dossier-may12

EDITORIAL

POWER

OF

BUSINESS

INTELLIGENCE

Waves of Change COMEX 2012

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t has been estimated that the number of mobile-connected devices will exceed the world’s population in 2012. Such is the reach and power of modern day telecommunications and information technology. However, there has been a shift in the growth patterns in the industry.

An Presentation

INSIDE: Cloud Computing  e-Commerce  Telecommunications  IT  Cybersecurity

Senior Manager - Dossier Business Unit Shivkumar Gaitonde Senior Media Executive Girija Shankar Mohanty Senior Art Director Sandesh S. Rangnekar Senior Designer Shameer Moideen Production Manager Govindraj Ramesh Senior Photographer Rajesh Burman Photographer Basim Al Maharbi Corporate Chief Executive Sandeep Sehgal Executive Vice President Alpana Roy Vice President Ravi Raman Senior Business Support Executive Radha Kumar Published by United Press & Publishing LLC PO Box 3305, Ruwi, Postal Code - 112 Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Tel (968) 24700896 Fax (968) 24707939 Email: akshay@umsoman.com All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher does not accept responsibility for any loss occasioned to any person or organisation acting or refraining as a result of material in this publication. OER accepts no responsibility for all advertising contents.

An

Presentation

Copyright © 2012 United Press & Publishing LLC Printed by Ruwi Modern Printing Press

Today, telecommunications have gone beyond text messages and voice calls.

With applications like Whatsapp, Viber and Skype becoming more popular, usage of data is soaring with ‘conventional’ messaging and calling options taking the backseat. For the first time, more people will use their cell phones for data than they will for voice. The Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update for 2011 – 2016 reported that global mobile data traffic grew 2.3 times last year (which is eight times the size of the entire global Internet in the year 2000) and it is estimated that this year it’ll grow 133 per cent. The report goes to state that by 2016, monthly global mobile data traffic will surpass 10 exabytes and that over 100 million smartphone users will belong to the ‘gigabyte club’ (over 1 GB per month) by 2012. This sentiment was even echoed in the recently held SAMENA Council Conference, ‘Beyond Connectivity 2012’.

In Oman, it is no different. Service providers are offering tiered mobile data packages to cater to varying market requirements – and with more and more smartphones entering the market, the more service providers will be required to modify their offerings to meet clients’ demands. Mobile voice service is already considered a necessity by most, mobile data, video, and TV are also on their way to fast becoming an essential part of consumers’ lives. The coming few years will be crucial for operators and service providers to plan and create a platform upon which a multitude of mobile-enabled devices and applications maybe be deployed. We will just have to wait and watch.

Enjoy reading the issue!

contents

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Beyond Connectivity 2012 Overview of the Conference by SAMENA Council under the theme ‘Harmonized Policy – An Enabler For Digital Economy Growth?’

Editorial �����������������������������������������������������������������1 News ���������������������������������������������������������������������4 e-Commerce �������������������������������������������������������28 Cloud Computing �����������������������������������������������36 Gadgets ���������������������������������������������������������������38 PROFILE: Omantel ���������������������������������������������������������������26 Polyglot Institute �����������������������������������������������50

HACKING HASSLES

Training, education, awareness are the cornerstones of cybersecurity says Roger Cressey, Booz Allen Hamilton 2

DOSSIER COMEX 2012

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GULFCYBERTECH E-Solutions ���������������������54

NEWS

DHL Express Secures Top TAPA Security Certification

DHL Express Oman Country Office and Gateway facility have been awarded certification by the internationally recognized Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) with a score of 90.5 per cent, while the Regional Hub in Bahrain has once again been certified with a score of 100 per cent.

“This was our first recertification audit according to the new 2011 requirements and our Oman Country office and new Gateway facilities combined were certified with a 90.5 per cent score and Class A certification,” said Turgay Sarikaya, DHL Express Oman Country Manager. “DHL’s Regional Hub in Bahrain was also recertified this year with a 100 per cent score and Class A certification for the third consecutive time.

This impressive achievement solidifies DHL as the leader in transportation security in the Middle East and further boosts our commitment to safe transportation for our customers in Oman and the region.”

TAPA ensures a best-inclass standardization & harmonization risk mitigation approach to minimize losses and risk within the supply chain. TAPA Freight Security Requirements have been established by security professionals within the high value, high risk product sector to address the nature by which goods are handled, warehoused and transported as they move throughout the world.

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DOSSIER COMEX 2012

Nawras, Grand Hyatt Muscat bring unmatched value to Elite Club members Nawras has partnered with Grand Hyatt Muscat Hotel to add a new dimension of privileges to Elite Club members. With special discounts on food and beverage and a new restaurant reservation SMS service, the partnership will provide unmatched value to about 500,000 Elite members.

booking at any of our restaurants by sending a simple SMS and have the opportunity to sample our wide variety of food and beverage services at discounted rates.” He added, “Our partnership reiterates our joint commitment to working with partners who lead through innovation and appreciate customer loyalty.”

Nawras Chief Executive Officer, Ross Cormack expressed that Elite Club cardholders and future members will gain premium recognition from the number of unique rewards offered. “Grand Hyatt Muscat will play a pivotal role in raising the bar in customer loyalty experiences by providing unparalleled services and advantages for our current and future Elite Club members,” he said. “As the first and only telecom operator with a full-fledged loyalty programme in Oman, we continue to introduce one of a kind offers at international standards through our roster of leading partners.”

Elite Club members can now send an SMS to 97396666 for bookings and reservations at any of the hotel’s four outlets. The message should contain the date, time and number of guests dining, and customers will immediately receive confirmation of their booking. The joint partnership will also provide members with 25 per cent discount on food and 20 per cent discount on beverages at select outlets with the exception of ‘Safari Rooftop Grill House’ which will apply a 10 per cent discount on its food and beverage items.

Christoph Franzen, Grand Hyatt Muscat Hotel General Manager stated, “We are proud to create a strong alliance with a reputable organisation such as Nawras. Elite Club members can now enjoy the convenience of

Nawras customers can subscribe to Elite Club by dialing *147*21# then follow instructions receive and check their balance by dialing *147*22#. Additional information on the membership and service can be found on www.nawras.om or by visiting any Nawras store.

NEWS

Offers Galore

Omantel Mobile, the mobile business arm of Omantel, has widened the scope of its value added services to include ‘Asian Country Club’ service; specially designed for Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, providing them with their local news and entertainment through SMS. Customers may easily avail the service by sending Empty to short code 91229. Once subscribed, customers will receive daily news alerts from their country in their own language using English script in addition to other content such as customized jokes and ringtones at a very affordable tariff of 300 Bzs per week.”

SLEEK DESIGNS

LG Electronics and PRADA unveiled Edward Norton and Daria Werbowy as the faces of the global advertising campaign to launch the latest smartphone, the PRADA phone by LG 3.0. The phone combines Prada’s distinctive style with LG’s innovative technology, including one of the biggest and brightest screens in the world at 4.3-inch and 800-nit screen. The handset features a full glossy touchscreen to the front and Prada’s signature Saffiano pattern to the back. Every detail has been designed boasts LG’s signature Floating Mass Technology, optically enhancing the thinness of its already impressive 8.5mm depth, with minimal hard keys completing the sleek simple finish.

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DOSSIER COMEX 2012

Excellence in eGovernment With the recent announcement for the 2012 edition of the Sultan Qaboos Award for Excellence in eGovernment, the Information Technology Authority (ITA), the organization responsible for the management of the Award programme, hosted an introductory workshop on April 16, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Muscat. Fatma Al Riyami, Project Manager for the Award, gave the welcoming address.

Following the opening remarks, Dr. Bader Salim Al Manthari, Executive – Information Security at ITA, and Giridhar Mechiri, an ITA Consultant, and members of the Award Evaluation Criteria Committee, gave a comprehensive presentations covering all aspects of the Award.

The Sultan Qaboos Award for Excellence in eGovernment aspires to make qualitative transformation in the field of eGovernment services by honouring digital projects that deliver exceptional innovation and achievement in the field of information technology. It also aims to honour excellent performance, apply international standards in evaluating the degree of development in eServices, support Oman’s Digital Strategy, as well as strengthen IT and telecommunications in the fields of economic, social and cultural development.

The workshop presented participants with a general overview of the Award; highlighted new developments for 2012 and shared best practices from winners of the 2011 edition of the Award.

For the two previous years of the Award, the Government sector was the primary target segment. This year the Award has been expanded to include the Private sector as well.

The Award website has also been given a complete overhaul. It now complies with W3C accessibility standards; has new sections, complete with: glossary, knowledge hub, Award kit (templates, tips presentation), TTS information & registration; and national benchmarking examples. With regard to the evaluation, jury members will again consist of world-renowned international experts. There will be a number of capacity building workshops in the coming weeks and months. It is recommended that potential participating organizations nominate a team and/or focal points to attend each of the workshops.

Registration will open on May 20 and continue until September 1, 2012. For more information contact via email: HMaward@ita.gov.om; Tel: +968 24166800; or fax: +968 24166604. Or visit: www.ita.gov.om/ HMAward/english/index.htm

INTERVIEW

Setting the Standard

The Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) has yet again been successful in sustaining the competitive market and continuing its efforts towards realising its potential to foster competition. Excerpts from an interview with Chief Executive Officer, H.E. Dr. Hamed Al Rawahi

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2010 saw a hike in mobile subscribers and penetration rates. How have the figures changed in 2011 and what are the predictions for 2012?

There has been a significant increase in the number of mobile subscribers over the past seven years. The number of mobile subscribers in 2010 has shown 16 per cent increase from 2009. The penetration rate at the end of 2010 reached 166 per cent as compared to 125 per cent at the end of 2009.

And by the end of 2011, this figure was 173 per cent. Our latest figures show that the penetration rate as of February 2012 is 175.68 per cent which is clearly indicative of the progress in the sector.

The recent increase in mobile subscribers’ growth and penetration is also contributed by the introduction of mobile resellers in the telecom market in 2010. Currently there are two mobile network operators and three active mobile resellers in the Oman telecom market. The growth in mobile broadband and introduction and spread of 3G services also harnessed the mobile services’ market. The technological advancements, introduction and exploitation of smart phones boosted the mobile services market that is slated for further growth.

What about fixed line services? How much have they gone down? What are the projections for the same?

In general, as observed elsewhere in the world, fixed lines have shown a stagnating growth (sometimes negative) trend and Oman is not an exception. As of December, 2010, the number of fixed lines stands at approximately 281,755, a drop of almost five per cent from the previous year. However, in terms of

subscribers, figures went up by two per cent in 2011. This is linked to the increase in ADSL subscribers, where fixed line services were provided in conjunction with broadband packages. With the availability of fibre based access network there could be increase in uptake of fixed line services that is primarily linked to broadband.

Despite the entry of Resellers in the market in 2010, other than three currently existing in the market, some have failed to sustain. Could you kindly tell us a little as to why this happened?

The main objective of introduction of mobile resellers in the Omani mobile market was to catalyse competition and address requirements of niche market segments. Though all the mobile resellers started off well their sustenance and growth was subject to their internal financial strengths and understanding of the market conditions. Ability to negotiate and reach attractive commercial arrangements with the mobile network operators also played a major role in the success of mobile resellers. Thus there was a churn in the market and currently there are three mobile resellers in the market having reasonable subscriber base.

TRA implemented the USO projects to cover the rural areas in Oman through public tendering process. Since there were no reasonable bids, Omantel was invited to undertake the project.

What is the current status of this project?

TRA has not yet implemented the USO initiative. It attempted to commence the USO initiative based on a policy that was approved by the government in 2009 that

focused on provision of voice calls on a pilot basis through an open international tender. The response to the tender offer was not good and TRA went through the legal process of requesting the incumbent to provide the services. The change in consumer preferences and relevance of broadband services has made the TRA and the government to have a rethink on the USO policy. It is now proposed to integrate the provision of broadband services with that of basic voice services by formulating a national broadband strategy. In parallel, the TRA is reaching out the voice services to remote areas with the help of network operators by spectrum refarming.

