Reseller Middle East August 2017

ISSUE 248 | AUGUST 2017 www.tahawultech.com

A CLOSER LOOK AT

HTC U 11

PARTNERS’ GUIDE TO THE LUCRATIVE DIGITAL SIGNAGE MARKET HOW

STAYING POWER Raqmiyat CEO on evolving into a deeper systems integration player for the next decade

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CONTENTS COVER FEATURE

STAYING POWER

ISSUE 248 // AUGUST 2017

22

Amer Khreino, CEO, Raqmiyat, on the 34-year-old firm’s plans to evolve into a next-generation services provider with deeper systems integration capabilities by 2020.

HIGHLIGHTS

04

FEATURES

NEWS We help you catch up on all the major news and announcements in the regional channel community.

OPINION

18 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS

41 REVIEW

HTC U11

42

Osama AlHaj-Issa from Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, guides channel partners to grow profitably.

21 SCREENING FOR PROSPECTS

Canon Middle East’s Binoj Nair gives an overview of the digital signage market.

26 REALITY CHECK

Reseller ME examines virtual reality opportunities in the retail sector.

30 SALLIANCES TRATEGIC

Reseller ME profiles regional value-added resellers to learn their growth strategies.

PARTNER WATCH

38 SECURITY IN SYNC Jude Pereira from Nanjgel Solutions, elaborates on building a robust security strategy.

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EDITORIAL Above and beyond

Janees Reghelini Editor

E-mail: janees.reghelini@ cpimediagroup.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ TahawulTech Twitter: @TahawulTech

FOUNDER, CPI MEDIA GROUP Dominic De Sousa (1959-2015) Publishing Director Natasha Pendleton natasha.pendleton@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9139

Published by

Registered at Dubai Production City, DCCA PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 Š Copyright 2017 CPI All rights reserved While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

The importance of cybersecurity has been brought to the fore over the last few years. Recent incidents such as the WannaCry and NotPetya ransomware attacks further underline this and highlight the need for regularly updated and advanced security solutions to safeguard an organisation.

Enterprises understand the need for resilient security solutions to protect their networks and data, and are no longer hamstrung by security budget constraints. It is quite common to see security budgets being approved by CFOs or boards without cutting any corners, given what is at stake for businesses. According to estimates from IDC, in 2016, global organisations were expected to spend $73.7 billion on cybersecurity measures. The research firm expects that number to soar to over $101 billion at a compound annual growth rate of 8.3 percent by 2020.

In such a scenario, the opportunity for channel partners is unprecedented. However, partners

need to step up to the role of advisors for their customers. For that, they need to first understand the developments in the market, decide which aspect to focus on and finally build a strong offering around that through services and solutions.

The opportunity for the channel is around all aspects of security – hardware, software and services.

They can also contribute to building user awareness, ensuring controls are in place for who has access to sensitive information and backing up and protecting critical data. They need to work with customers to reinforce and maintain these elements as they form the framework for a sound security strategy.

That being said, it is also important to note that security is always a work in progress. You cannot stop being vigilant. Partners must have a constant dialogue with customers and ensure they are going above and beyond to make their security strategies robust.

EDITORIAL Group Editor Jeevan Thankappan jeevan.thankappan@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9129

ADVERTISING Group Sales Director Kausar Syed kausar.syed@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9130

Editor Janees Reghelini janees.reghelini@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9167

Sales Manager Merle Carrasco merle.carrasco@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147

Online Editor Adelle Geronimo adelle.geronimo@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9135

CIRCULATION Database and Circulation Manager Rajeesh M rajeesh.nair@cpimediagroup.com +971 4440 9119

DESIGN Senior Designer Analou Balbero analou.balbero@cpimediagroup.com Designer Neha Kalvani neha.kalvani@cpimediagroup.com

PRODUCTION Production Manager James P Tharian james.tharian@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9159

Operations Manager Shweta Santosh shweta.santosh@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9107 DIGITAL SERVICES Web Developers Jefferson de Joya Abbas Madh Photographers Max Poriechkin Charls Thomas webmaster@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9100 DIGITAL www.resellerme.com Printed by Printwell Printing Press

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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HIGHLIGHTS

Amazon completes Souq.com acquisition

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mazon has said Ronaldo Mouchawar, officially completed Souq.com CEO and cothe acquisition of founder. “Integration of Middle East based Amazon’s technology and e-commerce player Souq.com. global resources with our As the first step of integration, local expertise will help us customers can now log on to to offer a great service to Souq.com using their Amazon our loyal customers.” credentials, the company said.

Russ Grandinetti, Ronaldo Mouchawar, According to Souq.com, Amazon senior vice Souq.com joining the Amazon family president, International enables it to continue to bring even more Consumer, said, “We are excited to products and services to customers in be able to provide our customers in the region and further expand ‘Fulfilled by the Middle East with the benefit of Souq’ to empower sellers. easy access to Souq.com using their “It is an exhilarating time for the Amazon credentials. We are working to e-commerce industry in the region. quickly integrate Souq.com and Amazon Together with Amazon, our goal is to capabilities, in terms of both customer offer our customers the widest product experience and fulfilment, to provide an selection, great prices, improved delivery ever-improving shopping experience for times and first-rate customer service,” customers in the Middle East.”

Together with Amazon, our goal is to offer our customers the widest product selection, great prices, improved delivery times and first-rate customer service.”

Amazon has also reportedly stated that there are no plans to change the $580 million brand identity of the Dubai-based e-commerce platform “for now.” It further noted that they are seamlessly moving into the next phase of the integration to bring more products and offerings to the region’s customers even faster.

Redington Value joins Nokia Global Partner Programme Regional valueadded technology distributor Redington Value has announced that it has joined the Nokia Global Partner Ramkumar Balakrishnan, Programme.

Redington Value Under the terms of the agreement signed with the vendor, Redington Value will deliver Nokia’s technology solutions and services to resellers and their customers in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region.

The distributor will also market, distribute and service Nokia’s network solutions to enterprise and public sector customers as a value-added distributor in accordance with the partnership.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Nokia, a global technology leader, that constantly innovates with its research powerhouse Nokia Bell Labs to address

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the requirements of our customers.

Nokia’s technology leadership in IP/ Optical Networks, SDN, FTTx and mobile networks will help us drive success for our resellers and their customers,” said Ramkumar Balakrishnan, president, Redington Value. “Our strong partnership will help them build large-scale, carriergrade IP/Optical infrastructure for webscale companies, and mission-critical solutions for public sector players, public safety agencies, smart cities, transportation organisations, energy and tech-centric enterprise customers – to name a few.”

Ismael Hassa, head, Partner Management, Nokia, MEA, said, “The Nokia Global Partner Programme is a key part of Nokia’s go-to-market strategy to make our innovative solutions easily available to enterprise and public sector businesses. The partnership with Redington Value will enable us to accomplish this across the MEA

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

region. We are working with Redington Value not only to expand into traditional distribution networks but also, more importantly, to provide Nokia cloudbased services such as IoT, SDN, wireless and security.”

According to Hassa, the distributor will be able to help its extensive network of value-added resellers seamlessly take new, affordable and innovative services to their customers.

8 IN 10 UAE RESIDENTS CITED THE AVAILABILITY OF AI ASSISTANTS AS KEY REASON THEY PREFER IT TO HUMAN INTERACTION SOURCE: ACCENTURE

HIGHLIGHTS

Aptec expands regional offerings with new and enhanced partnerships

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Micro reseller partners ast month, Aptec – an and their customers will Ingram Micro benefit from additional Company, a solutions to grow their technology distributor businesses in education operating in the Middle East region, and corporate segments.” has expanded its partnership with Meanwhile, the iBoardTouch, a British technology partnership, with Red Hat firm that develops and enables the distributor to manufactures combined hardware Bahaa Salah, Aptec offer the vendor’s training and software solutions for services throughout the classrooms and learning region, including open enrolment courses, environments. The firm also signed as Red onsite courses and Red Hat’s complete Hat and SUSE’s training partner.

According to the distributor, iBoardTouch online delivery portfolio.

As for the collaboration with SUSE, solution has features that are highly needed Ingram Micro’s training centre in Dubai in the corporate and education world, will offer a set of 18 instructed-led bringing easy to use, yet feature rich learning SUSE training modules designed to technology to end-users.

Bahaa Salah, managing director, Aptec help organisations transform to digital businesses.

– an Ingram Micro Company, said, “Ingram

SonicWall surpasses financial and operational goals SonicWall, the private network security company owned by Francisco Partners and Elliott Management, has announced that it has surpassed the financial and operational metrics set across sales, partner engagement and support, including shipping its three millionth firewall.

“In fewer than eight months, SonicWall has already exceeded the ambitious financial and operational metrics established for the business. We believed in this investment from day one, and we are confident this is only the first chapter of SonicWall’s success story,” said Bill Conner, SonicWall president and CEO. “We have the right management, channel partners, technology and services, so businesses can run more effectively and fear less.”

In the face of constantly evolving threat vectors, SonicWall continues to introduce innovations to the partner community to strengthen those

relationships, such as the SecureFirst Partner Programme Bill Conner, SonicWall for channel partners of all types, including resellers, integrators, managed security service providers and security consultants. Since the launch of the programme in November 2016, it has experienced a surge in partner growth and sales –more than 15,000 channel partners across 90 countries have registered for SecureFirst and 4,000 of those partners are new to the company.

Steve Pataky, vice president, Worldwide Sales and Channel, SonicWall, said, “Since SonicWall became an independent company 100 percent focused on cybersecurity and on channels, we have moved at a blistering pace to deliver cutting-edge support and education to our partners.”

Spectrami acquires NPC, signs up two new distribution partnerships As part of its geographical expansion plans to expand across the rest of the EMEA, Anand Choudha, regional Spectrami value-added distributor Spectrami has acquired Network Performance Channel (NPC), a global value-added distributor for networking, monitoring and security solutions in Germany.

Based in the UAE and the United Kingdom, Spectrami aims to serve the channel across EMEA with local presence in GCC, UK, Germany, Austria and Netherlands.

“We are pleased to be expanding Spectrami’s operations into Germany, Europe’s largest economy and welcome the dedicated team at NPC GmbH to the Spectrami family,” said Anand Choudha, managing director, Spectrami. “NPC GmbH brings over 20 plus years of expertise to Spectrami in the arena of IT distribution across the EMEA market.”

