to reality. Despite incredible efforts to ‘green’ data centres in recent years, their ability to balance the demands of technology change with environmental concerns continues to be questioned.
In EMEA alone, data centres demand over 98 TWh of energy annually, equivalent to the consumption of an entire country like Belgium. And we are only at the start of an AI revolution. As IDC predicts, perhaps unsurprisingly, demand for AI is going to go through the roof over the next five years, so how data centres react and manage this demand is going to define the industry’s future role. Will it become an industry in constant flux, always trying to catch-up with data demands and compromising on sustainability concerns?
This is a trade-off. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, the infrastructure supporting it is under immense pressure. The question now is whether data centres can handle this surge sustainably? Most data centres are not built to cope with the high compute demands that AI workloads bring. The increased reliance on GPUs, necessary for processing AI tasks, leads to energy spikes and intensifies the cooling requirements, putting strain on existing
Sammy Zoghlami SVP EMEA, Nutanix
resources. If left unaddressed, the gap between AI’s demands and data centre capabilities will widen, pushing the industry towards a breaking point.
Energy efficiency vs performance
One of the biggest challenges facing the data centre industry is the perceived trade-off between energy efficiency and performance. With AI, businesses often assume that to get the best performance, energy use must increase exponentially. But this doesn’t have to be the case. Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI) and next-gen cooling systems present viable solutions that offer both high performance and energy savings. By consolidating compute, storage, and networking, HCI reduces hardware needs and lowers energy consumption, making it a key enabler of sustainable AI operations.
As an Atlantic Ventures report Improving Sustainability in Data Centers 2024 reveals, in just seven years, modernising data centres with HCI could save up to 19 million tCO2e in the EMEA region, equivalent to the emissions of almost 4.1 million cars. It could also save €25 billion by 2030 from improved energy and operational efficiencies.
The point is that the technology already exists to address many of the challenges currently facing the data centre industry and as IT budgets are under pressure and electricity prices are soaring, energy efficient data centres and cloud operations are key levers for profitability and sustainability. And as the report confirms, hyperconverged infrastructure is at the forefront of transforming data centres into more energy-efficient and climate-friendly operations.
Regulatory pressure - No longer optional
As well as cost and contribution to net zero, there are also regulations to consider. The regulatory landscape is evolving rapidly, and data centres are under the microscope, especially as they now account for around 2% of the world’s energy consumption.
Sustainability initiatives like the European Union’s Green Deal and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) are forcing companies to take action. Failing to meet energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets could lead to fines, reputational damage, and loss of business. The decision to reject Google’s Dublin data centre expansion is just the beginning. As governments crack down on high energy consumption and carbon emissions, organisations will need to proactively adopt green technologies or face harsh consequences.
While organisations are integrating AI into their operations, they must also align these advancements with their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategies. The growing focus
on ESG reporting means businesses need to demonstrate how their AI operations meet sustainability standards. This requires not only managing energy consumption but also using renewable energy sources and more sustainable infrastructure.
Forward-thinking companies are already exploring hybrid cloud models, where AI workloads are dynamically shifted to greener regions or times of the day when renewable energy is most abundant. But for many, making these adjustments is a daunting task, especially as AI demand continues to skyrocket. So, the future of data centres will depend on their ability to adapt.
The Atlantic Ventures report also found that switching from traditional 3-Tier architectures to HCI, can reduce energy consumption by more than 27% annually, helping companies cut both operational costs and emissions. Modernising data centres is now crucial, to cut the risks of facing a “doomsday scenario” where AI demand far outstrips available resources, leading to higher costs, more frequent service outages, and greater environmental degradation.
The solution lies in bold investments in energy-efficient technologies, smarter infrastructure, and renewable energy sources. As AI becomes more entrenched in our daily lives, the industry’s ability to balance its demands with sustainability will define its futureand the future of the planet.
“While organisations are integrating AI into their operations, they must also align these advancements with their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategies.
The growing focus on ESG reporting means businesses need to demonstrate how their AI operations meet sustainability standards.”
LOGITECH EXTEND
Logitech has taken big steps to solve the interoperability problem and make it easy for people to collaborate across different operating systems, platforms, and devices. In partnership with Microsoft and Zoom, Logitech released Direct Guest Join on both Windows and Android. And for those who prefer to bring their own laptop, Logitech built Swytch, a BYOD solution ideal for PC-based room solutions.
The latest launch from Logitech is Logitech Extend, a simple, single-cable BYOD solution built for Android- and BYOD-based room solutions. Extend allows people to simply walk into an Android- or BYOD-based meeting room and launch a meeting from their laptop or mobile device with a USB-C cable.