What are the TRA future plans, especially for 2012?

TRA’s initiatives for the current year comprise the following: • Provision of Wi-Fi services in public places; • Relaxation of Voice Over Internet Protocol; • Regulation of Virtual Private Networks; • Provision of basic voice services in 120 identified sites across the Sultanate; • Spectrum refarming aimed to release the much needed spectrum for commercial use (this initiative would be completed in 24 months that could result in introduction of third mobile operator); Establishment of advisory groups to address consumers’ requirements and expectations including industry and corporate users DOSSIER COMEX 2012

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telecommunications

Beyond Connectivity 2012

‘Beyond Connectivity 2012’, the two-day conference by SAMENA Telecommunications Council held at the Al Bustan Palace, The Ritz Carlton Hotel opened amidst a growing sense of feeling across the SAMENA region for an overhaul of the current regulatory policies, providing leading telecommunications experts and decision makers in the region with an opportunity to discuss the need for harmonized national ICT policies to promote sustainable growth of the ICT industry in the region.

During the opening of the conference, Bocar A. Ba, President of SAMENA Telecommunications Council said, “The ICT industry in the SAMENA region has witnessed tremendous growth and development accompanied by a major shift towards digitization which entails and accentuates the need for organized policies both at the national and regional levels.

Harmonized ICT policies will not only promote collaboration

10 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

between operators, telcos and other stakeholders, but also support the proliferation of digital ecosystems, promote widespread broadband deployment and adoption, and build new revenue streams for operators.”

Mohamed Al Ismaily – Advisor, Technical Affairs TRA Oman, delivered the key note address saying, “The emergence of next generation technologies are posing a number of challenges and driving the need for increased regulator participation in promoting and developing harmonized ICT policies. Increasing digital divide and explosion of bandwidthhungry OTT applications, among other developments have made it essential to formulate national broadband strategies to promote its availability and accessibility on account of its potential to contribute to industry and economic growth and employment generation.

Having recognized the vital role of broadband in priming economy and the growing adoption of mobile

The two-day SAMENA Telecom Conference by SAMENA Council was held at the Al Bustan Palace, Ritz Carlton Hotel under the theme ‘Harmonized Policy – An Enabler For Digital Economy Growth?’ which witnessed participation from key players in the industry broadband by consumers, TRA Oman along with the Ministry of Transport and Communications has developed a spectrum migration plan; funds have been committed and a time frame has been agreed upon for spectrum to be made available to the consumers.”

Various other speaker presentations and discussions during the day revolved around the International Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs) and the need for unified ICT policies, policies and regulations as major tools to boost broadband proliferation, and future of the content industry complimenting the demand for local content.

The highlight of day two of the conference was the “CEO Live Session” which provided insight into the leadership, thoughts and visions of telecoms’ leaders in the region who interacted and discussed the future of the telecommunications industry, explored topics related to intensifying competition and

telecommunications

“Increased shareholder and customer value can be created by focusing on innovation in the back office to improve operational efficiency to attract and retain more customers and to extract value from the network.”

Dr. Amer Al Rawas, CEO, Omantel

About SAMENA SAMENA Telecommunications Council is a tri-regional, nonprofit telecommunications association that represents over 40 telecommunications operators in 25 markets, representing an aggregate subscriber base of 700 million mobile users, 79 million fixed-line users, and 22 million broadband users. The Council’s membership embodies a community of telecom operators, manufacturers, government bodies, academia, and leading global management consultancy organizations. SAMENA’s Board of Directors and member companies include the largest regional operators and global multi-network operators as well as new competitive entrants.

SAMENA focuses on digitization and broadband investment policies, and aims to promote beneficial regulation and governance that further industry evolution, as well as cooperation among key ICT industry stakeholders.

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future strategies and technologies that need to be adopted, along with investments required for building next generation high-speed networks.

The ‘CEO Live Session’ kick-started discussions with Mohamed Isa Al Khalifa, Chairman of SAMENA & Group CEO of Batelco, accompanied by other operator Chief Executive Officers, Dr. Amer Al Rawas of Omantel, Ross Cormack of Nawras, Wilson Varghese of Kalimat Telecom and Antti Arponen of FRiENDi Oman, who shared their views and opinions about the various pressing issues that the ICT industry is facing.

Ross Cormack, CEO, Nawras spoke about mega mergers and partnerships in the industry. “Mega mergers in the last few years by regional powerhouses have emphasized on the role of total consolidation in order to drive growth, as it focuses on and is driven by customers. The ICT industry has and will continue to be characterized by partnerships and consolidation resulting in larger organizations which can better serve and create customer value thereby driving shareholder value. Instead of

competing with OTTP’s, we should collaborate and partner with them to fuel sustainable growth.”

Further reiterating the importance of the creation of clusters highlighted by the other CEO panellists, Dr. Amer Al Rawas stated that clusters should be based on synergy partnerships rather than equity partnerships in order to create value for shareholders. Al Rawas added, “Increased shareholder and customer value can be created by focusing on innovation in the back office to improve operational efficiency to attract and retain more customers and to extract value from the network.” He encouraged the regional ICT industry to embrace the developments and offerings of OTT and be innovative in responding to them to transfer value to the customer.

The conference continued with discussions on open access LTE (Long Term Evolution) Schemes and the future of 4G, and digital dividend and its value for telecommunications. ‘Beyond Connectivity 2012’ concluded with the important issue of Net neutrality in the region.

cybersecurity

‫ ‏‬raining, T education and awareness are the cornerstones of cybersecurity says Roger Cressey of Booz Allen Hamilton

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‫ ‏‬acking H hassles ‫‏‬R oger Cressey, Senior Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton is a well known counterterrorism and cybersecurity expert. Cressey served in senior cybersecurity and counterterrorism positions in President Bill Clinton and President George Bush’s administrations, including chief of staff of the President’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Board from 2001 to

2002. He also served as deputy of counterterrorism on the US National Security Council staff, where he oversaw coordination and implementation of U.S. counterterrorism policy. He managed the U.S. government response to numerous terrorism incidents, including the 9/11 and USS Cole attacks. He also held various roles within the Departments of Defence and State. Cressey was in Oman

at stealing information for their economic gain. Third, there are insiders who are taking information from their own companies and selling it to interested parties, so it is a spectrum of threats that we have out there and it is affecting every country and individual.

recently to participate in the Cyber Defence Summit. He spoke to Mayank Singh on the sidelines of the summit. Excerpts from the interview: ‫ ‏‬hy is it imperative that W government’s and companies are aware of cybersecurity and take measures to combat such threats? ‫‏‬Cybersecurity is important because a nation’s economic and physical security is dependent upon information technology. Criminals and other nation states are stealing information, IT, personal data and credit cards which necessitates better and advanced security systems for governments, companies and individuals. The interesting thing is that nobody made a decision that the internet was going to be critical for

economic security and now that it has happened then we need to ensure that it is secure.

I‫ ‏‬s cyber security more of a concern area for developed countries as their dependency on IT systems is more than that of developing countries? ‫‏‬Cyber criminals are targeting every country because the connection that globalisation has created across the world creates vulnerabilities and the very networks that we rely upon for commerce, communication and social interaction are very vulnerable to such attacks. Some of these threats emanate from anonymous sources who just hack, steal information and publish it. Second, you have government’s who are looking

‫ ‏‬hat measures can W government’s and companies take to combat the threat posed by cyber criminals? ‫‏‬The most important thing is more and better training. We need to train people in companies and governments about why cybersecurity is important, whether it is by practicing better cyber hygiene by using passwords or the incription of data as data protection is the number one issue. Education and awareness comes next , not enough people understand as to why cybersecurity is so important. Once you train people, you have to educate and make them aware about the priority that needs to be accorded to cybersecurity. The third thing would be to combine training with awareness and policy so that we develop an approach that proactively deals with a threat before an attack takes place.

The number one priority in all this is resiliency, to create resilient networks that continue to work in the face of persistent attack, because you can never eliminate cyber attacks, what you can stop is the impact of such attacks on your network. This is an economic and a national security issue for every nation. ‫ ‏‬ou talked about resilience, Y but companies may see cyber security as a cost and a number of them may not be ready to make such an investment, how does one convince them to make that upfront investment? ‫‏‬You have to create a return on that investment and the proper way of doing that is by educating companies that do not follow proper cybersecurity about the risk and cost DOSSIER COMEX 2012 15

cybersecurity

of losing their intellectual property by exposing themselves to such threats and that makes their services so valuable. At the end of the day it is about protecting your reputation, technology and what you sell to consumers and governments. So this is an issue of corporate survival, because if your information networks are not secure, then your ability to do your job is compromised. So it should be top notch priority and a lot of it is common sense. To draw a parallel, when you are driving on a highway you wear a seatbelt, because the chances are that if you do not wear one then you may hurt yourself.

Similarly, in cyber space you need to follow proper security so that you do not make yourself vulnerable to attack and if you are attacked then if you are wearing the cyber equivalent

of a seat belt, then you are not going to suffer so much. ‫ ‏‬hat are the measures that W an organisation needs to take to ensure resilience? ‫‏‬It is a combination of training, education, policy and technology.

You just cannot deploy an anti-virus, fire walls and intrusion prevention systems and expect to be safe.

Once you have this layered defence technology that you need to populate it with people who can operate it intelligently. This reduces risk and is a big part of cybersecurity. ‫ ‏‬ou have served on some Y of the highest committees related to cybersecurity in the US government. Is there a growing realisation in

the corridors of power that they need specialised expertise to deal with such issues? ‫‏‬Yes, it has become a very large priority for the US. The government issued a report last fall (in 2011), in which they detailed the efforts being made by China and Russia to steal data from the government and corporations and this report was very important because it declassified many elements of what was going on. So that is a part of education and awareness. The report also talks about insider threat and why people within an organisation or department are as important for cybersecurity as outside actors. One cannot just concentrate on the threats from outside as the threat and vulnerabilities from within are equally dangerous. ‫ ‏‬he report highlights the T threat that nation’s face from countries that are perceived to be friendly or cooperative. Given this scenario how does a country or company protect itself without damaging its existing economic relations with such parties? ‫‏‬This is espionage and there are a number of nations that are trying to steal information and some of them are your friends. The US Department of Defence (DoD) has said publicly that there are 100 foreign intelligence services trying to access the DoD network. So we have friends trying to steal information as much as potential adversaries. This is not just about adversaries, if you train your people and secure your networks, then you will protect yourself against everybody, who might want to steal information.

Roger Cressey, Senior VP, Booz Allen Hamilton

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‫ ‏‬ou have served on the ...

Y committees, how was your experience? ‫‏‬They were very rewarding, it was an opportunity to work on these important issues at the highest levels of the government. Terrorism was an

cybersecurity

issue that not many people knew or understood before 9/11. That changed from the morning of 9/11. I worked on security issues both before and after 9/11. Critical infrastructure protection and cybersecurity was a new area, and like terrorism not many people understood its importance before September 11. What we tried to do is to make cybersecurity a priority without having to live through an electronic 9/11 or a massive attack.

We have made progress but there is still a long way to go. ‫ ‏‬iven the nature of the G internet, there is a need for inter-government cooperation to deal with such a threat. Are governments cooperating and assisting each other to track cyber criminals or is it still a distant vision? ‫‏‬Cooperation is getting better but the biggest problem is attribution -- are you able to attribute an attack to an individual or country that did it.

Right now it is very easy in cyber space to hide your tracks. So if an attack is not attributable to an individual or a country, then you cannot hold them responsible nor make them accountable. So attribution is a very important area that governments need to work together on. The other thing that governments need to do is to develop a basic set of rules of the world for conduct in cyber space.