With its network of channel partners and global network manufacturers like Ixia, cPacket Networks and Savvius, NPC delivers turnkey solutions that provide total network visibility, improved security, reduced complexity and optimised performance to enterprises across Europe, Middle East and parts of Asia, said the company.

Earlier last month, Spectrami had also signed distribution deals with TITUS, a global provider of classification and protection solutions for unstructured data, to deliver its security solutions to firms across the Middle East market and with Attivo Networks to provide its next-generation deception solutions across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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HIGHLIGHTS

StarLink brings Boldon James to the Middle East Regional specialised security distributor StarLink has announced that its partnership Nidal Othman, StarLink with Boldon James, enterprise-grade data classification and protection solution provider, has extended into the Middle East.

“The recent spate of data breaches have caused major financial and reputational damage to enterprises and governments alike in the region; companies worldwide have begun imposing regulations on electronic communications and stored data,” said Nidal Othman, managing director, StarLink. “Being a trusted IT security advisor, StarLink strives to bring best-of-breed technologies to our channel, enabling their customers to meet compliance and data protection requirements.”

According to the MD, Boldon James offers the widest range of classification products in the market today, “with excellent customer support and we are pleased to be partnering with them as our data classification vendor, now across the Middle East, Turkey and Africa regions.”

Martin Sugden, managing director, Boldon James, said, “We are delighted that StarLink has selected Boldon James, and we expect them to be pivotal in driving awareness across the region.

The partnership with StarLink demonstrates our commitment to supporting our customers and channel partners in the regions they cover.”

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Symantec to acquire cybersecurity firm Fireglass

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as much as 70 percent, while ymantec has virtually eliminating advanced announced that it threats spread by web browsing has entered into an or email content. Isolation will agreement to become a core component in acquire Israel-based Fireglass, the design of cyber defense the agentless isolation solution architectures for the cloud provider that eliminates generation who face the reality ransomware, malware and of an encrypted Internet and the phishing threats in real-time by Greg Clark, Symantec crisis inherent in email and webpreventing potentially harmful delivered attacks,” said Greg Clark, CEO, content from reaching user endpoints or Symantec. the corporate network.

Fireglass’ offerings can be delivered as Symantec said with this acquisition, a cloud service, on premises, or in a hybrid it further strengthens its Integrated model. It provides an approach to browser Cyber Defense Platform and extends isolation that can reduce the attack surface, its leadership in Secure Web Gateway strengthen an enterprise’s security posture and Email protection delivered both on and as a result, significantly reduces premises and in the cloud. the burden on the company’s security “Integrating Fireglass’ isolation operation centre (SOC) and IT help desk. technology with Symantec’s existing The transaction is expected to close in endpoint, email and secure web gateway Q3 of 2017. solutions could reduce security events by

D-Link to roll out new channel initiatives D-Link Corporation has embarked on a channel strategy that will see it roll out partner programmes aimed at helping resellers to grow their businesses across the firm’s four business divisions.

According to the vendor the initiatives have been designed to assist partners to develop their business across the B2C and B2B sectors.

Sakkeer Hussain, director, Sales and Marketing, D-Link Middle East and Africa (MEA), said that some channel partners in the regional channel have been affected by the usual reseller “runaways” and the squeeze on credit facilities as most credit insurance companies have reduced or withdrawn their cover. Hussain said that being the case, the company has taken it upon itself to provide and extend support to distributors and channel partners so

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

that they can continue to do business as Sakkeer Hussain, D-Link usual.

“Our main focus in the second half as D-Link will be on the consumer business, retail channel, SMB offerings, structured cabling solutions and ISP business,” he said. “We are rolling out partner initiatives for our reseller partners to ensure that they grow their businesses. In addition, we will be extending our bundle offerings to support partners with schemes that help them grow their sales during the slow summer months.”

With the SMB segment as one of the key focuses for the firm, he added, “This is by far the strongest performing sector for D-Link and for this reason, the company has got a partner programme dedicated to the SMB segment.”

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HIGHLIGHTS

Infoblox signs Exclusive Networks as Middle East ASC partner

(L-R) Nathan Clements, Exclusive Networks and Alexander Foroozandé, Infoblox

Network control company that provides Actionable Network Intelligence, Infoblox has signed a partnership agreement with Exclusive Networks, that enables the value-added distributor to act as an Infoblox Authorised Support Centre (ASC) in the Middle East.

The distributor said the partnership is an extension of the firms’ nine-year association and long-term partnership.

Nathan Clements, managing director,

Exclusive Networks said, “As an Infoblox distributor over the past several years, we have developed an extensive reseller and customer base and have grown the company’s presence in the region. By opening an Infoblox Support Centre, we can get closer to the partner base and provide more attractive value-added services in addition to the current professional services and training packages offered. Our aim is always to fill the gaps in our partners’ services portfolio so they are able to offer a full services solution to their end users.”

As part of the agreement, the distributor will offer 24×7 telephone and email support, technology health checks, and a range of hardware replacement options. The company will also provide enhanced services. There will also be a range of tailored support solutions offered, said the firm.

China Telecom, Westcon-Comstor offer Silver Peak solutions Broadband and hybrid WAN solutions provider Silver Peak has announced a formal partnership with Wilson Ho, WestconChina Telecom Comstor, Asia Shanghai Ideal Information Industry (Group) to deliver fully-managed SD-WAN services based on Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect and Unity Boost to multinational enterprises.

China Telecom Shanghai Ideal Information Industry (Group) will partner with Westcon-Comstor to offer fulfilment and integration services of the underlying Silver Peak EdgeConnect SD-WAN solution.

Utilising the EdgeConnect RESTful API, Westcon-Comstor has fully integrated

EdgeConnect into the CT NetCare unified customer network monitoring and management platform. This enables China Telecom to offer realtime and proactive managed SD-WAN service monitoring and management to existing and new clients.

“We’re partnering with two industry leaders, Silver Peak and China Telecom to bring managed SD-WAN services to our joint clients across China and around the world,” said Wilson Ho, managing director, Westcon-Comstor, Asia.

According to Silver Peak, the new managed SD-WAN services enable China Telecom to cost effectively address the international connectivity, performance and security requirements for multinationals based in the PRC (People’s Republic of China) seeking to expand out of region.

Teramind inks distribution deal with Bulwark Bulwark has partnered with USbased Teramind, a firm that provides software for Jose Thomas Menacherry, employee Bulwark Technologies monitoring and insider threat prevention, to offer its complete portfolio of security solutions and services in the Middle East region.

Jose Thomas Menacherry, managing director, Bulwark Technologies, said, “We are thrilled to introduce Teramind to complement and complete our existing product portfolio specialising in the information security domain. This partnership will ensure that customers can secure, monitor and compliant their highly confidential business information with the help of Teramind solutions. With a highly trained and competitive team of sales, marketing and technical experts, we aspire to deliver fast, consistent and value-added services to our customers in the region.”

Teramind offers user-centric security technologies for monitoring employee behaviour. Its software streamlines employee data collection in order to identify suspicious activity, detect possible threats, monitor employee efficiency, and ensure industry compliance. It has both cloud-based and on-premise deployment options to meet every organisation’s complete security requirements.

Eli Sutton, vice president, Sales, Teramind, said, “Our aim is to grow our reach across different verticals and market segments in this region, and we look to achieve this through a focused go-to-market strategy with Bulwark.”

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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HIGHLIGHTS

letstango.com, Air Miles partner to support UAE e-commerce letstango.com, a UAE-based online store, and Air Miles, a loyalty programme in the region, have launched a new partnership.

Under the agreement, customers can now enjoy collecting Air Miles when shopping for products online at letstango.com.

According to both companies, this move supports recent reports

There are many benefits to be gained from this new partnership — it’s easy and fast for customers, who will receive 1 Air Mile for every dirham spent in their purchase.”

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showing that the UAE’s e-commerce industry is expected to become a large source of revenue for businesses – forecasted to reach a value of AED 36.7 billion by the year 2018.

Customers receive 1 Air Mile for every AED 1 spent on letstango. com. In addition, customers can take advantage of special promotions, where bonus double or triple Air Miles will be available on selected products or for a limited period of time.

“We are very excited to be partnering with Air Miles, which is widely known for its diverse range of offers, rewards and unique experiences for its customers,” said Alex Tchablakian, operations manager, letstango.com. “There are many benefits to be gained from this new partnership — it’s easy and fast

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

for customers, who will receive 1 Air Mile for every dirham spent in their purchase. This move showcases our continuing commitment to provide letstango.com clients with world class services and offerings.”

Paul Lacey, managing director, Air Miles Middle East, said, “We are a nation of shoppers, and so this new partnership with letstango.com is a great addition to the Air Miles portfolio. We very much look forward to working with them to deliver value back to customers.”

$1.5B PREDICTED VALUE FOR GCC DRONES MARKET BY 2022 SOURCE: STRATEGY&

HIGHLIGHTS

Nuvias attains Oracle PartnerNetwork Platinum status Nuvias, a pan-EMEA, value distribution business, has announced that it has achieved Platinum partner status in Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN). By attaining Platinum level membership, Oracle said it has recognised Nuvias for its in-depth expertise and excellence in Oracle Communications Session Border Controller (SBC) and Operations Monitoring solutions. This achievement further strengthens the EMEA product portfolio for the recently launched Nuvias Unified Communications (UC) practice, which resulted from the acquisition of UC specialist SIPHON Networks at the end of 2016, said the distributor.

Oracle Communications’ SBC will form the core part of a range of Nuvias’ end-to-end UC solution packages aimed at the service provider and enterprise reseller markets. These include the

Nuvias Hosted Unified Communications Package, integrated with Broadsoft UC cloud technology, as well as the Nuvias SIP Trunking, Cloud Connector and Assured Trunk packages.

Nuvias will roll out these new Oraclebased solutions across EMEA with a focus on DACH (Germany, Switzerland and Austria), France, Italy, Spain, the Nordics and the Middle East, through established regional sales and support operations.