Now you have the choice of Logitech Extend, Swytch, or Direct Guest Join to fit any scenario.
Highlights:
• With Extend, use the USB-C cable to quickly plug in a laptop or mobile device and share content or run video meetings from that device, without the need to install additional drivers or software. This means employees and visitors can bring their own laptops to connect to the in-room video conferencing system and display without worrying about platform compatibility, adapters or the need to install anything.
• Deploy this two-box solution using category cabling to deliver BYOD connectivity up to 100m with the Rally Bar Family and other Logitech conference cameras. In rooms deployed for Microsoft Teams Rooms on Android or Zoom Rooms Appliances, this allows the host to temporarily bypass the designated video provider.
• In BYOD rooms without a designated provider, simply connect to conduct meetings using the conference camera and display in the room. Microsoft Teams desktop users can use Logitech Extend with shared display mode to run better meetings and collaboration sessions from their laptops.
• Optionally, you can add a standard USB-C power supply to the table-side hub to charge user’s laptops or mobile devices up to 100W of power delivery through the USB-C cable.
• IT teams can view connectivity status and deploy updates to Logitech Extend via Logitech Sync remote management software.
CISCO UCS C885A M8
Built on the NVIDIA HGX platform, the Cisco Unified Computing System (Cisco UCS) C885A M8 rack server delivers the accelerated compute needed to address the most demanding AI workloads. With its powerful performance and simplified deployment, it helps you achieve faster results from your AI initiatives.
The Cisco UCS C885A M8 is a high-density GPU server designed for demanding AI workloads, offering powerful performance for model training, deep learning, and inference. Built on the NVIDIA HGX platform, it can scale out to deliver clusters of computing power that will bring your most ambitious AI projects to life.
Highlights:
• Scale your AI workloads across a cluster of Cisco UCS C885A M8 servers to address deep learning, large Language Model Training (LLM), model fine-tuning, large model inferencing, and Retrieval- Augmented Generation (RAG).
• Avoid silos of AI infrastructure by managing your AI servers with the same tool as your regular workloads.
• The UCS C885A M8 offers a choice of 8 NVIDIA HGX H100 or H200 Tensor Core GPUs, or 8 AMD MI300X OAM GPUs to
DIR-BE981D-LINK
BE10000
TRI-BAND MESH ROUTER
Experience blazing-fast 10 Gbps triband speeds with the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology, designed for seamless 4K/8K streaming, immersive AR/VR gaming, and lightning-quick downloads with the DIR-BE981 D-Link BE10000 Tri-Band Mesh Router. Achieving speeds of 5760 Mbps on 6GHz, 2880 Mbps on 5GHz, and 1030 Mbps on 2.4GHz bands, it delivers exceptional performance. Equipped with a 10G WAN port and 4× 1Gbps LAN ports with link aggregation, it eliminates network bottlenecks for optimal device performance. Advanced features include 7 high-power antennas, Beamforming, and proprietary Wi-Fi optimization for broader coverage and stronger connections. Easily create a unified Mesh WiFi network and protect your family online with advanced parental controls, all managed via the intuitive D-Link Mobile Connect+ App.
Highlights:
Experience Lightning-Fast 10 Gbps TriBand Speeds ensuring your devices operate at maximum efficiency. Enjoy seamless 4K/8K streaming, immersive AR/VR gaming, and rapid downloads with ease.
The latest Wi-Fi 7 technology incorporates Multi-Link Operation Multi-RUs, 4K-QAM, and 320 MHz channels. It achieves speeds of 5760 Mbps on the 6GHz band, 2880 Mbps on the 5GHz band, and 1030 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. Your network will deliver unprecedented performance that will leave you amazed.
10G Port: Featuring 1× 10 Gbps WAN port and 4× 1 Gbps LAN ports with link-aggregation, this setup surpasses the 1G bottleneck, propelling your devices to optimal performance levels.
Enhanced Coverage With 7× Internal high-power antennas, proprietary Wi-Fi optimization, and Beamforming technology, you experience expanded coverage, increased capacity, robust and reliable connections, and minimized interference.
Mesh Compatibility: Seamlessly integrates with Mesh routers to create a unified Mesh WiFi network throughout your home, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity and eliminating drops or lag when transitioning between signals.
Protect your kids online: with instant monitoring, Advanced Parental Controls Protect your kids online with instant monitoring, content filters and customized settings for every connected device.