This is not be a treaty or an enforceable mechanism, but a code of conduct that will serve as a foundation for cybersecurity and then it can be built upon. The UN has an important role, but so do regional groupings like the GCC. The GCC is doing a wonderful job in the area of cybersecurity. In the region we have the GCC CERT and countries like Oman, UAE and Qatar have provided great leadership in developing CERT. ‫ ‏‬re there a set of A international laws in place to combat the threats in 18 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

cyber space? ‫‏‬There are no laws but there are conventions like the Budapest convention and then there are a spate of statements from the European Union, the UN and all of them are trying to create accountability so that individuals who are engaged in cyber attacks can be brought to justice in the country where the attack took place. We have seen individuals in Eastern Europe being extradited to the US to stand trial for penetrating US companies and we will do the same if we have extradition treaties with other governments which are similarly threatened or exposed. ‫ ‏‬here are cyber hacks T who insist that they are breaking into the security systems of companies to expose the risks that customers are exposed to.

How would you react to such claims? ‫‏‬I have a problem with self appointed vigilantes, those who are working in the greater good and have taken that decision upon themselves. The only service that anonymouses of the world do is to make companies focus on security more, to that extent it is not a bad thing. But they have no right to steal information and then to publicise it as nobody has appointed them as a judge or jury.

I‫ ‏‬n your presentation you have spoken about smart power, how would you explain this concept? ‫‏‬Smart power is the use of government capabilities to try and affect positive change. In the US most people see us and think about military power, that’s the wrong way to think about power, contrary to this it is our economic, diplomatic and the strength of our corporations that counts. We look at smart power as a way to solve difficult problems. So if it is Haiti, starvation in Africa or Tsunami in Asia, we want to bring smart power to solve those problems.

‫‏‬Cybersecurity -- tips • Choosing and protecting passwords ‫ •‏‬Coordinating virus and spyware defence ‫ •‏‬Debunking some common myths ‫ •‏‬Good security habits ‫ •‏‬Keeping children safe online ‫ •‏‬Real-world warnings keep you safe online ‫ •‏‬Safeguarding your data ‫ •‏‬Understanding anti-virus software ‫ •‏‬Understanding firewalls

The military should be viewed as a choice of last resort and smart power ensures that that is the case. ‫ ‏‬our presentation also Y states that the global cyber landscape should be transparent, accessible, dynamic and secure. Can you elaborate on this? ‫‏‬We need to make cyber space accessible to everyone. New technologies make cyber space dynamic but it needs to be secure, because if there is no security then people are not going to trust cyberspace or conduct business in cyberspace the way one expects.

Every nation around the world has some dependency on cyberspace, the US has a much larger dependency, but Oman and the GCC countries are equally dependant. So we have a shared interest in cybersecurity. ‫ ‏‬hat are the main W challenges that companies and governments face in realising fool-proof cybersecurity? ‫ ‏‬ybersecurity is a journey and not a C destination, you are never going to be done with it. Training, education and awareness is the foundation of proper cybersecurity. If you are not training your people then I do not care what technology you buy, its doomed to fail.

cybersecurity: EVENT

Security

at the Fore

The Cyber Defence Summit was organised by Oman’s National Computer Emergency Readiness Team (OCERT), on behalf of the Information Technology Authority (ITA), and in cooperation with ITU-IMPACT and Naseba. Endorsed by ITU-IMPACT, it was the largest cyber security alliance of its kind with 137 members

T

he Cyber Defence Summit gathered key regional stakeholders in Muscat, Oman to discuss and explore the heightened importance of cyber security in the region.

Under the theme ‘Defending your virtual borders’ – the invitationonly initiative focused on protecting the virtual boundaries of the Middle East. Held from April 2 to 3, the conference was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Muscat, under the auspices of His Excellency Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Said Al Saidi, Minister of Legal Affairs and the in the presence of a number of Their Excellencies, key government officials, CEOs and other experts in the areas of information communication technology from countries around the world.

1In his opening address at the summit, Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, the CEO of the Information Technology Authority (ITA) said: “International forums, like this Cyber Defence Summit, are important for understanding the challenges we encounter in our efforts to provide protection against network and computer attacks. This 20 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, CEO, Information Technology Authority (ITA)

Summit comes as a continuation of the efforts exerted by different countries of the world to benefit from the experiences of leading network and computer security experts who occupy administrative positions in government authorities, banking, oil and gas organizations, and information protection service providers. We will be looking into these experiences to identify methods for coping with the challenges resulting from attacks, to which both public and private sectors are exposed with resulting gross damages and losses in key sectors of countries.

Speaking about Oman’s initiatives to enhance information security, Dr. Salim Al Ruzaiqi commented, “The national strategy for Oman’s Digital Society, referred to as the e.oman strategy, strives to transform the Sultanate into a secure knowledge– based society, by implementing a set of initiatives in connection with building infrastructure and e-government services. In doing so, we face a host of challenges and risks relating to information security, which means necessary measures and precautions must be taken to deal with the same and, identify weaknesses and security gaps in government organizations, national infrastructure authorities and vital industrial sectors in the Sultanate.

“In this framework, the Information Technology Authority (ITA) strives, through Oman’s National CERT (OCERT), to enhance regional and international co-operation in the field of cyber security between the Sultanate and other countries through: participating in the international organizations’ efforts in global cyber security programs; obtaining membership of organizations operating in this field; encouraging various national infrastructure sectors to adopt best international security practices in every field; cooperating with

Badar Al-Salehi, Director, Oman’s National CERT

similar centers in other countries in exchanging information security warnings; and, continuously host international conferences on this issue in the Sultanate,” Al Ruzaiqi continued.

A host of industry gurus were present. These include Suleyman Anil, Cyber Defence Head at NATO; Marco Obiso of International Telecommunications Union and Eugene Kaspersky, CEO and founder of Kaspersky Labs. All three featured on a panel discussion with Philip Victor, Director Policy and International Cooperation at IMPACT. They highlighted that cyber security is a worldwide challenge which can

only be tackled effectively through cross-border and pan-regional collaboration.

This was followed by a discussion examining the role of Computer Emergency Response Teams -- the first line of cyber defence for any country’s critical infrastructure, with Dr Frederick Wamala, CISSP® Cyber Security Advisor at UK, Badar Al-Salehi, Director of Oman’s National CERT, and Lt Col (R) Husin Jazri, Chief Executive Officer of CyberSecurity Malaysia.

Staying ahead of the game It is widely known that cyber criminals are normally one step ahead DOSSIER COMEX 2012 21

cybersecurity: EVENT

Shawn Henry, Former Exec Asst Director, FBI

of the governments and authorities protecting their countries. It is this theme that set the stage for day two of the Cyber Defence Summit.

Shawn Henry, Former Executive Assistant Director, Criminal, Cyber, Response and Services Branch, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), addressed the issue of adopting intelligent and sophisticated discussion that focuses on prevention rather than cure, and how we can work together more effectively to stay one step ahead of criminals.

In his keynote, Henry spoke of the urgency of this issue, saying that some businesses having undergone cyber-attacks suddenly cease doing business. Breaching networks and stealing data is of great concern.

In one example highlighted, one company network was breached and the company lost over 10 years of research and data overnight, to the tune of one billion dollars.

This creates a drain on the economy.

Cybercrime is cheaper, easier and

faster, and ultimately, more lucrative with less risk. Most focus on remote access attacks, but also it is important to consider the threat of the insider.

As well, data being lost is one part; data that is being changed and, this is crucial especially when you consider the data used to help run critical infrastructure.

When asked to comment on what measures could be taken to discover, identify and remove cyber threat actors, Henry emphasized a three pronged model that should be implemented. He said, “For private sector I think that means to hunting on the network all the time, looking on the network for information or indicators it’s been breached, because many companies have already been breached. When I was with the FBI, many times my people showed up on site and we were telling companies that their company networks have been breached, based on intelligence that we had been able to collect elsewhere. They did not know; had no idea, for months at a time, that

The current system may be inadequate, but it is too late for us to disconnect now. The lack of resilience is an economic and security risk 22 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

their network had been breached.

“I’ve tried to talk to the leadership of organizations about this, because as I said earlier, if the leadership of organizations doesn’t get it, its people are not going to pay attention.

If the CEO of the corporation doesn’t understand, if the head of an agency doesn’t understand and they don’t promote this, other people are not going to step up and take it seriously.

If the boss doesn’t think it is important, then people are not going to take it seriously. So I want to get to the organizations at the CEO level or the CIO level, at the leadership, at the executives in organizations. I want to get to corporate counsel, general counsels and organizations so that they understand what the liability is. If you can raise the situational awareness at the executive leadership, you will get a much better response and have a much more secure organization.”

Concluding his presentation, Henry pointed out that when people think of cyber-attacks, most users are concerned with what data was taken. He says that they should be more concerned with what may have been left behind. Leaving the audience with a final comment, in his opinion, “The current system may be inadequate, but it is too late for us to disconnect now. The lack of resilience is an economic and security risk.”

EVENT

All About the Workplace Office Show 2012 to focus on the ideal office environment

T

he inaugural edition of the annual Office Show will be held later this year against a backdrop of dynamic growth in the real estate sector, especially in the key office space segment.

Organised by Global Exhibitions & Conferences (GEC), a leading Omani events management company, Oman Office Show 2012 will take place from September 10-12, 2012 at Oman International Exhibition Centre.

The three-day event is supported

by AHK German Industry and Commerce and will serve to showcase a complete range of office-related products, furniture, equipment, services and solutions essential to creating the ideal workplace environment.

“The Oman Office Show 2012 will provide local and international manufacturers, suppliers, designers, and service providers with an exclusive platform to exhibit their products and services. Over the course of the show, exhibitors will have the unique opportunity to take their innovations, concepts and solutions directly to customers eager to improve and enliven their workspaces,” C J Paul, Chief Executive Officer, GEC, commented.

Conceived as a premium trade event, the Office Show will feature a comprehensive array of merchandise spanning a number of product segments, including interiors, designs and fit-outs, automated systems, furniture, stationery and supplies, telecom equipment, security products and business

24 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

software. Also showcasing their offerings will be service providers specializing in, among other areas, fabrication, interior decoration, ergonomic furniture, security management, and energy solutions.

has been envisaged with this goal in mind: to bring together under one roof the world’s leading suppliers of materials, equipment and services catering to all aspects of the ideal office,” added C J Paul.

Significantly, the Office Show will take place amid a strong uptrend in real estate investments buoyed by continued government infrastructure and social spending. In the upshot, the commercial office segment is projected to grow apace, fuelled by demand from an influx of foreign firms, as well as the expansion of local businesses.

Visitors from various sectors comprising architects, company owners, interior designers, IT personnels, manufacturers, office managers, suppliers and distributors and related industry professionals will us this opportunity for research, sourcing and purchasing.

It is against this buoyant economic setting that the Office Show will be staged. “As businesses turn to technology and cuttingedge workplace practices to stay competitive, it is only imperative that they are suitably acquainted with the gamut of design and product innovations associated with the ideal office space. The Office Show 2012

The Oman Office Show is a major exhibition dedicated to the high-end products, technology and services that combines to create an excellent working environment.

Official B-2-B Partner

EVENT

Infra Oman 2012 The Sultanate’s Second Infrastructure Exhibition will put the spotlight on Oman’s new five-year spending plan: 201–2015

T

he 1st International Exhibition for Infrastructure and Industrial Projects which took place in September 2011 was an unequivocal success and emerged as the most sought-after event in the GCC construction annual calendar.

It had a high turnout and was represented by more than 120 local and international exhibitors. The international participation beat all expectations with companies from more than 20 countries choosing Infra Oman as their first entry point to the most promising and lucrative construction market in the Middle East. The expo was inaugurated

by HE Dr. Rasheed bin Al Safi al Huraibi, Chairman of the Tender Board Oman, accompanied by ministry officials, members of the diplomatic forces, media and top business people.