“There is growing momentum in the global UC market and Nuvias has a major opportunity to take Oracle Communications’ SBCs to new service providers and enterprise markets across EMEA, where they have an established channel network,” said Carl DCosta, vice president, Worldwide Alliances and Channels for Oracle Communications.

Genesys names IST ‘Middle East Partner of the Year’ with the company and empower them to become the first and only cloud partner in the Middle East, and launch IST OmniCloud.

(L-R) Giorgio Villa, Genesys; Sherif Fahmy and Norman Liu, IST and The company said this Friedbert Schub, Genesys award acknowledges IST’s successful implementation of several significant Customer experience technology Genesys-based solutions in the region, specialists IST has announced that including projects with Careem, Dubai the firm has been named ‘Middle Islamic Bank, Mobily, SABIC, and STC. East Partner of the Year’ by Genesys, Sherif Fahmy, marketing manager, omnichannel customer experience and IST, said, “This award from Genesys is a contact centre solutions provider. testament to the commitment we have According to IST, the award, made to Genesys in terms of not just presented at Genesys’ annual CX17 building the largest team of Genesys event last month in Brussels, Belgium, focused CX experts in the region but recognises the firm for its outstanding also investing in R&D and launching technical support and professional innovative solutions like IST OmniCloud service capabilities, investment in and IST Sentiment Analysis that can be Genesys training and certification integrated with Genesys’ own solutions programmes, and in-house R&D to offer Middle East enterprises best-incapabilities, which have allowed the class customer experience platforms.” vendor to extend their partnership

Red Hat debuts hyperconverged infrastructure solutions Red Hat has introduced softwaredefined compute and storage platform Ranga Rangachari, designed Red Hat for remote sites and edge deployments – Red Hat Hyperconverged Infrastructure.

The solution is designed to help enterprises to bring data centre capabilities into locations with limited space, such as branch offices and other remote facilities, said the firm.

Ranga Rangachari, vice president and general manager, Storage, Red Hat, said, “Our customers have been looking for a solution to meet infrastructure needs across their entire organisation – not just in the main office – but proprietary solutions previously appeared to be the only viable option for remote and edge installations.

“With Red Hat Hyper-converged Infrastructure, customers can now provision compute and storage resources for remote sites to run local instances of applications with the same proficiency as in-office operations. Integrating our widelydeployed virtualisation technology and our software-defined storage platform gives organisations the confidence of easier procurement, deployment and interoperability, ultimately enabling them to save time and money.”

Red Hat Hyper-converged Infrastructure integrates compute and storage together on a single server, making it a well-suited solution for low-footprint remote or branch office installations and edge computing.

Red Hat Hyperconverged Infrastructure is available now through partners.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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HIGHLIGHTS

ISYX, Microsoft display solutions for construction industry ISYX Technologies has successfully held a joint workshop with Microsoft on the Sharoon Shamsuddin, challenges ISYX Technologies faced by the construction and building materials industry. The event focused on how specific solutions provided by ISYX Technologies using Microsoft Dynamics 365 can improve the productivity of the industry players on various projects.

The key objective of the workshop was how to focus on the improvement of specific project parameters like sales automation, supply chain and delivery, material estimation, project P&L management, dashboard, KPI’s per project, resource allocation per project, service maintenance, among others.

ISYX Technologies’ CEO Sharoon Shamsuddin said while construction is important for the world economy, it has a poor record of productivity.

Shamsuddin said, “Having other business ventures such as construction and asset management, I certainly see the potential of a digital future for the construction industry, where the decision-making functions will be moved to intelligent software and the devices that run on it.”

$11B

FORECASTED VALUE OF IOT SOLUTIONS MARKET IN THE GCC IN 2025 SOURCE: AT KEARNEY

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eHosting DataFort invests in data centre upgrades Managed hosting and cloud infrastructure services provider eHosting DataFort (eHDF) has announced Yasser Zeineldin, investments over eHosting DataFort AED 20 million in its T3 Data Centre upgrades over the last 12 months. These investments were strategically implemented to tackle the future demand for data centre usage in the Middle East, which is witnessing strong growth.

“Our upgrades were systematically planned, procured, installed and tested in alignment with the existing design and needs of our future business. We are confident that our investments will facilitate business transformation and are especially designed to meet the growing demands of

our customers,” said Yasser Zeineldin, CEO, eHosting DataFort.

The range of upgrades include the deployment of Cisco Application-Centric Infrastructure (ACI) that will strengthen eHDF’s delivery of a much faster and more agile services while reducing administrative complexity and infrastructure costs. eHDF also upgraded its access control system and CCTV system with IP encoding of all cameras and email alerts in case of faults with a 1-year video back up for governance and compliance purposes. eHDF has invested in a Building Management System (BMS) that helps monitoring and maintaining the new data centre’s equipment and systems. This would allow the company to effectively manage and measure the power usage, enabling customers to plan their infrastructure based on the same.

Help AG launches recruitment platform ‘Capture the Flag’ Recognising the need to identify and hire skilled cybersecurity experts in the Middle East, Help AG has launched a new recruitment Nicolai Solling, CTO initiative. The ‘Capture the Flag’ style challenge tests applicants’ ability to identify and solve realistic security vulnerabilities and rewards real-world technical know-how rather than assessing only educational qualifications. The security company is also extending this evaluation tool as a service to its customers upon request to help them identify technically competent staff for their in-house IT positions.

Mukhammad Khalilov, manager security analysis, Help AG said, “There

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

is a rich pool of local cybersecurity talent and we believe that this sort of competition will help us recruit the best technical resources as we grow our business.”

Help AG’s new recruitment platform invites participants to uncover vulnerabilities in various applications.

The firm highlighted that these have been specifically designed by the company to mimic those that are most commonly found and exploited by hackers in the region.

Nicolai Solling, CTO, Help AG, said, “We also work closely with our customers to address their main cybersecurity pain points. By offering this platform as a service to our customers, we are providing them with an effective means to close the skills gap and match bestin-class technology with highly qualified technical resources.”

PRESENTS

ALIGNING INFORMATION SECURITY WITH BUSINESS Monday, 28th August 2017

Habtoor Grand, Dubai, UAE

REGISTER NOW www.tahawultech.com/cso-perspectives-conference/2017 For sponsorship enquiries

WHY ATTEND:

Natasha Pendleton Publishing Director natasha.pendleton@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9139 / +971 56 787 4778

• Get direct access to information security knowledge and expertise from some of the industry’s security practitioners and thought leaders.

• Gain new ideas, insights and actionable intelligence • Meet select exhibitors under one roof • Network with your peers and discuss the issues

Kausar Syed Group Sales Director kausar.syed@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9130 / +971 50 758 6672 Merle Carrasco Sales Manager merle.carrasco@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147 / +971 55 118 1730

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

• C-level (CEO, CISO, CTO, CIO) • Board and director level • IT managers and GRC specialists

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HIGHLIGHTS

Informatica signs TechAccess as master distributor TechAccess, has signed a master distribution agreement with Informatica, the Enterprise Cloud Data Management provider.

As the only master value-added distributor for the Middle East North Africa (MENA) and Pakistan regions, TechAccess will offer Informatica’s entire software portfolio of Big Data management, cloud integration, data integration, data security, data governance and data compliance solutions.

Informatica offers data management solutions for cloud, on-premise and hybrid environments. Working with TechAccess, Informatica expects to grow its footprint in the region, mainly targeting large enterprises and public sector organisations.

“The increase in deployments of cloud-based and IoT environments is influencing the demand for Big Data management and analytics solutions in the region. Organisations are realising

the value that data governance and analysis offers; it helps transform their business, brings clarity and allows them to make better informed decisions,” said Ashruf Hassaballa, general manager, TechAccess Software division. “The addition of Informatica to our portfolio is ideal at this time, as it helps expand our software portfolio, and allows us to provide our partners with market-leading enterprise cloud data management solutions to address growing demand.”

As part of its 360-degree valueadd model, TechAccess will identify and onboard specialist partners, and provide them with pre and post-sales support, as well as marketing and business development support. The VAD said it will also provide training and certification programmes to enable partners to enhance their selling capabilities, while its multi-million dollar solutions centre based in Dubai will be utilised to carry out proof-of-concepts and training sessions.

OMA Emirates enhances Mashreq POS terminals OMA Emirates has recently completed the Niranj Sangal, deployment of OMA Emirates Ingenico Point of Sale (POS) terminals for Mashreq Bank in the UAE. The terminals, according to the firm, meet with the bank’s specific requirements for superior performance will provide new, secure and a wider range of services for their customers in a cost effective manner.

The new POS terminals that are supported with customised solutions will provide a robust system for the range of cards including magstripe, contact and contactless. Mashreq Bank is now equipped with Ingenico IWL series which are wireless terminals

that are supported by the broadest connectivity capabilities such as GPRS, Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth to accept any payment methods.

“As one of the largest partners of Mashreq Bank’s acquiring business strategy, OMA Emirates understands their need to combine advanced technologies that are secure, geared for reliable connectivity and able to support merchants with value added services. The new smart terminals that have been deployed adhere to the strict PCI standard and supports payment methods across all channels in-store via EMV, NFC, as well as e-Wallet while also providing merchants with online payment opportunities,” said, Niranj Sangal, group CEO, OMA Emirates Group.

Finesse drives digital transformation at Al Najah Education

Al Najah Education has chosen Finesse to drive their digital transformation journey over the coming months.

According to Nrupaditya Singhdeo, CEO, Al Najah Education, to embrace the next level of growth business and departments need to progress with digital transformation.

Apart from getting insights into the various data points across the organisation to give the actionable insights in real time, they need this to be available securely to every stakeholder across devices at all times.

Finesse has been selected because of their capabilities in offering infrastructure as a service on a ‘pay as you grow’ model with their cloud implementation, migration and support services. The Group’s roadway towards digital transformation will include leveraging Finesse’s capabilities in analytics and mobility too.

Sunil Paul, COO and co-founder, Finesse, said, “We are delighted to assist Al Najah Education Group in their strategic digital transformation programme.”

47%

OF USERS WHO SHARE THEIR DATA ONLINE HAVE EXPERIENCED DATA LOSS ON THEIR SMARTPHONES SOURCE: KASPERSKY LAB

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS Noon appoints Namshi co-founder Faraz Khalid as CEO

Cisco names new VP for Middle East and Africa

Noon has announced the appointment of cofounder and former managing director Faraz Khalid, Namashi of online fashion retailer Namshi, Faraz Khalid, as its chief executive.