Easy Setup and Use: Managing your network is now simpler than ever with the D-Link Mobile Connect+ App
deliver massive, accelerated computational performance in a single server. Additionally, it includes one NVIDIA ConnectX-7 NIC or NVIDIA BlueField-3 SuperNIC per GPU to scale AI model training across a cluster of dense GPU servers.
• The Cisco UCS C885A M8 is managed by Cisco Intersight, the cloud-delivered IT operations platform that helps your IT operations team see, control, and automate Cisco UCS infrastructure throughout its lifecycle—wherever it is—from one place.
UNOFFICIAL THIRD-PARTY TOOLS
POWERED BY GENAI COULD RESOLVE 40% OF CUSTOMER SERVICE ISSUES BY 2027
Customer Service and Support Leaders Must Evolve Strategy and Adapt to this Reset in Customer Expectations, according to Gartner
By 2027, 40% of all customer service issues will be fully resolved by unofficial third-party tools powered by GenAI, according to Gartner, Inc.
Consumers are increasingly adopting unofficial third-party GenAI tools such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Apple Intelligence to resolve customer service issues. The deep integration of GenAI into these widely available consumer tools is driving a shift in consumer behavior, as customers prefer these platforms for their convenience and availability. As a result, customer service teams may expect a decline in official first-party service volume.
“There is a transformation in customer behavior and a reset in their expectations with GenAI continuing to reshape the customer service landscape,” said Daniel O’Sullivan, Senior Director Analyst in the Gartner Customer Service and Support practice. “As customers increasingly selfsolve issues through GenAI-enabled tools, there will be diminished demand for official first-party service. When customers do have to engage with first-party service, their expectations will be higher.”
“Service and support leaders must evolve their customer experience and channel strategies to reflect these profound shifts and meet customer needs in this AI-driven world,” said O’Sullivan.
The two impacts of third-party GenAI tools on customer service that leaders must consider include:
Reduced Overall Demand for First-Party Service
GenAI-enabled third-party platforms can provide customers with a significantly lower effort experience than even the best first-party options. While first-party service channels require customers to navigate unfamiliar user interfaces, or wait
for solutions, consumer GenAI tools offer immediate answers with minimal effort, integrated into the devices, apps and websites consumers already use daily. Leaders must therefore continue to assess the value of first-party service investments.
“Leaders should create differentiated self-service experiences for customers and focus investments on more sophisticated queries that third-party options cannot easily handle,” said O’Sullivan. “They must keep a close eye on the fast-changing third-party space, monitoring quality and availability of third-party GenAI responses and concentrating their investments on self-service capabilities that supplement, rather than replace, third-party options.”
Customer Expectations for Service are Reset
Customer expectations for service will evolve as they become accustomed to the low-effort, familiar, and conversational capabilities of widely available GenAI tools.
“While unofficial third-party options will continue to grow in popularity, there re-
mains a subset of issues for which customers still require first-party support. To meet customer expectations for natural, conversational, and low-effort service, leaders will need to update their strategies accordingly to safeguard customer relationships and strengthen loyalty,” said O’Sullivan.
According to a Gartner survey of 187 service and support leaders conducted in July and August of 2024, 84% agreed that customers have higher expectations for service now than in the past. As a result, leaders must focus on minimizing customer effort and breaking down sources of friction that lead to a disconnected customer journey. Use GenAI to improve self-service success by implementing a conversational experience across channels and capturing customer intent through natural language inputs.
“It’s also important for leaders to harness customer data, which is a tremendous advantage of first-party service,” said O’Sullivan. “By leveraging this data, they can design truly personalized experiences that deliver customers value.”
Under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI
14 - 16 APRIL 2025 MARRAKECH
AFRICA’S LARGEST TECH AND STARTUP EVENT JUST GOT BIGGER
45,000 ATTENDEES
435 MEDIA ATTENDEES
130 + COUNTRIES REPRESENTED
660 + SPEAKERS
1,400
EXHIBITING & STARTUP COMPANIES
650 + GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES
340 + INVESTORS WITH $250 BILLION ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT
70 % OF INVESTORS PLAN TO INVEST IN STARTUPS
Ai EVERYTHING MOROCCO (AI X CLOUD X IOT)
DATA CENTRES
CYBERSECURITY
TELECOM & NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE
DIGITAL CITIES
E-MOBILITY
GITEX IMPACT (SUSTAINABILITY, CLIMATE TECH, AGRITECH)
HEALTHTECH 5.0
FUTURE OF BANKING & FINANCE
NORTH STAR AFRICA - STARTUPS
In the world of technology, tags like “biggest” can seem like meaningless superlatives, but the size of the venue and the crowd on day one suggest GITEX is spot-on with its claim. SCAN TO GET INVOLVED