Infra Oman 2012 will be held from 02 – 04 October is organized under the co-operation of the Ministry of Transport and Communications

and supported by the Muscat Municipality, Supreme Committee for Town Planning, Oman Tourism Development Company SAOC (OMRAN), Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), German Near & Middle East Association (NUMOV), Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Ghorfa) and Singapore Business Federation (SBF).

The Platinum Sponsors are Oman Arab Bank and Wagon Pars Co. (Iran), Gold Sponsor is JCB. The expo will put the spotlight on Oman’s new five-year spending plan (2011-2015): As infrastructure investments continue to grow more development projects are set to be implemented in the coming years the Sultanate takes concrete measures to diversify its economy. The new plan foresees USD78bn of expenditure, representing a 113 per cent increase on the last five-year plan. The major infrastructure projects coming up like the Oman National Railway, Muscat’s Port Sultan Qaboos converting into a full-fledged tourism port, transport

and airport development projects, Duqm Development Project, Medical cities, Waste Management, Tourism and Residential Projects. To cater to these above requirements, the exhibition will focus on Construction Requirement, Infrastructure Projects, Power & Water Technologies, Renewable Energy & Environment, Heavy Equipment & Technology, Transportation & Logistics, Industrial Equipment and other Development Projects. Special Sections include, Affordable Housing, Interior and Design and Building Materials.

The Construction Intelligence partners include Ventures Onsite, Oman Projects, MiddleEast Tenders, BNC Network and Zawya. The Media Partners are OER Dossier, Gradimo, Infobahn Consultancy, Dubai Exporters, Dimension, TPG Publishing LLC, Asia Today, Primedia International (Tele-Gulf Services LLC), Oxford Business Group, Arab Construction World (ACW), Deenar Press and Publishing LLC, ITP Business Publishing (Construction Week), TPG Publishing LLC, Middle East Plant & Equipment, Business Portals B.V. (Construction1. com) and Infobahn Consultancy.

For further information, please visit www.alnimrexpo.com. To reserve your stand in the exhibition, please contact Jenitha Martin, Project Manager, at Tel: +968-24790369, mobile: +968 94041616, or e-mail: info@alnimrexpo.com

Media Partner DOSSIER COMEX 2012 25

profile

A Provider of Choice Omantel offers the widest range of telecom solutions, broadest network coverage and round-the-clock support

O

mantel is the pioneer telecom operator in the Sultanate providing Fixed, Mobile and Internet services to corporate, government and residential customers.

At the beginning of this year, Omantel announced the completion of a merger process between the two business arms of the company; Oman Mobile with Omantel. This is the last step in the merger initiative that was launched three years ago when the operations of both companies were integrated into one operating model.

Enhancing internal efficiency was one of the main objectives of the integration of the operational activities and this was successfully implemented through the synergy that was created between both company’s operations in functions like finance, human resources, procurements and contracts and network. This has helped Omantel in creating added value for the 26 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

shareholders despite stiff competition in the local market - ranked as the fourth most competitive telecom market in the region.

Omantel customers were able to see the fruits of the integration of operational activities which were clearly reflected in the improved quality of service and the focus on customers as the Company had a customer-centric operating model that was designed to ensure that Omantel always satisfied the growing needs of our different customers.

In the new operating model three business units were established for Consumer, Corporate and Wholesale customers offering mobile, fixed and internet services.

The completion of the legal merger of the two market leaders will play an important role in further enhancing the solutions and services provided to the 2.5 million customers and will enable the company to launch more innovative products and services.

E-Commerce

A Burgeoning

Scene Valued at USD 100 million, Oman’s e-Commerce scene has never been better. Dossier speaks to two companies who have changed the dynamics of online retail businesses…

E

ver since the Internet paved the way for a new economic ecosystem – the e-commerce marketplace – businesses have been making a beeline to market and sell their products online. The whole e-Commerce arena has thus witnessed an unprecedented growth, especially in the past decade. From the use of credit cards to online 28 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

banking and purchasing, these once radical innovations are now staples in people’s daily lives. e-Commerce in the Sultanate has been picking up too. The past two years have seen the entry of many websites, online-store openings, online bill payment options and the likes. In fact, in a recent report

commission by Visa, the total e-Commerce volume was estimated to reach USD 100 million by the end of 2011. One of the main factors, cited the report, was the increase in the number of internet users ‘from 3.52 per hundred inhabitants to 62.6 per hundred or a growth of over 1,600 per cent since 2000’. Although, it is still in its infancy, experts believe that

further retail investment, government initiatives and an increasing techsavvy youth population, can drive e-Commerce to its full potential.

Currently there have been many new entrants in the online market scene and since it’s still in the initial stages, there are abundant scopes for innovation. A prime example would be alatoolmuscat.com – a website that offers customers not only great deals and bargains but a fun, interactive way to shop. According to Jessica Asher, Director – Business Development, “Alatool is the Arabic word for ‘right-now’ or ‘quickly’, put together, ‘Alatool Muscat’ says we will be giving Muscat non-stop, quick deals. This model is tried and running successfully within various countries including UAE, India, Brazil, Germany, Lebanon and many more, and Oman is just another addition to be a part of this e-commerce manifesto.”

The website went live on February 12, 2012 and aims to ‘bring the best and the coolest deals in town from restaurant discounts to adventure sports or even consumer products’. “Each deal is featured on alatoolmuscat.com for a limited period of time,” explains Asher.

“These deals can be purchased online only on the website and may be enjoyed alone, with family or with a bunch of friends. To share a deal, all one needs to do is refer it to friend, once the referred friend has purchased the deal within 24 hours, your account will be credited with OMR1. This credit can be used to purchase your next deal.”

“Apart from being an innovating marketing & sales channel, what alatoolmuscat.com provides is a platform for the merchants to meet their right audience. It basically eliminates the middlemen distribution and marketing channels by converting the saved amount into a discount. Featuring a business on

Jessica Asher, Director – Business Development, Alatool Muscat

alatoolmuscat.com is free, there is minimum fee taken depending on the sales generated for a particular product or service on the website.”

Yet another recent entrant in the e-Commerce domain is ClickForMeal, spearheaded by Sencer Ozokur.

Clickformeal.com, which went live in December last year, is a first-of-itskind takeaway and delivery portal.

All one needs to do is sign-up on the website. From there onwards, it’s all straightforward – the user selects the restaurant, menu and after confirming the order, just has to sit back and wait for it to be delivered. “Our revenues are based on service charges

paid to us by the restaurants for each order and from advertisements on our website. The user does not pay anything at all for this service,” explains Ozokur. “This type of a model is widely used in Europe and in USA. My partner and I saw a growing market here and a change in the daily lifestyle and thought that Oman too, could do with a similar service.”

In theory, both the models sound flawless. But how has the response been from users online? “Response has been great from both ends – especially we see there are Business Owners who understand the DOSSIER COMEX 2012 29

E-Commerce

But we do not target a particular demographic group. We target the entire community and we encourage everyone to use our system to ease their lives and to overcome daily difficulties they face.”

Sencer Ozokur, GM, ClickForMeal.com

concept very well and know that the tool is apt for marketing with no upfront investment plus the returns are measureable,” explains Asher. “Our team tries to bring the best and exclusively priced deals for the audience here.” However, does this promising trend and potential growth profile cater to a

certain demographic? Both Alatool Muscat and ClickForMeal seem to be focused on a wider audience instead of narrowing it down to certain demographics. “Statistics show that internet usage in the GCC and particularly in Oman is increasing year by year,” says Ozokur. “And the number of younger users is higher.

By leveraging remote widgets, companies can extend the brand experience outside the four walls of their website 30 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

For websites like these, it doesn’t just stop at just creating an appealing interface. Constantly marketing the brand is key. Marketers and merchandisers are now targeting customers based on what customers “Like” and “Share”.

And by leveraging remote widgets, companies can extend the brand experience outside the four walls of their website. This is where social technologies like mico-blogging and social networking websites come into play and are increasingly being used to connect with customers to build strong and lasting relationships, through ratings and reviews. The buzzword right now is in fact, ‘social commerce’ and increasingly companies are beginning to sit up and take notice of the potential of social media. Says Asher, “We strongly believe in ‘call to action’ and ‘real time’ purchases. This can be only achieved via social media marketing or digital media marketing. We have partnered with ‘Socioholics’ on this (an online brand management agency) on this project and the company is proving to be a successful affiliation with the right kind of in-house expertise.”

Ozokur’s strategy goes along the same vein, “We have an intensive advertising strategy from social media, printed media, company branded car. But to be honest, it [social media] helped us to attract a lot of new users from different demographic groups.”

It has been widely established that e-Commerce in Oman is burgeoning.

However, it will be interesting to see how it continues to shape online retail spending and whether it lives up to its true potential.

analysis

Gauging

the Future Information Technology has been at the epicenter of a gigantic transformation that is sure to transform the way lives are going to be molded over the next few years, says Alpna J Doshi, CIO Reliance Group

T

he scale of IT transformation is huge and unprecedented, that it is akin to standing at the edge of a precipice and being unable to judge where the bottom of the pit might lie. We can carve out five major points out of the many millions and generalize them by grouping under revolutionary banners that are ushering in a wave of change as we speak.

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Cloud Computing Cloud computing has huge potential, finding application across most industry segments. The explosive growth for data: According to expert projections by 2015, the world will see a four-fold increase in the amount of data being created and replicated, will bring along with it, the need to store this humongous data securely and provide efficient

access to it. With the ever increasing availability of data bandwidth and IP access via multiple devices like PCs, MIDs, Tablets, Smartphones etc, the fundamental service models offered by Cloud Computing such as “Infrastructure as a Service(IaaS), Platform as a Service(PaaS) and Software as a Service(SaaS)” will achieve most organization goals, reducing cost for service

deployments and increasing management efficiency, thereby making it a very important strategic technology to watch out for, in the near future. To substantiate further, research firm Gartner projects that revenue for Cloud services will approach $152.1 billion in 2014.

This should push the case for ‘Cloud Computing’ up the priority lists, among most organizations.

The Internet of Things The Internet of Things promises to create objects embedded with sensors, enabling them with the ability to communicate. The resulting information networks facilitate creation of new business models, improvement of business processes, and reduction of costs and risks. Advances in wireless networking technology and the

increased standardization of communications protocols have made possible the collection of data from these sensors almost anywhere at any time. Ever-smaller silicon chips for this purpose are gaining new capabilities, while costs of these chips are falling.

The applications for same can be broadly classified under three major categories: DOSSIER COMEX 2012  33

analysis

1. Information and Analysis Tracking Behavior: Presence-based advertising, Inventory and supply chain monitoring.

Sensor-driven decision analytics: Oil field site planning, monitoring of diseases to help determine treatment.

2. Automation and Control Process Optimization: Improvements in manufacturing lines.

Resource Consumption Optimization: Energy storage optimization.

3. Assisted Living Intelligent Home: Mobile Robots, Wireless smart devices will ease livelihood.

NFC Payments: Payments based on RFID tag scanning on card readers.

In the years to come, technologies necessary to achieve the ubiquitous network society are expected to enter the stage of practical use. This should foster a congenial environment for further research and implementation of ‘Internet of Things’.

Social Communication and Collaboration Usage of social communication tools

and methods within the workplace has been touted by experts to create better, faster solutions through mass collaboration, enhance employee engagement and be a cost effective means to overcome geographical challenges. The incorporation of social collaboration tools as an integral part of the business process is the key to successful workflow thereby increasing productivity and efficiency at a workplace.

By 2016, it is expected that social collaboration tools will be integrated with most business systems and solutions. The implementation of social media technologies can be harnessed with the aim to align the interests of end users and the organizations as well as being integrated with traditional communications activity.