Khalid now faces the task of bringing the $1 billion e-commerce venture to market by the end of 2017 after its launch date has already been delayed on two occasions. The firm said its initial go-live would be in January, and then delayed its opening to April. It has since said the platform will be live before the end of 2017.

He played an instrumental role in the success of Namshi, which was launched in 2012, and built the region’s largest fashion catalogue with over 700 international brands.

“Noon presents the opportunity to create a dynamic e-commerce platform for, by and in the region,” Khalid said. “With our local market knowledge and presence, and our focus on product authenticity, supplier value creation, superior logistics, professional service and competitive pricing, we aim to bring a transformational e-commerce experience to the Middle East.

I am honoured to take up the responsibility and to work with a dedicated team of professionals who share a common passion for creating a truly industry-defining online platform.”

Cisco has appointed David Meads as vice president for its Middle East and Africa

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David Meads, Cisco

operations.

Meads, in this newly created role, will oversee the execution of the firm’s strategy in these two regions, ensuring it maintains its momentum at the forefront of digital transformation efforts.

With more than 30 years’ experience in the IT industry, Meads joined Cisco in 1996 and was most recently Cisco’s vice president for Africa, where he was responsible for partnering with organisations across the continent to help them implement strategies to unlock the full potential of the digital era. Over the years he

has developed a reputation as a trusted advisor to enterprises and governments, partnering with them to deliver competitive advantages and efficiencies gained by adopting digital technologies. Meads will be based in Dubai, Cisco’s hub for the Middle East.

“I look forward to taking on the additional responsibility of a fastevolving, dynamic region and to working with the phenomenal team we have in place,” said Meads. “Combined, the Middle East and Africa region has the world’s youngest demographic and presents a significant market opportunity, where new business models and innovative technology adoption are addressing unique market needs. Cisco’s expansive portfolio allows us to partner with our customers and support their digital journey.”

Mubadala-IBM venture Cognit announces Amal Al-Jabri as CEO Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi strategic investment fund, has announced the appointment of Amal Al-Jabri as chief executive officer of Cognit, the Mubadala and IBM Watson joint venture established to be the exclusive provider of Watson technology for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Al-Jabri will leave her role as deputy CEO of Injazat Data Systems (Injazat), to focus on the newly appointed role, following her operating as acting general manager of Cognit in an interim capacity since June 2016.

In her capacity as acting general manager of Cognit, Al-Jabri has been instrumental in spearheading the growth of the company and working

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

alongside a team of specialists focused on Amal Al-Jabri, Cognit delivering IBM Watson to the UAE and broader MENA region. During her tenure, it was announced that Watson had been programmed with Arabic cognitive learning capabilities, followed by the first successful installation of a live application of IBM Watson Arabic.

Al Jabri said, “I am looking forward to building on the legacy already in place by the talented Cognit team, and supporting our shareholder’s mandate to deliver value for the UAE government and subsequent diversification of the economy.”

An overview of the latest people movement within the IT channel business.

Juniper Networks hires Google veteran Bikash Koley as CTO

Bikash Koley, Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks has recently announced that Bikash Koley will be named chief technology officer, reporting to chief executive officer,

Rami Rahim.

In his role, Koley will be responsible for charting Juniper’s technology strategy and for leading and executing several of the company’s critical technology innovations, including Contrail and AppFormix. He is anticipated to begin his employment at Juniper in August 2017.

Koley brings a wealth of experience in both IP and optical domains and in designing and operating large scale networks.

According to Juniper, he will further the company’s vision of enabling high performance, highly-automated selfdriving networks of the future.

Koley is currently the head of Network Architecture, Engineering and Planning at Google. He is an industry-leading expert on the topics of software-defined networking (SDN), packet and optical network integration, warehouse-scale computing, and large-scale data centre interconnection. At Google, he designed, built and operated Google’s production network infrastructure,

spanning data centre, backbone(s), optical and the content edge. His team also oversaw Google’s SDN evolution, network technology strategy and networking research and innovation, enabling ubiquitous programmability and high reliability.

“I have admired Juniper Networks’ technology for the last two decades and believe the technology within Juniper will lend itself to an amazing programmable platform that will allow companies to operate seamless hybrid cloud infrastructures. Harmonious connectivity to clouds is not a solved problem, and I look forward to being part of the new era of networking,” said Koley.

Citrix replaces Tatarinov with Henshall as CEO Citrix Systems has announced the appointment of David J. Henshall, chief financial officer and chief David J Henshall, Citrix operating officer of the company as president, chief executive officer (CEO) and a member of the board, effective immediately.

Henshall replaces Kirill Tatarinov who has exited after just 18 months as part of a “mutual separation decision” with the board, the firm said.

Henshall said, “We have a talented team at Citrix, and I am honoured to lead Citrix through this new chapter. We

have created an impressive platform of best-in-class products and services that customers and partners rely on every day to embrace the future of work. I can assure you that we will continue to deliver and innovate for our customers and partners as we move forward as a more powerful Citrix.”

Mark M Coyle, senior vice president, Finance, has been appointed interim CFO, effective immediately. According to the company, it has retained a leading executive search firm to assist in a comprehensive search process to identify a permanent CFO with both internal and external candidates being considered.

The Citrix board has also formed an Operations and Capital Committee that will work with its management team and

We have created an impressive platform of bestin-class products and services that customers and partners rely on every day to embrace the future of work.” advise the board on a comprehensive review of opportunities to drive margin expansion and return capital to shareholders. The Committee will be led by Citrix executive chairman, Robert Calderoni, joined by Citrix president and CEO, David Henshall, and Citrix directors, Jesse Cohn and Peter J. Sacripanti.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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OPINION // HPE ARUBA

Road to success

Osama AlHaj-Issa, regional channel director, Middle East and Turkey, Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, offers guidelines for channel partners to thrive in an evolving technology environment.

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hannel partners must be optimistic about the future, despite political uncertainty in some countries in the Middle East. The region has a higher percentage of youth and so mobility is a necessity for the new workforce and the young society that it represents. Mobility is a huge trend that is sweeping the Middle East and the demand for mobility will only increase.

Channel partners need to align with vendors that have high business growth potential, provide healthy margins and have cutting-edge technology.

First-mover advantage Channel partners that develop early capabilities in new technologies will be the ones who will be most successful. For example, in the mobility domain, Mobility Engagement solution for public-facing enterprises is a revolutionary technology.

This is a technology that every enterprise that serves public in one way or another has endorsed immediately and requested to test in their premises. Mobility Engagement solution is comprised of several components such as ‘way finding’ solution, mobility analytical engine, and targeted advertising system. Customers such as hospitals, large educational institutes, malls, airports, stadiums and similar organisations need this solution to enhance customer service, satisfaction

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and loyalty. Mobility Engagement technology has vast revenue generation potential, if utilised well.

The cloud is also a huge trend, which is accelerating within the region. The channel partners will need to be able to implement cloud-based solutions in public, private and hybrid cloud infrastructure modes to meet the varying needs of customers.

IoT is another trend that is gaining momentum. Partners should build competencies in IoT analytics and trend analysis solutions as well as securing IoT based devices at the network edge.

Marketing – a mission-critical element for success Marketing has elevated to mission-critical status for channel partners and the vendors they represent. To survive and thrive, channel partners must effectively implement marketing, using a variety of tightly integrated outbound and inbound marketing tactics, all focused on building awareness and generating sales leads.

Channel partners should reconsider marketing and there are primarily four reasons for that. First, sourcing or selection of IT related products or services has shifted. Second, competition has intensified. Now channel partners face greater competition from local, regional, national, on-line and non-

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

traditional competitors. Third, marketing has changed dramatically. The modern marketing mix focuses on search authority, thought leadership and lead generation, and importantly, is delivering dramatic and measurable results. Fourth, historically channel partners tend to spend less time, effort, resources and investment in marketing than other industries. But for the factors above, now must make marketing a higher priority, or risk failure.

Successful vendor partnerships Understanding customer needs and working closely with vendor partners’ sales and engineering team to build the best solution to match or exceed these requirements means getting the business closer to them. Readiness and early engagement are the two basic components for a successful partnership. We work closely with partners to enable their sales, pre-sales and post sales to represent us in each of these areas. This ensures customers of high quality delivery of the proposed solution and services. It also maximises channel scope since services usually bring bigger margins to our partners.

One of the biggest challenges facing the channel today is managing cash flows and receivables since it impacts working capital.

This calls for most effective financial planning and management. Organisations that are able to do so, will eventually succeed.

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CANON ME // OPINION

Screening for prospects Binoj Nair, senior marketing manager, B2C Marketing and Direct Sales, Canon Middle East, gives an overview of the digital signage market and how partners can best maximise the opportunities.

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rowth in the digital signage market is anticipated largely because of the rising adoption of these solutions in verticals such as retail, public infrastructure, transportation and hospitality; coupled with technological advancements in display screens.

According to ‘UAE Digital Signage Market Forecast and Opportunities, 2020’, rapidly growing urbanisation and commercialisation along with growing need for interactive communication and Out of Home (OOH) advertising is propelling adoption of interactive digital media over static signage.

Delivering digital content is the new phenomenon and it is already visible with the conversions of existing unipoles’ traditionally displaying static image to digital content. The newer projects at Downtown Dubai and City Walk have bespoke digital content using high-end projectors and LED panels. This trend will continue to gain pace with the upcoming mega projects in the region such as EXPO 2020 where content created on 4K resolution will need to be displayed or

communicated the right way.

Digital signage is evolving – it is no more just an option but a necessity as the industry unveils innovative offerings.

Touchscreen technologies and near field communications have provided an impetus to the Middle East market and with extensive utilisation of these features across a range of industries, digital signage is poised for a spiral growth and bright future.

As each customer requirement is unique, there is a huge potential for integration between multiple third parties for both hardware and software. This is the space where channel partners can play a strong role and become a one-stop shop.

We can assist the channel community in this transformation. The channel ecosystem has evolved drastically over the few years. The changes mean that customers are now looking for relationships that are more than transactional. For companies, success is now defined by how consultative partners can offer creative solutions to business challenges.