Next Generation Analytics In order for an organization to maintain its competitive edge in today’s era of “empowered customers”, organizations need to utilize every piece of information available, to better understand the customer psyche, reduce costs and

increase margins. Understanding customer’s behaviour in a time and context sensitive manner can allow for enrichment of user experience by cross-selling and up-selling of relevant services. Advanced analytics enables user experience to be tailored as per their needs and wants. With such huge benefits, Next Generation Analytics is slated to empower organizations to lead, decide, measure, manage and optimize performance to achieve greater efficiency and financial benefits in the near future.

App Stores and Marketplaces B2B and B2C app stores by market leaders like Apple, Android etc. provide marketplace where millions of apps are available to the enterprises and the mobile users.

With a forecast of more than 70 billion app downloads a year in 2014 and the size of app store market growing from 5 billion dollars in 2010 to 17.5 billion dollars in 2012, it has become a hot selling cake wherein different operators, device manufacturers and other players are trying to cash in. A vibrant developer community coupled with great application distribution model along with a foolproof mobile device management solution is what separates the bigger players from others. The future for bigger players lies in grabbing a bigger pie of the application revolution ecosystem for which must have their own marketplace and promote it with the right brand management and appropriate apps, which will surely yield big bucks.

It is clear from the above points that a tectonic shift shall transpire organizations to drive towards implementing a large scale transformation resulting in enhancement of business processes, efficient usage of organizational resources bringing about customer delight.

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Cloud Computing

Gulf Infotech LLC is a focused Cloud Solutions Provider in Middle East.

Rahul Bhavsar, CEO, gives Dossier the low-down on ‘the technology of the future’…

The Big Cloud “The Cloud” seems to be the buzz-word these days. What does it really mean for businesses?

Cloud is no more a buzz word today, it really means cost savings, business mobility, making your business more agile, focusing on business and not managing the IT infrastructure. Employees can work from anywhere, anytime, from any device and any platform.

What types of services are available via the cloud computing model?

Today, a business can run practically everything on Cloud but every industry vertical has their own needs and demand, so based on needs each and every segment can choose what they need on the cloud.

36 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

Primarily, the following are available on the cloud and is gaining a lot of momentum across the world: • Email on Cloud (Messaging) • C ollaborations with Online Office & Portals • File Share • C RM (Customer Relationship Management) • H elpdesk or Support Desk for Customers and Internal Users • Project Management • Workflow Management • Application Development Platform (Custom Application) • I nfrastructure on Cloud (Servers & Storage)

Currently what are the solutions that Gulf Infotech provides businesses?

Gulf Infotech is a focused Google Enterprise Solution provider and provides primarily two major solutions from Google:

Oman is the second largest adaptor of Cloud Computing services after UAE in GCC. Today Oman has more than 25,000+ users on Google Apps

• Google Apps for Business • Google Maps for Business Google Apps for Business is a direct replacement to Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft File Server, Microsoft SharePoint & Microsoft Office on the Cloud. As Google Apps is a closed based solution it does not need any local IT Infrastructure as required in Traditional Technology like Microsoft Exchange. Google Apps completely runs out of a Browser without any need of a software to be installed on the local machine.

Google Maps for Business provides a Geographical visualization of Business Information to make the business more efficient. The solutions on Google Maps are Store Locator, Business Trending and Analysis, Vehicle Tracking and Monitoring, Asset Monitoring etc.

Information security is one of the leading concerns for small firms and large companies alike, how secure is the whole platform?

Security is the major concern but not the hurdle to move to cloud. The customers have just to be aware of how cloud works and learn more to mitigate the risk and adjust the corporate policy. The customer has to be aware on choosing the right Cloud Vendor and do a proper background check on Cloud Certification, Availability, Support etc. The biggest challenge the organizations face today to move to cloud is their old business policy which was made a decade ago keeping in Traditional IT Infrastructure as baseline. But those policies like the following need to change: people cannot

access email from outside office or anywhere, Internet is not available to all employees, people cannot access personal emails in office etc. Today there are many other easy ways to take the data outside and engage in personal activities with Smart-phones & tablets etc. So organizations have to change their policies and the time is now.

What had been the general reaction of companies in Oman towards cloud computing? (What has been the rate of adoption in Oman?) Who are some of your clients?

I would say Oman is the second largest adaptor of Cloud Computing services after UAE in GCC. Today Oman has more than 25,000+ users on Google Apps with Gulf Infotech and spread over 100+ organizations. some of our prestigious customers are Khimji Ramdas Group, Bahrain Air, Saud Bahwan Divisions, Muscat Overseas Group, Al Hajiry Group, Al Hassan Group, Times of Oman, United Media Services, Tawoos Catering Services, Muscat Pharmacy etc.

And how much are we talking about in terms of initial investment? How flexible is it?

When it comes to investments in Cloud Computing, it’s all about Operational Expenses not Capital Expense. The payment models are available in Yearly or Monthly models and as low as OMR 2 / Employee / Month for the whole suite of Google Apps which covers

Emails with 25Gb / Users, Calendar, Google Docs as Online Office, Google Sites for Portal etc. The solution is very flexible like if you want only 10 users just pay for 10, no need to buy full Server License and expensive hardware as in case of Microsoft Exchange Solution. And if you would like to reduce the number of users at the end of the subscription you can do that easily.

Cloud computing has the potential to radically change the healthcare/ biosciences sector as well (clinical applications, sharing genome datasets, archiving, etc.) Will you be offering something along these lines to hospitals/ research institutes in Oman?

Yes Gulf Infotech is closely working with local Government Authorities to provide many public services using Google Solutions and specially on the Healthcare Sector Gulf Infotech would be launching a Service in 2012.

What next for Gulf Infotech and cloud computing in the Sultanate?

Gulf Infotech has set its gears to become a Regional player and will be expanding to all GCC countries by end of 2013. Gulf Infotech will be having offices across six countries over a period of next two years. About Cloud Computing in Sultanate, Gulf Infotech was born in Oman and Oman will remain the Head Quarters of a Regional Cloud Player with much higher penetration in Oman on the Cloud Computing Solutions.

DOSSIER COMEX 2012 37

Gadgets

Talking Trends When it comes to ground-breaking technology, there’s no place like the present.

From the smartest of phones to the trendiest of notebooks. Here are some of the gadgets that have taken the world by storm

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1

With its large display, Galaxy Note 10.1 provides multi-screen functionality to maximize efficiency in learning, work and creative endeavours. Its multiscreen functionality enables you to do a true multi-tasking, by viewing Internet pages, videos or other applications side by side while writing or sketching your ideas.

The Note 10.1 features S Note, a unique and efficient tool that lets you combine notes or sketches together with web content, images and other digital media into your own personalized storyboards. Also, hand-drawn geometric shapes can be perfectly digitized by using the Shape Match function, which helps users to create more organized idea sketches and storyboards.

Moreover, by using the S Note’s integrated knowledge search engines, users can quickly search, obtain information, and easily drag & drop the cropped images and content onto S Notes without having to switch between screens.

Users can fully enjoy PC-like premium photo editing and drawing experiences with Adobe® Photoshop® Touch and Adobe Ideas. Both are specially optimized for S pen and are exclusively pre-loaded on Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. Impressive indeed!

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Gadgets

LUMIS 3D-S

The LUMIS 3D-S is an high-end compact 3-chip DLP® home theater 3D single unit projector, the first and only in the market which utilises Triple Flash Technology.

Designed for use with large screen sizes (up to 5m – 16.5 ft wide), the Lumis projector achieves extraordinary picture quality through the partnership of the latest 0,95” 1080p DC4 DLP chipset. No other projector technology matches the colour depth, brightness and contrast ratio that the LUMIS 3D-S is able to deliver. No longer does high performance demand that an industrial-sized projector and rack of pre-processing boxes are used to produce true videophile images, the LUMIS 3D-S achieves this and more from its compact, elegant form factor.

In a continuously evolving market, where new technologies emerge on a day-today basis, SIM2 has designed a projector without compromise. The LUMIS 3D-S is available in SIM2’s classic High-Gloss Gun Metal finish or in White, Black or Red colour case options that feature an intriguing combination of two different tone-textures: an elegant matte accent coupled with a glamorous gloss finish, to create an aesthetic that demands attention.

iPad 3

Beolit 12

Bang & Olufsen, the global provider of luxury, integrated audiovideo solutions and services, and B&O PLAY, the company’s new brand focussed on a more playful and portable product portfolio, are announcing its first product, the Beolit 12 portable music system. Beolit 12 defies industry standards with its cutting-edge sound quality, flexible application and distinct, compact design. Designed by Danish designer, Cecilie Manz, Beolit 12 follows a design language that is a direct reflection of its use: convenient, robust and casual. Beolit 12 follows the success of the BeoSound 8 sound system for iPad/iPod/iPhone docking, with a combination of excellent sound performance, distinct design and craftsmanship, and portable wireless operation. Beolit 12 features Apple’s AirPlay technology. It allows you to play music wirelessly from your iPod, iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC when connected to your wireless network. It is designed to be portable and has a built-in power supply and a rechargeable battery. Beolit 12 is a tribute to Bang & Olufsen’s ever-popular transistor Beolit radios from the 1960’s, and similar to its early predecessors, it presents a compact form, yet a robust sound reproduction. Also, despite its relatively small size, the Beolit 12 offers a best in class portable sound experience. The sound system is designed and tuned by the same sound engineers that delivered the award winning BeoLab 5 loudspeakers from Bang & Olufsen.

The iPad 3 has definitely turned into one of the most talked about product of the year! To start off with the biggest transition from iPad 2 to iPad 3 is the Graphics - with the Retina display the iPad 3 has four times the number of pixels as compared to the iPad 2. Moreover it has a resolution of 2048x1536 that means that the photos, GUI and the videos look amazing and almost lifelike. Moreover with the inclusion of the A5X quadcore chip Apple developers have called this iPad the graphic powerhouse. Apple has also paid attention to its photography function this time with the inclusion of a five megapixels camera. The tablet is thicker (by 0.6mm), heavier (by 50g) but makes up for it in speed and power. Definitely something to check out!

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Gadgets

Bose VideoWave Entertainment System

The VideoWave system merges sound and picture like never before, delivering cinematic performance from invisible speakers built into an HD display. This single, integrated system eliminates a roomful of speakers, wires and complexity. The award-winning waveguide technology is built directly into the video display, delivering resounding low notes and dramatic sound effects.

The VideoWave system removes home theatre complication by putting everything in one place. The innovative built-in sound technologies mean there are no speakers to painstakingly wire and position. Your sources—Blu-ray player, cable box, video game system—all connect to one console, which can be hidden away.

No clutter, no confusion. Plus, you’ll control it all, from your DVR to your compatible iPod with a single remote. It’s all part of the Unify™ intelligent integration system, designed to make home theatre easier today, and when adding sources in the future.

Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook

The first thing that strikes you about the XPS 13 is how compact it is. And indeed - though the XPS 13 has a 13.3-inch screen, it feels like it’s staring at you from an 11-inch chassis. The 1366 x 768 pixel resolution allows you to enjoy 720p highdefinition videos on the move. XPS 13 contains a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-2467M processor with 4GB of RAM and dualcore 1.6Ghz Core i5-2467M is available in models. While the XPS 13 will undeniably appeal to the consumer, Dell also hopes to capture a large part of the business market for Ultrabooks – there are enterprisefriendly features such as a Trusted Platform Module for BitLocker Data Encryption and after-sales ProSupport service. The Dell XPS is available at Arabian Computers Company.

42 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

Sony Xperia™ S The new Xperia S is an Android smartphone that delivers a stunning viewing experience with a high resolution screen, Sony HD experiences and a 12MP camera that takes pictures in just 1.5 seconds from standby.

Xperia S also comes with a powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor for faster performance. The new Xperia S enables easy connectivity with multiple screens for consumers looking to share and enjoy content on whichever screen best suits their situation, whether it’s TV, smartphone, laptop or tablet. Xperia S is also PlayStation™ Certified, guaranteeing a high quality smartphone gaming experience and access to the PlayStation® Store. Xperia S showcases a new design approach referred to as “Iconic Identity”, a simple, strong look that is instantly recognisable. The transparent element at the base creates an iconic silhouette where the display is emphasized and underlined. The user interface has been redesigned to match the minimalistic design of the hardware.

The home screen has a new colourful flow background making full usage of HD Reality Display and dual-core processing power.

sponsored feature

Data Capture Systems LLC (DCS)

Smart Solutions

Data Capture Systems (DCS) – Positioning vital information at your fingertips

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ata Capture Systems (DCS) is a leading provider of business enabling solutions in the field of Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) using Barcoding, RFID, Wireless, GPS and Biometric based technologies. Headquartered in Dubai, DCS has been operating in the Middle East since 1989. The company also has branch offices in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia. DCS core competencies are: • Barcode based data capture • Application specific mobile computing • RFID solutions

• Label & Card Printer solutions.

• Wireless Data Communication Networks • GPS/GPRS based Vehicle Monitoring & Analysis Services.

• EAS Systems • Consultancy, Integration and Implementation Services DCS combines world-class products from industry leaders with its professional expertise to provide Enterprise Mobility solutions across industry sectors. These include Retail, Warehousing & Distribution, Manufacturing, Field Service, Health care, Hospitality, Aviation, BFSI, Transportation & Logistics, Oil and Gas and Government.

Retail Inventory, Asset Tracking, Warehouse Inventory Management, Shipping & Distribution, Sales Force Automation, Field Service Automation, Vehicle Tracking and Analysis services, Time & Attendance etc. are some of the mobility solutions deployed by DCS in the region.

DCS has very strong association with world leading brands like Motorola Solutions, Intermec, Zebra, LXE, Access-IS, ATS, Telematics4U and strategic associations with various Independent Software vendors. DCS is the most successful and premier partner-of-choice for large scale projects in the region.

Contact: Tel – 24781011, Fax – 24781012 Zubin Cherian - Country Manager 92803884

APPS

Upwordly

Mobile

44 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

What are smartphones without apps? Cell phone apps take on the world in ways bigger, faster and better than ever before.

Here’s a round-up of the best apps available in the ‘market’ today…

Evernote Combining three platforms – desktop computers, mobile phone platforms and the Web – Evernote is a functional and extremely useful notetaking application. If you have the application running on your camera phone, it will automatically upload your snapshots to the Evernote server, creating a useful archive of them. But the best feature is that it also does OCR on your images so you can find them later by searching for text in them. Everything you do on your phone and on your computer gets synchronised to your Evernote account on the Web. The free version offers 40MB per month for uploading and regular OCR performance, while $45 a year gets you a 500MB a month allowance, priority OCR, better security features, and support.

Platform: Android, iOS, Windows Temple Run One of the best apps to hit the markets this month, Temple Run is sure to keep you engaged for hours. Your quest is to escape from an ancient temple with treasure in hand as you swipe and slide your way through traps, jump over cliffs, collect coins and buy power ups, unlock new characters, and see how far you can run! Levels are randomised making the reaction-style adventure game endlessly playable.

Platform: iOS, Android

ESPN ScoreCentre With an almost inexhaustible selection of sports scores and leagues to follow in real time, ESPN’s free ScoreCenter app sweetens the deal by throwing in breaking news updates and letting you customise the app to feature your favourite teams and sports. Stay on top of all the results you care about with one-tap access to your personalized set of scores.

Never miss another goal, pitch, basket, try, touchdown or wicket.

ESPN’s venerable news ticker scrolls across the bottom of the screen just for good measure, too.

Platform: iOS Accounts 2 Accounts 2 is an easy to use application to replace your paper checkbook. With the Accounts 2 application, you will have a quicker and more convenient way to track your daily finances. You can schedule transactions, create recurring payees list, transfer funds, reconcile, export data, view reports, graphs, and much more. All features of the Accounts application are designed to be quick, clean, intuitive, and easy to use.

Platform: iOS Adobe Photoshop Express Digital photography editing, until very recently, has been a task best suited for desktop and laptop

DOSSIER COMEX 2012 45

APPS

computers, but Adobe proved that it could be done in the mobile space with Photoshop Express, a free photo editing application. It’s a powerhouse of a mobile app, and can even handle noise reduction. Editing and sharing pictures with your friends and family has never been easier. All in all, Adobe Photoshop Express is a solid tool for making light photo edits on your phone.

everywhere, share them easily and access them from anywhere you have a signal, fills that role nicely with a Dropbox app. It has a simple interface, easy uploading, and swift syncing across all accounts. Dropbox is compatible with nearly every computer and smartphone operating system, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, and BlackBerry.

Platform: iOs, Android

Platform: iOS, Android, BlackBerry

Dropbox If your files live all over the place— your office computer, home desktop, laptop—having a dependable syncing program is a must. Dropbox, a free service that lets people bring their documents, photos and videos

Google Sky Map This stunning app uses your phone’s orientation tools to give you an accurate representation of the stars and planets on your screen. Point your phone at the sky, then learn what constellations are visible and

46 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

if that’s a UFO or just Venus. Google Sky Map even works indoors, if you’re not keen on stepping out.

Platform: Android Foursquare Foursquare is a location-based social networking app. Users “check in” at venues using a mobile website, text messaging or a device-specific application by selecting from a list of venues the application locates nearby. Each check-in awards the user points and sometimes “badges”.

Currently over 10 million registered users use this app on a day-to-day basis. Check it out for yourself now!

Platform: iOS, Android, Windows, BlackBerry

APPS

WordPress WordPress for Android started out as independent creation, before WordPress decided it liked it so much it bought it – hiring the maker to develop it in-house. The app for both platforms is very featurepacked, with the latest version offering full integration with other apps, letting you spin content and send it directly to the app for easy updating – all in all, a blogger’s delight. Now you can blog from virtually anywhere and at any time.

Platform: iOS, Android BBC News BBC’s News app is a refined app featuring a stylish grid-based front page. Personalise the app so that you can re-order the news categories to suit your interests and then swipe from left to right to switch between stories in your chosen specialist category and you’re good to go.

Breaking news, top stories and headlines, features and analyses, news clips embedded in stories and much more right at your fingertips. A recent update also added a couple of Home screen widgets, too, plus the ability to submit your own news tips.

Platform: Android, iOS Garageband GarageBand turns your iPad into a collection of Touch Instruments and a full-featured recording studio — so you can make music anywhere you go. Use Multi-Touch gestures to play pianos, organs, guitars, drums, and basses on your iPad. They sound and play like their counterparts, but let you do things you could never do on a real instrument.

Platform: iOS WolframAlpha Find out how much vitamin C is in a bowl of ice cream. Learn what European country has the fourth largest population of children.

Compute solutions to difficult trig and calculus problems. Balance complex chemical equations.

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The TED app lets users browse its database of well over 1000 TED talks, all free to download and try

Discover what is overhead as you gaze up at the stars. Finally crack that crossword puzzle. Whoever you are and whatever you do, Wolfram Alpha delivers insight and understanding into any facet of your life.

Platform: iOS Blogger The Google-owned Blogger platform now has a presence in the current decade, thanks to the official Blogger app. It’s remarkably simple, supports image uploads and geo-tagging and imports the settings of all blogs associated with your Gmail account.

There’s no fancy editing tool that arranges the positions of your photos, which just get chucked in at the bottom, but it works well and must have for all those who still use Blogger.

OmniGraffle feels right at home on the iPad, using the touchscreen as a canvas. The diagramming tool - which you can use to create flowcharts, sketch out ideas, and even plan an office floorplan - is intuitive and straightforward, enabling you to make full use of multi-touch gestures to draw, drag and style shapes.

Platform: iOS SketchBook Pro We’re big fans of SketchBook on the iPhone, and this high-def version, SketchBook Pro, makes it even easier to sketch out an artistic image.

The tools are amazingly advanced, mirroring what you might see in Photoshop, Painter or in a real artist’s shop.

Platform: Android

Platform: iOS

Instagram Some apps apply a vintage filter on your snapshots, and others let you share your snapshots with friends.

Instagram does both, taking mobile photography social. Instagram’s defining feature is its feed. You can “follow” your friends and various media outlets, and if they follow you back your shared shots appear on the feed for everyone’s viewing and commenting pleasure. A distinctive feature confines photos to a square shape in contrast to the 4:3 aspect ratio typically used by mobile device cameras. A fun app that’s become a hit among the younger users.

TED The TED app lets users browse its database of well over 1000 TED talks, all free to download and try to get through in one go without any glitches. Users can see the latest TEDTalks videos as soon as they’re available online; search for a talk by speaker name or topic; share it easily over Facebook, Twitter or email; mark and save talks for viewing later within their “My Talks” tab and much more.

Platform: iOS, Android OmniGraffle

The app is also designed to support a mobile lifestyle, in which users move fluidly between online and offline use.

Platform: iOS, Android

30th April - 4th May, 2012

Oman International Exhibition Centre, Muscat

@

www.comexoman.com COMEX EXHIBITION “Towards ICT innovation” BUSINESS: 30 April - 4 May 2012, Timing: 10:00 am to 9:00 pm (Friday: 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm) SHOPPER: 30 April - 4 May 2012, Timing: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm (Friday: 4:30 pm to 10:00 pm)

COMEX CONFERENCE “Enhancing Oman Human Capital through Optimum Use of ICT” 1 - 2 May 2012, Golden Tulip, Timing: 8:00 am to 2:30 pm Supported by

Platinum Sponsor

Official B2B Publication

Strategic Sponsor

Gold Sponsor

Official Clearing & Forwarding Agent

Lead Sponsors

Silver Sponsor

Organiser

ICT Partner

ICT Solution Provider

Knowledge Partner

IT Transformation Partner

Media Partners

For more information, please contact: Mr. Zaheer Ahmed, GSM: +968 96301981, E-mail: zaheer@oite.com

profile

Quality Par Excellence Polyglot Institute, a forerunner in the training domain, provides some of the most advanced programmes in the Sultanate. Dossier takes a deeper look…

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stablished in 1975, Polyglot Institute is the pre-eminent training establishment in Oman that has been responsible for pioneering vocational training within the Sultanate. Over the years Polyglot has grown by leaps and bounds and today, the institute is associated with some of the best programmes in the country.

Your Strategic Training Partner Polyglot has some of the most advanced IT programmes in Oman.

With a strong team of certified trainers and a number of affiliations with various international bodies such as Microsoft, Oracle, CompTIA, CISCO etc. the IT Department is broken down into various divisions such as: Office skills (Office Applications, ICDL, MS-Outlook, etc.); Graphics, Multimedia & Web Design (ASP.NET, Adobe Suite, Corel Draw, etc.); Programming & Database (Oracle, Java, .NET, etc.); Hardware & Networking (UNIX, CCNA, CCNP, etc.); Security & Management (CISSP, SPSS, etc.); CADD Centre(Auto CAD, MS Project, Primavera, 3DS Max etc.)

After the recent partnership with SAP Middle East and North Africa, the institute is now a SAP academy 50 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

where e-Academies as well as Instructor Led Training is being offered. Apple iMac programmes such as Mac OS, Mac iAnimate etc. are also available.Polyglot also provides the Certified Ethical Hacker training programme. The CEH programme certifies individuals in the specific network security discipline of Ethical Hacking from a vendor-neutral perspective. According to Executive Director, Al Qassim Mohammed Al Harthy, “We can train our clients on how to protect their organisation from being hacked by having them to think like hackers. We go to organisations and – with their permission– try to penetrate their systems to see where the loopholes and vulnerabilitieslie.

Based on that, on a consultancy approach, wehelp them fix the areas of concern along with with on-going training to the staff to ensure that such penetrations do not happen again in the future.A lot of people/ organisations are not aware that we provide these services. Those who are aware of it are regularly in touch with us.”