However, the road to optimising opportunities in this space is not without obstacles. Integration with

multiple systems and customisation as per customer needs will be the main challenges that the channel partners will need to address. Also, with key trends such as touch functionality, Internet of Things, smart technology, wireless services gaining popularity, in the imminent future, channel partners will have to invest more in pre-sales activities to generate sustained demand.

In order to assist the channel, it is the responsibility of the vendors to offer innovative products and keep partners at the forefront of the advancements in this sector. At the same time, partners themselves must take the initiative and invest in time and resources to learn how they can offer the best solutions to customers.

According to the UAE-based report, digital signage market in the UAE is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 22 percent during 2015-2020. New technology advancements such as emergence of 3D digital signage, cloud-based digital signage and anticipated increase in prices of 40inch and above display screens is forecast to drive digital signage market in the UAE over the next five years.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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COVER STORY // RAQMIYAT

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AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.resellerme.com

STAYING P WER Amer Khreino, CEO, Raqmiyat, elaborates on the 34-year-old firm’s plans to evolve into a next-generation services provider with deeper systems integration capabilities by 2020.

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he systems integration space has evolved radically over the years. In the beginning, firms utilised a diverse set of monolithic systems to automate specific areas in the business operations. The integration aspect was largely a labour-intensive role. The industry has come a long way from then to today’s cloud era, which also means to survive and thrive, systems integration firms need to be agile and forward-thinking in their approach.

Having set up operations in the UAE 34 years ago, as a software development house, Raqmiyat, part of the Al Ghurair Group of Companies, has progressed into a solutions, services and consulting firm today. With four distinct business units - BFSI Solutions, Enterprise Technology Solutions,

Smart Business Solutions, IT Infrastructure and IT Staffing Solutions – the company is aiming to become a next generation services provider with solid systems integration capabilities by 2020.

Amer Khreino, CEO, Raqmiyat, says, “Our end-to-end IT advisory capabilities clubbed with our project management expertise and project financing are differentiating our service offerings to customers.

Raqmiyat capabilities are diverse and play a vital role in customers’ digital transformation plans.”

The company offers a wide range of enterprise technology solutions around cloud computing, cybersecurity and smart solutions leveraging IoT and analytics, as well as, business automation and optimisation solutions that cover mobility solutions, ERP, HCM,

talent management, corporate performance management among others.

According to Khreino, cloud has been the biggest phenomenon for customers’ journey into digital transformation.

“This has altered the way we do business completely. Cloud continues to, whether it is Softwareas-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-aservice or Platform-as-a-Service, lead all other technologies into the digital transformation era.

Cloud computing is one area that will continue growing in the foreseeable future and we need to continue gearing up. We as systems integrators need to make sure that we know how to stitch things together and offer it to the customer in the best way possible so that they can benefit from it.”

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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COVER FEATURE // RAQMIYAT

“Systems integrators and solutions providers must build value with the capabilities that they offer.”

Khreino also says that IoT and analytics related technologies are becoming vital, especially at a point where vendors are increasingly focusing on smarter initiatives, at a government, education and infrastructure level.

“Today there is a lot of momentum building around smarter solutions, be it on transportation, utilities, smart meters and classrooms among others.”

None of the technologies will be functional without security being closely integrated into it.

He adds, “Cybersecurity and security in general will govern the digital transformation that customers are in the midst of. We believe solutions around security, cloud, IoT and analytics will continue growing in an exponential way over the next five years.”

Raqmiyat has built a robust services portfolio over the years.

Many government organisations prefer a SLA driven business and therefore outsource their non-core activities.

“Within the government and banking verticals, IT is considered to be a non-core activity. Systems

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integrators and next-generational service providers can capture exceptional opportunities in managed and cloud services,” he adds. “We offer complete IT managed services that covers professional consulting and staffing, on-site support and offsite monitoring. We leverage solid association with trusted solutions providers and partners that has the scale and expertise in their domain.”

The firm aims to attain a 20 percent growth by the end of the year and according to the CEO, there are plans underway to achieve this.

“We will continue to focus on upselling and cross-selling within our existing customer base, especially

since we have added many new associations and restructured the firm to provide a new line of business.”

The systems integrator is also growing its technology partnerships and has acquired more than 15 new vendors over the course of last year.

“This too will help us in our growth strategy. As a vendor-agnostic player, our aim is to provide the best solutions that are most apt for our customers’ requirements,” Khreino explains. “We onboard new vendors every quarter. We will also capture new segments and accounts.”

Technology giants such as Huawei Enterprise, IBM Security, Microsoft Azure, Alibaba Cloud, Infoblox and Fortinet, among others, have joined the company’s vendor platforms.

“We will also work on improving throughput through further automation, PR and marketing.”

As a systems integrator, Khreino believes the challenge continues to be building the right structure, because to do this, one must have high capabilities to offer customers.

“With the business shifting towards cloud subscription and managed services model where the revenue

“As the projects are largely long-term with a prolonged financial cycle, extended payment terms will help us further.”

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

AT A GLANCE

“Cybersecurity and security in general will govern the digital transformation that customers are in the midst of.”

Company: Raqmiyat Year of inception: 1983 CEO: Amer Khreino Headquarters: UAE Offices: Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Chennai No. of employees: 500 plus Top distributors: Redington Value, Starlink, Enterprise Systems, Aptec- an Ingram Micro company Top vendors: IBM Security, Huawei, Microsoft, Oracle and Kony

stream comes ahead in time, it becomes difficult to balance the cash inflow and outflow as well as manage profitability in the best way possible,” he adds.

Besides this, other challenges continue to be driving higher revenue targets, profitability and low margins.

“Systems integrators and solutions providers must build value with the capabilities that they offer.”

Khreino says while value-added distributors are offering adequate support on enablement, resources, technology education and financial facilities, it would be ideal if they could offer extended payment terms.

“As the projects are largely longterm with a prolonged financial cycle, extended payment terms will help us

further. However, we understand that the distributors too are restricted in this area.”

Another area where value-added distributors can make a difference is by having an ‘excellence centre’.

“This will help us showcase solutions across many technologies; where we can simulate environment real life,” he adds.

In its attempt to keep up with the industry’s evolution, Raqmiyat has also ensured key changes within its operations.

Khreino says, “Over the last year, the management had embraced a transformational plan that covered all strategic and sensitive areas of business. This covered business structure that is more agile, lenient

and empowered. Our internal systems (CRM/ERP/SCM) covers the whole business cycle from customer prospecting till project execution and closure.

“We also opted for a strategy that deliver higher value to our customers through more structured business operations across our four strategic business units and finally have been able to elevate our skillsets and capabilities through hiring new young leadership on both sales and presales.”

As cliché as it may sound, change is the only constant, and in the digital transformation era, it is necessary for channel players to make the shift themselves, besides guiding customers’ in their journey.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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FEATURE // VR IN RETAIL

REALITY CHECK

Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to shake up the retail industry as we know it. Retailers can create unique and immersive customer experiences through this technology. Reseller ME speaks to regional players to examine the opportunities this can unlock for their businesses. irtual reality (VR) technologies have the potential to allow customers to walk into a retailer’s shop, half way across the world, and check out and purchase items, as they would in an actual store, without moving from their couches.

A Goldman Sachs report in 2016, outlined in one of its estimations of Augmented Reality (AR) and VR hardware and software adoptions over the next decade that it expects $80 billion in revenue by 2025 with $45 billion in hardware and $35 billion in software.

Further, the report predicted that VR/AR retail would be worth $1.6 billion by 2025, with at least 33 million users.

Raghav Koorichh, consumer category and brand manager, UAE, Gulf and SELL, Dell, says that the VR industry is beyond the point of being a “new innovation” and has entered into a mature phase of its life when it comes to customer experience.

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“This is because,” he explains, “VR technology has the potential to offer a greater level of emotional resonance to objects, through sensory impact and by creating deeper intimacy remotely. It is a flexible medium that provides easy and instant information accessibility pertaining to the customer’s preference in a user-friendly format. Also, VR technology can help create a compelling experience, allowing the customer

Raghav Koorichh, Dell

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

to witness an array of real-time scenarios, eliminating the need to make judgements based on one-dimensional representation of an object.”

All of this together, enables improved and optimised customer experience, without the hassles of emotional engagement, understanding and tailormade product sales, he adds.

E-city’s marketing and retail development manager, Dirk

“With VR based digital solutions, businesses get a unique opportunity to offer their customers an immersive emotional experience, which results in faster decision making and increased sales.”

REVENUES FROM VR HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE FROM $3.7 BILLION IN 2016 TO MORE THAN $40 BILLION BY 2020.

SOURCE: STATISTA

www.resellerme.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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FEATURE // VR IN RETAIL

Raemdonck, says that increasing number of companies are now leveraging this technology to empower their customers and provide them with a highly personalised and interactive experience in a “never-before-seen level”.

He says, “Through VR, prospective retail clients will get a real-time view of the products and can virtually test the items prior to purchase and even without visiting the actual, physical store. VR may have started as a technology for gamers, but it has evolved into a platform that can meet the daily demands of tech-savvy customers seeking enhanced and unique experience in this age of impressive technological advancements.”

VR can create an environment, which allows for a deeper customer immersion and experience of products, events and surroundings.

According to Nadeem Khanzadah, head, OmniChannel Retail, Jumbo, one of the latest trends to have emerged in the UAE consumer electronics sector is VR wear, which has been introduced by large technology brands.

“A large segment of VR revenue arises from gaming; however, VR wear is not just limited to gaming. Technology of this nature has several other uses, such

Dirk Raemdonck, E-city

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Nadeem Khanzadah, Jumbo

“In order for a retailer to decide whether investment in VR is necessary, the brand must understand the demographics of its clientele.”

as experiential marketing and training,” he says. “For example, Google Cardboard is a cardboard device, which converts any smartphone device into a virtual reality headset by utilising two lenses and a magnet. This is a brilliant idea, which allows for the VR experience to be more accessible to both retailers and customers, and we expect this solution to gain more popularity over time.”

Examples of VR in retail include the automotive company Lexus tapping into Oculus Rift glasses, enabling its clients to take a virtual test drive of their new models with a more ‘realistic’ feel as opposed to regular driving simulator, says Raemdonck.

“Another example is Volvo.

Leveraging the power of the Google Cardboard technology, Volvo customers

“A lot still needs to be done to encourage investment in the technology and its integration within business operations.”

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

get a feel of test-driving the vehicles of their choice on the road. Their virtual reality includes videos of different landscapes to take interested buyers to a rewarding imaginary journey,” he adds.

Hichem Maya, head of Industries, SAP MENA, says, “Already, we are seeing augmented and virtual reality innovations begin deployed in the Middle East. For example, Emirates NBD recently prototyped the Really!

App, which lets home buyers identify houses in different neighbourhoods based on demographics, and take virtual home tours, while also connecting them to Emirates NBD home loan agents.”

As per a Statista survey, the number of active VR users is forecast to reach 171 million by 2018, which has led to several retailers investing in the technology. While this is one way to know the potential of the market, how can retailers judge if it is worth investing into a VR solution, especially with technological innovations taking place frequently?

Khanzadah says, “In order for a retailer to decide whether investment in VR is necessary, the brand must understand the demographics of its clientele. Successful organisations that are aligned with their customer needs and backgrounds

THE DEDICATED IMMERSIVE VR DEVICE MARKET IS EXPECTED TO REACH $407.51 MILLION BY 2018.

Hichem Maya, SAP MENA

SOURCE: MARKETS AND MARKETS

fundamentally change how they operate for the better.”

“Every Middle East retailer should be looking to invest in virtual reality. This is not an easy investment – it requires aligning with specialised channel partners to simplify and consolidate the underlying technological infrastructure, build up the digital IQ and skills across the organisation, and incubate new digital business models,” adds Maya.

While industry awareness of VR technology and its role in sales growth is steadily increasing, Raemdonck, says, “A lot still needs to be done to encourage investment in the technology and its integration within business operations.

“Companies have now begun to appreciate and acknowledge VR’s immediate benefits, which could lead to new business models that will further engage customers and deliver unprecedented understanding of the product. This enhanced customer experience will most often than not translate into sales.”

According to Koorichh, a key benefit of VR has been the ability to bring forward purchase decisions.

“With VR based digital solutions, businesses get a unique opportunity

to offer their customers an immersive emotional experience, which results in faster decision making and increased sales. This has been witnessed across real estate and tourism sectors,” he says. “We can expect an increase in the awareness about VR and its implementation as more products and solutions are introduced and as customers get accustomed to virtual experience, which will lead to businesses adopting VR.” The VR market is set for further development in the Middle East and North Africa region, according to a Deloitte report. The growing focus to deliver innovative products and services in the region that are personalised to suit the demand of consumers is driving the growth of VR technology. Also, the increasing demand for computer gamers and interest in VR-enabled gaming and enterprise applications has also led to a spur in the technology in the region, adds Khanzadah.

“However, in order for VR technologies to become mainstream, the correct infrastructure such as 5G networks, should be put into place for a seamless experience,” he says.

Agreeing, Raemdonck, says, “A

“This is not an easy investment – it requires aligning with specialised channel partners to simplify and consolidate the underlying technological infrastructure, build up the digital IQ and skills across the organisation, and incubate new digital business models.”

number of businesses are slowly adopting the technology to help them visualise their store layout and potential traffic concerns, among others. As early as now, we are seeing its positive impact on the industry and we expect its adoption to fully take off in a few years’ time. It is only then that we can accurately gauge its effect on the regional retailing space.”

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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FEATURE // LEADING VALUE-ADDED RESELLERS

STRATEGIC ALLIANCES

While relationships have commanded the business environment in the Middle East, value-added resellers (VARs) play an even bigger role as they provide additional service and support on existing solutions in their portfolio.

Reseller ME profiles regional VARs to learn their growth strategies especially in challenging market circumstances.

AL ERSHAD COMPUTERS Having been in operations over the last 15 years, Al Ershad Computers, is a trader and reseller for all major ICT products. Its vendor portfolio boasts global brands such as HP, Dell, Lenovo, D-Link and Linksys, to name a few. The reseller also works with regional distributors such Musthafa MV, as Redington Gulf, Logicom, Mindware, Metra, Aptec and FDC to deliver products across PCs, chief operations printers, workstations, servers and components.

“We ensure our continued success with competitive price, availability of mixed product line, prompt delivery and best-of-the-art customer support,” says Musthafa MV, chief operations, Al Ershad Computer.

As cloud has been transforming business operations, the reseller says it has already aligned to this shift.

“We have incorporated Office 365 and Azure in our product line, keeping in sync with cloud technologies.”

According to Musthafa, the firm has been successful throughout out the tenure both vertically by adding new products and technologies, and horizontally by adding new outlets.

He adds, “In terms of numbers we have had a successful first half and we have a strategy to maintain the momentum for rest of the year. Meanwhile, we have planned a number of training programmes from many of the major vendors to enhance the capabilities of our sales and support team.”

As the business scenario for ICT is evolving from box moving to solution, the reseller said it has put strategies in place to align for this market change.

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AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

FEATURE // LEADING VALUE-ADDED RESELLERS

BIOS ME Having set up business in 2002, BIOS ME is an IT systems and cloud systems integrator headquartered out of UAE. According to BIOS ME’s technical director, Adam Wolf, the firm is more of a services business rather than a traditional value-added reseller.

“We built our own services portfolio in 2010 and moved heavily into the managed services space. Our three brands – Assist, Assured and Secured – are the three elements of management of a customer’s infrastructure,” he adds. “The idea is to take the load off the customer and we create a Adam Wolf, technical director process around doing proactive preventive maintenance.”

With its own SOC and NOC within its premises, the company is known for global brands such as Cisco, VMware, Microsoft, NetApp and Veeam in its portfolio and also has a robust reseller channel through distributors such as Comstor and Ingram Micro.

The fifteen-year-old firm attributes its success to having the ability to grow and scale on demand. Once that is done, it is also vital to have the ability to make investments into other countries and service those markets, says Wolf. “We always had a focus on working with good customers and we are risk-averse as a business. We have a business model today which has facets such as advance payments, contract based and six months billing cycle,” he says. “Therefore, cash flow is not a problem for our company.”

We will see the company increasing its footprints into other markets such as Saudi Arabia over the next few months.

CUBIT TECHNOLOGIES Cubit Technologies’ main line of business is Tony Scaria, Vipin Varghese, Vunu Peter, manager sales head technical head partnering with clients on their technology infrastructure and use of IT. The reseller enables customers to benefit from it to fuel their business growth. As an IT consultancy provider, the seven-year-old firm audits the existing IT systems, advises customers on its efficiency and prepares them for the future.

Tony Scaria, manager, Cubit Technologies, says, “Through this, the client integrates technology more appropriately and enhances their services in the market.”

With global names, such as Cisco, Dell EMC, VMware, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet in its portfolio, the firm delivers solutions around hyperconverged data centre, networking, wireless, IP telephony and IT security.

“We deliver on the capabilities of a digital business, as IT organisations must modernise, automate their infrastructure, and transform their data centre operation into a fully automated, self-serviced cloud environment,” says Scaria.

The value-added reseller works with regional distributors including VAD Technologies, Westcon-Comstor, Ingram Micro, Logicom, Starlink, and Exclusive Networks.

Aiming to achieve 35 percent growth year-on-year, Scaria attributes the firm’s success to being able to adapt to emerging technologies, having a consultative approach and solving business challenges by leveraging stream products and associated eco-system partners.

“We are always trying to invest in emerging technologies early on, which gives us a head start and helps us to develop the expertise needed to take the pole position in the market.”

The reseller offers a range of cloud-based hosting solutions around managed networking, wireless and email.

He says, “The market outlook is positive, the mood has shifted to a more optimistic sentiment in the region compared to the beginning of the year. We will continue to focus on our strengths and leverage our team expertise to drive more growth.”

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AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

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LEADING VALUE-ADDED RESELLERS // FEATURE

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS Innovative Solutions, a cybersecurity solutions provider operating in the region since 2003, targets to Abdulrahman Alshetwey, CEO achieve double-digit growth by the year end.

Abdulrahman Alshetwey, CEO, Innovative Solutions, says, “We provide cybersecurity advisory services, technology integration and develop our own security products.”

Over the last year, the firm has introduced its latest version of security awareness portal, InfoShield, which is gaining traction and new clients, according to the CEO. Besides that, the company has also launched its new Managed Security Services (MSS) in 2016.

The reseller boasts several strategic partnerships with vendors such as F5, FirEye, Palo Alto, Fortinet, Carbon Black, Arbor, Symantec and Forcepoint.

“As we try to provide our clients with the right solutions in a consultative way, we partner with many leading cybersecurity vendors,” adds Alshetwey. “We also work closely with regional distributors such as Exclusive Networks, Westcon-Comstor and Starlink.”

Believing that the market requires a focus beyond the infrastructure level, Alshetwey says this why the firm has focused for a decade to provide application security.

“This starts with web application firewalls, DDoS protection and Web Penetration Testing. Our deep iSuite of products provides protection to our clients’ websites and their security operations.”

In order to maintain long-term relationships with customers, it is necessary to understand their requirements and challenges, says Alshetwey.

“Once we understand the challenges, we then utilise a consultative approach to recommend the right solution to our clients while we continue to improve our core capabilities in successfully managing and delivering projects. This helps us to differentiate.”

One of the challenges in the region when it comes to cybersecurity is the lack of qualified resources, he adds.

“Cloud will play a major role on how services are delivered and IT is consumed.”

SAAPA CONSULTING TECHNOLOGIES (SAAPATECH) When Saapatech began its Mohamed Abubakker, business in 2007 in the region, managing director it was initially focused on BCP/DR consulting and ITDR automation services. Three years ago, it transformed itself into a specialised information security services firm with secondary practice on software-defined next-generation convergence technologies, according to Mohamed Abubakker, managing director, Saapa Consulting Technologies.

Over the last year, the firm has had several highlights, one of the main ones have been being able to influence customers to take proactive approach to adapt to advanced preventive technologies to ensure their sensitive business information is safeguarded.

“We are also seeing an increase in the ‘framework development’ before deploying any security technology to ensure maximum ROI and emphasising more on end-user awareness programmes,” says Abubakker.