For Businesses the mostly popular courses have been the language courses. “We’ve built our reputation on our language courses,” explains Al Qassim. According to Karima Scroxton, Director of Language Studies, “We’re affiliated

to International House World Organisation (IHWO), which was set up with a view to ensure that the very best of English tuition is provided.Teachers are constantly trainedto ensure that they learn the best methodologies. We have also introduced Persian, Urdu and looking to introducing Malayalam, Pashtun, Bengali and Tamil. We have a teacher training and development centre and are currently running the CELTA course.”

In the future, Polyglot also hopes to set up a network of all language teachers. Says Karima, “What we’d like to do, being part of International House, is to invite all language teachers to become part of the network. And once that is up and running there will be monthly workshops where they can get together and share ideas. That’s something that’s in the offing. It’s just not limited to English teachers – we’d like to open it up for all language teachers.”

Polyglot has also introduced a unique concept of ‘Mobile Training’ wherein the institute sends staff to their clients located in rural areas in order to train them.

The Polyglot Advantage Not only is Polyglot the oldest and

Al Qassim Mohammed Al Harthy, Executive Director

largest private training institutes in Oman, but also one that has upheld it’s dictum of quality. “We have always viewed ourselves as a strategic training partner and never approach clients like it’s just any other business,” affirms Al Qassim.

With state-of-the-art facilities comparable to the best training institutes across the globe, Polyglot works within the international quality standards of ISO 9001:2008.

In 2001, they were also awarded a certificate of excellence in training by the Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI - UK). From closed groups to customised training, Polyglot has

the capability to cater to all the requirements of individuals – be it fast track, super -fast track or boot camp training.All trainees are guaranteed hands on experience while helps instil valuable insights and continue to receive the support of the institute a month after the training has been completed.It is impossible to put a price tag on knowledge-based services and the institute has always maintained a ‘Best value for money’ maxim.

“Our largest asset here in Polyglot is our team” says Al Qassim.“There are some members of the team who have been with us for a very long

time and we work together as a family, involving everyone in all the decisions that are made in relation to their respective department.”

Polyglot Institute Oman is committed to the pursuit of excellence and has achieved an unparalleled reputation for the quality of its teaching and facilities.

With reputable industry partners, it is of little wonder that Polyglot remains one of the leading training institutes in Oman.

Contact: Tel – 24666666 Email – enquiry@polyglot.org Website – www.polyglot.org DOSSIER COMEX 2012 51

profile

Diverse Offerings with Value Added Services Mosaic LLC is a diversified company in the business of ICT, Real Estate, Fashion, Retail, Sports and Investments. Dalajit Nayak, Senior Manager – Business Operations & Development, speaks about their IT & Education division Kindly give a brief overview about Mosaic’s history.

Mosaic LLC was formed in 1996 as Muscat International Trading Company which was involved in providing hi-end professional IT courses including Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, CompTIA, EC-COUNCIL etc.

Apart from this, it also started offering to schools a unique American ICT Curriculum in the form of FutureKids.

In 2004, the company underwent a complete branding overhaul and business transformation and established what is known today as Mosaic LLC – a well-diversified company in the businesses of ICT/IT solutions, information security audit, real estate, fashion, retail, sports and investments. The promoters of the company are established business man whose ancestors have been in

Oman for over 100 years. Mosaic LLC continues to look for exciting opportunities across Oman for its core strategies. As part of its CSR, the group has also been consistently supporting the local initiatives of the Art of Living Foundation in Oman.

When was the IT & Education division first established and what was the main purpose behind it?

Though we have been offering different IT & Education related services since 1996, it is last year; we have made the IT & Education related services to a separate division in the event of offering more focused services to our clients. We have been offering FutureKids as part of schools’ ICT curriculum since 1996. We are one of the pioneers in

Dalajit Nayak, Senior Manager – Business Operations & Development 52 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

providing ICT education for Private and International schools. This has been approved and recognized by the Ministry of Education and our curriculum has been implemented in more than 40 schools successfully.

Futurekids helps schools use technology to transform education.

FutureKids is based on fun based learning concept and utilize children’s education software, Microsoft and Adobe based application to impart knowledge of various IT skills.

However recently, we realized that there’s the need for a different curriculum to meet certain specific requirements of few other schools and hence decided to introduce Canadian ICT curriculum “TechnoKids” to the market. TechnoKids takes a project-based approach from KG to Grade 12 where students learn and acquire IT skills while working on projects. Both the curriculums are based on 10 core technologies areas of international curriculum standards and meets Cambridge International examination needs in different stages.

Both can be wholly integrated into the schools’ curriculum. Currently we are in a process to bring many more international educational products and services to Sultanate.

Tell us a little about the teaching faculty and the competitive advantage that they bring into the programmes.

Firstly, we make sure that the teachers are well trained and meet

the requirements set by the tenets of FutureKids and TechnoKids. We have an excellent training facility at our Head Office and conduct two different training sessions – one at the start of the academic year and the other at the mid-year of it.

These are common training sessions wherein we invite teachers from all the schools implemented our said curriculum. Apart from this we also conduct one-to-one training based on individual teacher’s needs and skills improvement.

Our school coordinators visit the schools time to time and provide on the spot assistance and monitor progress of the curriculum. If there’s any need for guidance or training, we invite them to come over and undergo the required training again. At the end of the day, the learning objectives have to be met and there has to be no compromise in the quality of education imparted. We work closely with the Ministry of Education; we want to make sure that the nation’s objectives towards ICT education are adequately met. We provide each student with text books and at the end of the year certify them with course completion certificate in each grade. We also send support engineers regularly to schools for installation of relevant software and fixing any hardware and software related problems. On a whole, this is one of our strengths and what provides the right competitive advantage.

To what would you attribute the success of TechnoKids & FutureKids?

We haven’t yet seen any real competition in terms of quality education and the kind of package that we offer mentioned earlier. Our package is our unique selling point (USP) because no one else can provide such comprehensive value added and in-depth knowledge and service.

Then we maintain a very warm business relationship with our clients and constantly evaluate our services

Technology is a tool for learning and solving, hence an effective distribution of technology and knowledge through a streamlined design and a well-structured learning parameter are important to impart the best-in-class efficiently and timely to the nation’s progress. through measureable feedback systems. Although today, we have a few new entrants in the market that provide low cost course materials, it is hard to provide the same what we do.

What are your plans for 2012 and the future in terms of introducing new courses, affiliations, etc?

ICT Curriculum: • Complete K-12 ICT Curriculum for schools • Implemented the curriculums in more than 40 schools across Oman • Trained more than 200 teachers and 50,000 students • Both the Curriculums are fully approved by Ministry of Education • Meets the ICT requirements of international standards • Many schools completed more than 10 years of implementation • Highly appreciated by Educators and School Management

Information Security and Audits (AAA) • Offer niche and innovative solutions in the field of Information Security, IS Audit, IT Assurance and IT Governance • Recipient of many Awards towards contribution in the field of Information Security and IS Audit.

• Empanelled by Reserve Bank of India and CERT-In Gov. of India

We strive to support improvements in education and make a positive difference in students’ lives by providing well design ICT curriculums that help students learn to think and apply. We acknowledge that there’s a requirement for the upgradation of the curriculum. So we have planned to provide the upgraded version of the curriculum starting from 2012-2013 academic year.

You recently partnered with a renowned IT auditing and consulting firm. Kindly shed some more light on this.

We have partnered with an Indian company who are pioneers of Information Security Audits in India – AAA Technologies. They are one of the companies who have been empanelled

by Reserve Bank of India to audit their IT infrastructure. They have a long history with IT audits and have been working closely with many banks across India as well as Ministries and Government bodies. With a proven track record of more than a decade, the company has been involved with Information Security, IS Audit, IT Assurance and IT Governance. We have recently attended many meetings with Banks, Oil companies and large corporate to cater their needs.

Tel: 24475789 Email: info@mosaic.om Website: www.mosaic.om DOSSIER COMEX 2012 53

profile

Digital Doyens 54 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

GULFCYBERTECH E-Solutions is a professional Web Development Company which offers a broad range of web solutions & services.

Mohammed Abdul Malik Al Qadri, chief executive, on what makes them distinctive and the best web development company in Oman:

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stablished in 2003, GULFCYBERTECH E-Solutions is an Omani company that provides a gamut of web-based solutions to clients. Website designing and Development, Web-based Applications Development, E-Commerce Solutions are just few, among their many offerings. “We combine people, process and technology to deliver reliable web solutions of international standards in meeting our client’s business needs,” explains Mohammed Abdul Malik Al Qadri, Chief Executive & Founder.

Whether it is automating their business processes or building professional websites, clients may rest assured knowing that they are in the right hands. “We believe in the core values of Honesty, Integrity and Fairness as fundamental business principles which we are committed to uphold as a professional company in all aspects of the business. Our skilled team undertakes each project with passion, perfection and professionalism hence ensuring total customer satisfaction.”

Their strategic thinking, top developers, competitive prices, real world results and a customer focused approach differentiates them from other web design companies. The quality of their work and the extent of their clientele reflect their credibility and determination to lead in today’s competitive market. “Our mission is to transform our client’s business aspiration into a successful online reality and enabling them to harness the infinite potential of the web technologies, thus greatly enhancing their online success. We differentiate ourselves from competitors on the quality of our services and ensuring that we deliver the best value to our clients. Our structured development approach ensures delivery of quality

solutions.” The company is dedicated to applying their diverse talents to produce stunning imagery, meaningful content and user-friendly e-commerce applications. The ultimate testimony to their creativity, professionalism and quality is perhaps their winning streak at the Oman Web Awards year after year. Held under the auspices of the Information Technology Authority (ITA), GulfCybertech has been the recipient of the Best Web Design Company multiple times, the last one being in December 2011. “This recognition is in many ways, our promotion,” says Qadri. “Our clients approach us with the knowledge and

quality benchmarks and be recognised as a leading web development company in the Gulf Region and to be considered as a partner of first choice by our valued clients.”

But how does one stay competitive in this market? Are there adequate skills and resources? Here Qadri explains that resourcing the organisation with the right resources is fundamental for any successful organisation. People are the key drivers for success. In order to ensure we deliver the quality solutions, one simply needs to deploy the right skill set, experience, creativity and professionalism. To get

We differentiate ourselves from competitors on the quality of our services and ensuring that we deliver the best value to our clients assurance that we know what we’re doing. And that’s our number one strategy – to be the best in what we do and we just want to stay focused on that. Our great strength lies in the vast experience we have gained over the years in undertaking web projects of various complexities for customers in both the public and private sector in diverse industries.”

Yet another aspect that the company is working towards is obtaining the quality management standard. “We are looking at obtaining the ISO 9001 certification by the end of this year,” says Qadri. “Again, this underlines our commitment to quality and that we consistently work towards ensuring we deliver quality to our clients. Our vision is to create new

the right skills in the current economic environment is always a challenge but all organisations face this challenge regardless of the industry they are in. We are also committed towards promoting and developing the local talent” explains Qadri.

“In providing professional and high quality web solutions, we believe we are playing our role in a small way in supporting His Majesty’s vision of transforming Oman into a sustainable knowledge-based society.” He goes on to praise the role of ITA as commendable in implementing the government’s e-strategy and utilising the Information and Communication Technology’s infrastructure for the overall progress of our beloved nation.

DOSSIER COMEX 2012 55

sponsored feature

ARABIAN COMPUTERS COMPANY LLC

Banking on Quality

Arabian Computers Company LLC, offers sale and unparalleled service of computer equipment to cater to any business or personal requirement

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stablished in 1998, Arabian Computers Company LLC (ACC) has always been the market leader when it comes to complete computer and network solutions. In 2008, ACC made some modifications to their organisational structure and since 2009 have been operating a separate sub-distribution centre in the heart of Muscat’s commercial district.