The firm works with regional value-added distributors such as Spectrami, Credence Security, Evanssion and Ascent.

“We are a services centric company, we embark more on our services rather than products.”

The firm offers services and technologies around end-to-end data security, advanced incident response, continuous security posture validation, identity and access management, cybersecurity resilience and digital forensics.

Abubakker says that in order to thrive in tough market conditions, the firm ensures it does a “proper capacity planning” along with “pay-as-you-grow model.”

“This ensures maximum interoperability with existing technologies to have better ROI,” he adds.

With consistent growth of 30 to 40 percent year-on-year, thanks to its “focused approach and unique solutions offering”, the specialised IT services company expects to see more niche players entering into the region over the next few years.

“We are anticipating a good channel space development in the coming years,” Abubakker adds.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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FEATURE // LEADING VALUE-ADDED RESELLERS

SYSSENSE Established in 2007, SysSense has been focusing in the ICT and ELV Mohammed Feroz, industries and selling solutions director to enterprise customers.

One of its highlights for 2016 has been the opportunity to work with Dubai Airports for the expansion of Al Maktoum Airport and entry to the Baraka Nuclear Plant project, said Mohammed Feroz, director, SysSense.

The company boasts names such as Fujitsu, Molex, Grosvenor Technology, EMSE, Cisco, Alcatel Lucent and Extreme Networks in its portfolio and works closely with several regional distributors such as VAD Technologies, Ingram Micro, Redington and Logicom.

Feroz says, “We consider SysSense as a one-stop for all IT/ELV infrastructure solutions. We have products ranging from structured cabling, IP CCTV, Access Control systems, IPTV to data centre solutions.”

To differentiate its offerings in a competitive market, the company works closely with few customers and ensures customer satisfaction whether its regarding price or customer service.

“We keep things transparent and professional,” Feroz adds.

With the advent of cloud, the company has enhanced its cloud offerings to stay in sync with market demands.

“We use cloud storage, email hosted on the cloud server, online calendars for our daily operations. We are also planning to deploy a cloud-based helpdesk ticketing system for our managed services offering,” he adds. “To grow in challenging market circumstances, we ensure we stay focused, have direct and improved interactions with customers and have prompt responses as per demands.”

Looking at 30 percent growth this year, the valueadded reseller is looking to be a stronger player in the enterprise market.

“Our aim is to tap into the security market, especially into the financial market security segment,” adds Feroz.

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AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

VISIONTECH INTERNATIONAL Founded in 2003, Visiontech International offers end-to-end technology products, solutions Murtaza Pitolwala, and services across verticals. technical director While the firm began its operations with infrastructure as a portfolio, it eventually grew to provide security, consultancy, software and application development, data centres and ELV projects.

D-link, Avaya, Huawei, Sophos, Cyberoam, AXIS, CPPLUS, Cisco, HP, IBM, Dell, Parallels, VMware and Microsoft are some of the systems integrator’s top vendors. The firm also works with regional distributors such as Ingram Micro, Al Masa, Redington, Tech Access and Enterprise Systems.

Murtaza Pitolwala, technical director, partner, Visiontech International, says, “We work closely with all known OEMs in the Middle East and have direct partnerships with a few vendors for regional businesses.

“We also hold our own software and application portfolio with six products ready to sell and a large customisation team in-house.”

According to Pitolwala, services play a prime role in differentiating its offerings.

“We are known across UAE for our value-added offerings in-house compared to traditional integrators,” he adds. “We have multiple business practices that we provide to our customers in the SME, mid-market, enterprises and government space. Challenges always exist but good business practices can overcome stiff market conditions and allow us to be focused on customer needs and in time deliverables without over commitments.”

Over the course of this year, we will see the company strengthening its managed services offering on the cloud platform and converting its midrange and enterprise applications to enable on cloud and mobile platform.

“We are also looking to extend international market reach for our complete offerings,” he adds. “We are expecting a 20 percent growth on infrastructure, 80 percent growth on services and managed services with 150 percent growth in software and application opportunities.”

24th October 2017 | Dubai UAE

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Security in sync

Jude Pereira, MD, Nanjgel Solutions, says building a robust security strategy comes down to people, processes and technology.

R

ecent ransomware attacks such as WannaCry and NotPetya have further emphasised the need for resilient security measures within organisations. At the same time, it is not enough to simply have these solutions and procedures in place.

Nanjgel Solutions’ managing director Jude Pereira says it is imperative to ensure that the different security solutions also “talk to each other.”

He explains, “An organisation must have security from each aspect – network, data, application and user – in sync with each other and sharing information. This is not happening in today’s business environment. It is always about people, processes and technology when it comes to a sound security strategy.”

According to Pereira, despite deploying the best of firewalls, malware and endpoint security platforms, if all the components are not in sync, then the overall security strategy will definitely have loopholes, allowing adversaries to enter a firm’s network.

“The second most important aspect for a robust security strategy is having complete visibility across the entire network. Once you have visibility, you

38

can begin to place in controls and have management,” he says.

He adds that when a cybersecurity attack takes place, every second it takes to react and respond counts.

“In such a scenario, it is not possible for a human being to be a part of the processes to help control or cease it,” he adds. “It has to be machines and technology. And that can only happen if all the technologies are talking to each other with the right policies and automation in place.”

As a security solutions provider, Nanjgel is looking to continue its focus on automation. The MD believes if an endpoint is infected then instead of pulling down the switch or network, the security information and event management (SIEM) in place should be able to automatically identify these endpoints, communicate to the NAC (Network Access Control), quarantine and fix them to finally bring them back.

Pereira says, “This is the logic that people need to understand. After this process is completed, a report will be sent to the personnel in charge, but he doesn’t have to be a part of the process.”

With all the incidents taking place on almost a regular basis in the security space, how does Nanjgel Solution

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

help customers isolate valuable threat intelligence from the noise?

“It is quite challenging to identify what can be of real value. We need to bring it back to an incident response platform, ensure incidents are prioritised there and then reduce the false positives. If there is a system and process in place, only then can an organisation achieve comprehensive security,” he adds. “Today, security is much more than adding a firewall to your network or deploying an endpoint security management system to safeguard your assets.”

With so many security-focused vendors in the market, Nanjgel Solutions ensures it only selects the best one in terms of technologies.

“Bringing the best technology to our customers is our goal.”

The systems integrator considers two main criteria when selecting vendors – uniqueness they bring to the table and value-adds.

He adds, “There have been instances in the past where we have replaced vendors because a new firm was adding more value or bringing unique technology. We evaluate all our vendors on value proposition, effectiveness, integration capability with core components and if they can offer more analytics and better intelligence.”

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REVIEW

HTC U11

RATING

HTC’s latest offering, the U11, has an impressive list of specifications from an innovative design to a swift performance, making it one of the most capable mobile device in the market today. Adelle Geronimo gave the new smartphone a ‘squeeze.’ ne of U11’s headline features is the Edge Sense, which HTC bills as the new way to interact with your phone.

Essentially, it allows you to perform specific tasks or open different apps by just ‘squeezing’ the device.

The feature uses sensors built into the sides of the phone to detect pressure and provides haptic feedback as you squeeze the phone. This function is programmable and can perform whatever command you set it to. By default, squeeze once to launch the camera, again to snap a quick photo with one hand.

Admittedly, I find that while it is an interesting feature to have, it has its shortcomings and it’s probably something the device can do without. It tends to be not sensitive enough or too sensitive if you have set it at a lower pressure level.

At the same time, the extra effort to grip the sides is quite an awkward movement when using a smartphone.

However, the squeezable chassis is not what makes this device a must have. HTC has always had a penchant for beautiful design and solid build quality. Aesthetically, the U11 is a head turner. It sports a ‘Liquid Surface’ design, just like the U Play and U Ultra, which combines metal and glass. The device has rounded corners, curved edges on the front and back, and an aluminium frame sandwiched between two Gorilla Glass panels. But since it is a rounded, glass phone, it’s quite slippery and a smudge magnet.

The smartphone sports a 5.5-inch screen, which has a QHD 1440x2560 resolution. The fingerprint scanner on the front, in the (non-clickable) home key, is intuitive and efficient. The volume rocker and power buttons on the right-hand side fit nicely under a thumb or forefinger.

Rather than having two stereo speakers, the U11’s earpiece doubles as a tweeter with a separate woofer at the bottom. It flaunts Boomsound speakers, which delivers a strong, loud and clear audio when streaming shows on Netflix or music from Spotify. It can also handle 24bit Hi-res audio files. An audio socket is absent in the U11 but it ships with a USB Type-C adapter in the box.

Under the hood, the U11 ticks all the right boxes. With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor backed by 4GB of RAM powering the device you can expect a quick and fluid performance.

It comes with 64GB internal memory that’s expandable up to 256 GB. It runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat integrated with HTC Sense. It is also equipped with 3000mAh

battery, which is quite disappointing for a powerful device but is adequate as it can last up to 24-36hrs of regular usage.

The U11 sports a 12MP main camera with the UltraPixel 3 sensor.

While it doesn’t have dual rear cameras like most flagship phones in the market today, it can definitely take decent photos in various lighting conditions.

In addition, with dual-pixel autofocus the U11 can snap sharp, vibrant and detailed images. You can also take high resolution selfies thanks to the 16MP camera. However, the shutter could be more responsive. You can also take suitably smooth 4k videos and with the smartphone’s four microphone built-in it can record 3D sound.

HTC U11 also comes with not just one but three AI assistant built-in, namely Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and HTC’s very own Sense Companion.

Overall, the U11 is a top-notch device and a serious contender in the premium smartphone industry.

Price: AED 2599

www.resellerme.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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HOT PRODUCTS

HUAWEI INTRODUCES NOVA 2 PLUS IN THE UAE

The Nova 2 Plus features a 5.5-inch screen and has a smooth metallic unibody measuring as thin as 6.9mm. It is powered by Huawei Kirin 659 chipset and is equipped with Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and EMUI 5.1 user interface.

The new smartphone features Huawei’s 3D facial recognition with a 20MP high-definition front camera, a 12MP and 8MP rear dual camera and a professional portrait mode. According to Huawei, the device features a range of intelligent algorithms including a portrait algorithm, the new smartphone offers high-resolution photography capabilities; it can enhance face shapes and skin colours, while studying the relative position of facial features and skin types as well as textures to deliver more natural and true-to-life portraits.