As leading IT experts, ACC ensures all computing requirements are met with reliable and sustainable equipment – be it for business, personal or educational use. Their

in-house team have intricate knowledge and expertise of all their product ranges and can provide honest, valuable advice about clients’ purchases and their integration into any existing IT system.

ACC is an authorised re seller of Dell computers – which means that all clients can obtain quality Dell computer systems at competitive pricing, and enjoy the technical support. They are also authorised re seller for brands like Linksys, Epson, Philips, D-Link & Verbatin etc.

Linksys RE1000 • Broad compatibility with b/g/n Wi-Fi devices • Extended range with multiple antennas • Fast Ethernet (10/100 Mbps) port to connect wired devices • Flexible wall or desktop placement options

According to Hussain Abdul Redha Al-Abduwani, Chief Executive Officer, “One of ACC’s biggest strength is the competitive pricing that we offer. We also provide excellent after-sales support and customers can rest assured they are getting the best in terms of value and investment. ACC is also equipped to handle orders of all sizes. Backed by our dedicated and knowledgeable staff supporting us and given our ethos of making IT affordable, we are confident that ACC will become your first choice.”

Currently, the company is looking at expanding their operations. In the coming months (May-June) ACC is expected to open a office at Al Qurum & few other branches.

The state-of-the-art store will offer customers the convenience of shopping for all their IT requirements from systems to software and peripherals.

Hussain Abdul Redha Al-Abduwani, Chief Executive Officer 56 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

CONTACT: Tel – 24700088 E-mail – arabcom@omantel.net.om

Integrated Systems LLC

Seamless IT Solutions

Integrated Systems LLC is one of the leading Solution Providers and Systems Integrators in Oman today. Haitham Abu Nasser, General Manager, speaks about the organisation and their visions for the market here

Staying true to their dictum of quality, Integrated Systems places great emphasis on delivering services based on customers’ need with worldwide standards. “Our key vision when we started the company was to be system integrators,” says Haitham. “We are strongly focused on service and that’s our selling point. Most companies fail to follow through after delivering. However, at Integrated Systems, we make sure we follow through. Also, what sets us apart is that while delivering solutions to our clients, we take on a consultative approach and become their partners, instead of just being another solution provider.”

The company is one of the pioneers in network and security solutions.

A prime example would be the introduction of biometric security access. “We were the first company to introduce the technology in the market,” says Haitham. “This was back in 1998 when we were introducing revolutionary security systems for the government.”

Haitham Abu Nasser, General Manager

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ntegrated Systems LLC was established in 1996 aimed at fulfilling the technical and IT needs of major governmental, industrial and commercial organisations in the Sultanate of Oman. Today, the company has mushroomed to a successful IT Solutions Provider managed by a professional and highly experienced team providing the local market with state-of-the-art technologies, support and services.

“Right since our inception in 1996 when Integrated Systems started working closely with the Government and until today, we have been executing projects in terms of

Enterprise Solutions. Where ever there are enterprise solutions, we bid and we participate,” explains Haitham Abu Nasser. Today their clientele has expanded to include illustrious names within the banking and the oil and gas sector among many others.

With a vision towards enterprise wide integration, Integrated Systems aim to provide an integrated suite of quality products and services to meet the varied requirements of our clients. Their gamut of solutions maybe broadly classified under three core activities namely, IT Infrastructure; Security and Safety; and finally Consultancy.

Today the market has become very perceptive towards the rapid changes in technology. However, when it comes to security there seems to be a certain awareness gap. “Today, what most companies fail to realise is that the need for data security surpasses physical security. Most of the companies are connected to the Internet and which it means that they are extremely vulnerable and may be hacked from anywhere in the world.

Unfortunately, most people do not view this as a major threat just yet even though it is a very serious issue.

There needs to be a shift towards data security more than physical security.”

Contact: Tel – 24600105/24603205 E-mail – info@integsystems.com Website – www.integsystems.com DOSSIER COMEX 2012 57

sponsored feature

General Electric and Trading Co LLC (Genetco)

Endlessly Innovative

Genetco has a long-standing history in Oman. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, Genetco offers customers some of the best products including the likes of Lenovo and Asus

largest PC maker and sells the Ideapad line of notebook computers. Lenovo markets its products directly to consumers through power retailers dealers or direct sale. The Ideapad line up comprises the finest materials with the latest specifications; combined with affordable pricing, the product makes for the perfect device for one’s daily needs. The product line is made of four categories : S – A sleek mini laptop which fits any bag or lifestyle.

G – The no-nonsense family PC which fits all budgets.

Z – With bold colours and even bolder entertainment Machine.

Y – High-performance multimedia, now portable.

U – You can take it anywhere — and you’ll want to.

Khodor Ezzaldine, Division Manager & Ambuj Khare, Senior General Manager

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our decades and still going strong; Genetco must be doing something right.

Established in 1971, the company today has burgeoned to become one of the largest and most diversified organisations in the Omani market. “At Genetco, we service a customer or service somebody who services a customer,” says Ambuj Khare, Senior General Manager.

This has been their core dictum since the company underwent some organisational reshuffling a few years back. “We needed to bounce back in the market in a big way and did some restructuring,” explains Khare.

The company also streamlined their 58 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

product portfolio to ensure exact customer requirements are met.

“We’ve studied the existing market closely and consolidated our brands to provide what Omani clients require. We’re trying to address mass consumers and do not want to limit ourselves by introducing very hi-end or low-end products. At the same time, we do not believe in merely selling merchandise; hence Genetco goes the extra mile to provide solutions to clients and directs them on how to maximise the utilisation of the products.”

The Products: Lenovo: Lenovo is the world’s second

Asus: One of the leading Brands in the IT Manufacturing industry, ASUS, is the world’s top three consumer notebook vendors and the maker of the world’s bestselling and most award winning motherboards. ASUS is a leading enterprise in the new digital era. ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home, office and person, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktops, Eee Box and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbook, tablet devices, servers, multimedia and wireless solutions, networking devices, and mobile phones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 3398 awards in 2010, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™.

Both Lenovo and Asus products are available at all retailer outlets and Genetco stores across Oman including Salalah, Sur, Sohar, and Buraimi.

Contact: Tel – 24704457 Fax – 24700032 Website – www.genetco.net

Canon

A Class of Its Own

Technological pioneers, Canon, have made a strong headway into the markets in Oman. Ambuj Khare, Senior General Manager & Khodor Ezzaldine,Division Manager,Genetco explains further.

When was Canon’s first entry into the market in Oman? Kindly take us through its journey since then till date.

Canon started its journey in Oman with Genetco in 1971. A year later, both Genetco and Canon and gained a prime position in the market and specifically in many categories such as SLRs with a whopping 74 per cent market share. Over the years Genetco Canon has gone from strength to strength to reach 45 per cent growth levels in 2011. Over all, Canon will be targeting a 16 per cent growth in 2012 while maintaining the number one position in SLRs, DSC etc.

Recently, Canon was recognised as ‘One Of The World’s Most Admired Companies In 2012’. To what does Canon attribute its success?

Canon is typically known as the worldwide leader in digital imaging.

Canon was also included in Fortune Magazine’s 2012 – World’s Most Admired Company List, amongst the top five in the computer industry and was placed second across the Asia/Pacific region; taking them two places higher than last year. This significantly demonstrates the scale of the output companies need to demonstrate behind the products and services they offer to customers.

There are several winning factors that Canon excels over and above other businesses. Canon has focused heavily on sustainability and reliability behind the brand delivering innovation and added value through a multitude of integrated means.

The corporate culture that Canon has adopted is hard to challenge –

communities, partners, customers and employees are all closely connected for their all-round success.

The brand understands and recognises what it takes to elevate their sincerity into this credible list.

What are the products and solutions available to customers currently?

Canon is the only company in its field having total solutions from A to Z and does not require third parties to meet customer needs. Starting from Photo Video Canon having the full range of Camera compact cameras (Ixus & Power shot); Video Camera HD, Flash and Hard discs; professional Video Cameras for TV and film making (indoor and outdoor) and the best SLR EOS Cameras where you can see it with almost every professional and beginner.

will be available in Oman by the first week of May packed with many exciting features. The much awaited EOS 1DX and the EOS 5D Mark III will also be available in May. New Video Cinema C300 & C305 for professionals also available in Oman market from April and a new range of multifunctionals has been launched in Oman since Jan 2012.

Among office solutions, Canon has the ability to fulfil all SOHO, SMB and big organisations’ requirements (software and hardware) with the full range of products such as inkjet printers, multifunction laser printers, Multifunction B/W & colour printers, office Multifunction (B/W & Colour), Production equipment (B/W & Colour) , large format printers, document scanners, Document Management Solution, print management solution, print security solutions and much more.

What are the plans for the future with respect to the market in Oman?

Oman is a promising market and a lot of developments and projects are going on across the country. For this very reason we are expanding our dealer network across Oman to be close to our clients wherever they are available. Genetco and Canon have planned major schedules in terms of seminars, road shows and other activities throughout the year to announce plans to customers.

What can customers look forward to in 2012 in terms of new products?

A new, full range of compact camera

Contact: Tel:24704457 Fax: 24704645, www.genetco.net DOSSIER COMEX 2012 59

sponsored feature

Tawoos Power and Telecommunications LLC

Pioneering Solutions

Tawoos Power and Telecommunications LLC, part of the Tawoos Group Oman, aims to provide high quality products, professional engineering services and expertise to the power and telecommunications industry

Tawoos Power & Telecommunications (TPT) was established in 1989 and today has grown to offer a range of telecommunications services on par with the best in the world.

Specialising in state-of-the-art solutions, their product portfolio comprises telecom infrastructure components such as towers, shelters, digital microwave communications, satellite ground communications and many more.

In addition to providing equipment and turnkey systems integration, TPT offers a range of consultancy services backed by its principals throughout the world. TPT’s work maybe broadly classified into two; the first is what they term as telecom infrastructure development. This comprises setting of telecommunication towers, implementing rooftop 60 DOSSIER COMEX 2012

structures across the Sultanate and the likes. “The telecommunication infrastructure development form a large part of our portfolio,” affirms Imtiaz Ahmed Baqui, General Manager. “As much as 85 per cent of the work we do is related to it.

And today, we’re virtually present everywhere – even in the most challenging terrains.”

At the start of every project, TPT’s highly trained engineers go to the location to assess the area and analyse the feasibility, thus playing a vital role in the planning and implementation of the project. TPT’s dominant position in the telecom space is a direct result of differentiating factors such as a thorough knowledge of the Sultanate’s terrain, trained personnel, faster deployment, quality installations and ability to manage

large-scale projects. For instance, on the Muscat Expressway some of the towers were especially developed for the location. “We came up with rapid deployment solutions wherein we could install the towers in half a day,” says Baqui. “It was a rather challenging project but we were very happy to be a part of it and received a lot of kudos for our work.”

In addition to providing equipment and turnkey systems integration, “we have structural consultants and have come up with solutions to address any requirements that our clients may have.”

Recently TPT signed a three-year contract with telecom bigwig, Omantel. “TPT has established a healthy working relationship with Omantel over the years. We have consistently delivered and gone beyond the ordinary, run-of-the-mill infrastructure development – a feat that has been recognised and lauded by everyone.” The other domain that TPT is involved with is network rollout. The company works closely with prestigious names like Nokia Siemens, Huawei and Ericsson.

Moreover, TPT is always on the lookout for providing new solutions or finding ways to improve existing solutions. “We analyse clients’ needs and requirements and come up with solutions accordingly. For instance, very recently we’ve provided remotemonitoring systems for Omantel. It is for the very first time in that real-time monitoring of all the exchanges will be possible.”

TPT’s core strengths lie in their professionalism, quality of deliverables and going beyond the call of duty. Their success in the market is clear testament and despite increasing competition, TPT has successfully managed to hold its own.

Contact: Tel – 24791484 Email – tptinfo@tawoos.com

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