When it comes to sound quality, nova 2 Plus features HiFi chips, which minimise distortion, harmonics, noise and other disturbance with audio processing.

The smartphone sports Huawei’s Smart Power Saving 5.0, which according to the company, can extend battery life by up to three hours.The Huawei nova 2 Plus will be available in black, gold and blue at AED 1,399.

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ALCATEL LAUNCHES LED-COVERED SMARTPHONE Alcatel has announced the launch of Alcatel A5 LED in the UAE. According to Alcatel, the device is the ‘world’s first interactive LEDcovered smartphone.’ It also has fast 4G LTE connectivity and an octa-core processor that ensures photos, games, and movies load smoothly to the large 5.2-inch HD display.

The device has a 5 MP front camera with selfie flash for brighter selfies even in low light. It comes with Face Beauty software for flawless images and Face Show. It Is also equipped with a 13 MP rear camera with dual-tone flash. Plus, users can enjoy Private Mode, with a different sign-in to protect your hidden photos and apps. It sports an ergonomic design with a slim profile and rounded

edges, making it fit comfortably into the hand.

The smartphone also has a variety of LED features including the Color Catcher 2.0, which creates light cover patterns and themes for a different look every day.

The Alcatel A5 will be available in the UAE from mid-August, from AED 899.

HP REVAMPS PAVILION AIO PCS HP has announced a pair of redesigned Pavilion All-in-One devices “just in time for the back-to-school spree.” The firm said that as a product that brings the family together, the new devices, HP Pavilion 24 and 27 All-in-One (AiO) PC, have perks for parents and kids as do-all, no-compromise PCs. From the edge-to-edge touch display to the modern design, users can go from streaming shows to learning a new recipe on a PC. It boasts powerful performance to enhance the way you see, create, and innovate, according to the firm.

The latest Intel Quad core or AMD processors help manage demanding tasks and provides the performance needed for users to dive right into anything from paying bills to watching movies. Get an entertainment experience offered with a 24-inch or 27-inch diagonal edge-to-edge

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

touch display with up to 4K resolution and fabric covered speakers tuned by B&O PLAY. The Pavilion AiO’s ultra-slim chassis saves space on your desk, while a pop-up camera safeguards your family’s privacy.

Configurable with up to 16 GB of RAM and offered with optional discrete graphics to deliver improved response rates for graphics intensive activities.

HP Pavilion All-in-One PC will be priced at AED 3,999 (Intel Core I5-7400T, 8GB DDR4) and AED 4,599 (Intel Core I7-7700T, 8GB DDR4) respectively.

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BENQ UNVEILS E-SPORTS MONITOR FOR ADVANCED GAMING EXPERIENCE BenQ has launched the ZOWIE XL2546 e-sport monitor with Dynamic Accuracy (DyAc) Technology for gamers to suit their personal preference.

According to the company, following the device’s global release earlier this year, it has become the monitor of choice for tournaments such as ESL Pro League Season 5, ESL ONE Cologne, PGL, DreamHack Open Series and other tournaments with competitive FPS titles.

With added technology of DyAC, the new XL2546 provides increased movement clarity in-game with the same improved smoothness that was introduced in the XL2540, said the firm.

Furthermore, it provides actions with vigorous screen movement, such as spraying of weapons will benefit most from DyAc as being able to see more

SAMSUNG FLAUNTS THE ‘AFFORDABLE’ GALAXY J PRO SERIES IN THE UAE

clearly can help with recoil control.

Another highlight of XL2546, is its native 240Hz refresh rate that can be fully activated when the computer generates over 240 frames per second(FPS) to deliver a whole new effortless in-game experience, according to BenQ. The ZOWIE XL2546 with DyAc will make its tournament debut at DreamHack Atlanta 2017 where it has been selected as the official monitor.

ZEBRA RELEASES ZT600 AND ZT510 INDUSTRIAL PRINTERS Zebra Technologies has unveiled the new ZT600 and ZT510 industrial printers designed to withstand the harshest environments while delivering superior print quality and uptime. The firm also announced Printer Profile Manager Enterprise, a browser-based remote printer management solution for Zebra Link-OS enabled printers that greatly reduces cost and management time.

The ZT610 and ZT620 are “durable, reliable printers with fast print speeds that increases productivity.”

The ZT600 printer series offers new userfriendly features like simplified media and ribbon loading, a highly visible colour display that shares printer status and guided multimedia help that indicate errors to help users

(L-R) ZT610 and ZT620

resolve issues quickly and increase printer uptime, said the firm.

The printer series run Link-OS applications designed to streamline device deployment, network connectivity and routine maintenance to optimise productivity. Printer Profile Manager Enterprise allows IT staff to maintain Link-OS enabled printers with up-to-date security and makes it easy to remotely manage, troubleshoot and configure fleets of Zebra printers from a single location, reducing operational expenses. The firm is also introducing the cost-effective ZT510 printer.

Samsung Gulf Electronics has announced the availability of the new Galaxy J Pro series in the UAE. The new lineup offers a metal body design with enhanced camera technology, all at an “ultraGalaxy J7 Pro accessible price point,” according to the smartphone giant.

The Galaxy J7 Pro features a full HD super AMOLED screen, a longer lasting battery life and 3GB RAM. Both the Galaxy J7 Pro and Galaxy J5 Pro are also equipped with a high resolution 13-megapixel front camera and a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, which helps users to capture clear and crisp images, even in low-light conditions. In a further enhancement from the previous range, the J7 Pro and J5 Pro also both feature a fingerprint scanner.

The more compact J5 Pro also features a full metal body and HD super AMOLED screen for a “fantastic viewing experience,” with an expandable memory microSD to support up to 256GB, meaning users can easily capture and store the content that is important to them.

Both the Galaxy J5 Pro and Galaxy J7 Pro are currently available across major retailers in the UAE, priced at AED 899 and AED 1,049 respectively.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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MICROMAX LAUNCHES CANVAS 2 SMARTPHONE IN MENA REGION Micromax Informatics has launched its latest smartphone, the Canvas 2 (2017), in the MENA region.

Following its initial launch in 2012, the model is making a grand comeback in its 2017 edition, targeted to disrupt the midrange smartphone segment.

The new Canvas 2 is reportedly the first smartphone in its price segment to come equipped with Corning Gorilla Glass 5, said to protect screens facing a 1.6-metre drop.

It also comes with a 13MP rear camera, 16GB ROM and 64GB of expandable memory.

The company has also announced its plan to capture a bigger market share, aiming to be among the top five players in the MENA region over the next two years.

The strategic collaboration with Corning

Incorporated is a unique proposition to the users across the country to accelerate smartphone adoption.

Building on the nostalgia of Canvas, Micromax aims to give consumers a device with “incredible user experience, great specs and other desirable features.”

Vikas Jain, co-founder, Micromax Informatics said, “MENA is an important market for Micromax, and the region is expected to contribute a large chunk to our international market revenue in next two years. We are already available through local distribution in eight countries, and will soon be expanding in other North African markets, such as Egypt, as well. We believe we are well prepared with the portfolio of products and that the products bring consumer expectations to life.”

SONY INTRODUCES WIRELESS HOME HEADPHONES IN THE UAE Sony Middle East and Africa (MEA) has launched the Sony MDR-RF895RK Wireless Home Headphones in the UAE. Powered

by Noise Reduction Technology, the MDRRF895RK offers decent sound quality and wireless connection to customers’ home entertainment.

The headphones can connect with the wireless transmitter to the TV or Hi-Fi equipment with the included cable.

According to the company, it emits a highquality digital audio signal for a wireless connection to the headphones, and doubles up as a charging station when they need a top-up.

The MDR-RF895RK is easy to connect from the transmitter dock to the TV with the supplied cable, and allows the user to sit back and relax as the headphones sync to the dock. The firm said the headset is also

easy to charge by simply placing it back on the receiver cradle.

The device permits movement within a range of 100 metres and the enhanced range from the transmitter dock lets the user move from room to room without losing an audio connection. It has a long battery life of up to 20 hours. The MDR-RF895RK is packed with 40mm drivers powering the audio, delivering sounds with clarity and precision. The wireless headset’s noise reduction system helps users block out distractions and other interference.

The MDR-RF895RK is available in the UAE at the Sony boutique store at The Dubai Mall as well as other retailers for AED399.

D-LINK UNVEILS COVR AC9300 WIFI SYSTEM The COVR-3902 Covr Wi-Fi System is a wireless networking solution comprised of the COVR-2600R AC2600 Wi-Fi Router and COVR-1300E AC1300 Wi-Fi Range Extender.

The system uses a high-power Wi-Fi Router at its core to offer a “PowrZone” of fast Wi-Fi, while the Covr Seamless Extender takes care of the outer edge.

It can automatically connect to the strongest signal as users move through their homes for up to 6,000 sq. ft of seamless whole home coverage.

The Covr Wi-Fi System continually scans users’ device’s wireless signal strength to each Covr device, automatically connecting to the strongest signal available. It handles the transfer seamlessly, allowing users to walk from room to room without experiencing dropped phone calls or frozen video streams.

Covr also ensures that the entire home is covered by a single, seamless network using a single network name (SSID), making interrupted connections, drop-outs, and dead spots things of the past.

In addition, the device’s Gigabit Ethernet ports give users a solid, dependable wired performance for devices such as Network Attached Storage (NAS), media centers, and gaming consoles. The built-in Quality of Service (QoS) engine allows users to prioritise important traffic to ensure that every device is receiving optimal bandwidth.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // AUGUST 2017

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Tech talk Reseller Middle East's Online Editor Adelle Geronimo shares her views on the regional tech scene.

Adelle Geronimo, Online Editor, Technology Division

The wear, why and how Smartwatches began as a passing fad, however, it later turned out to be a trend that’s here to stay.

For the past several years it has become more and more common to see people walking around with little screens on their wrists.

With 22 million units sold worldwide in Q1 2017 alone, wearables have made a huge impact in the technology industry since it was popularised in 2014.

Health and fitness seem to be the most common applications for wearables.

Technophiles are touting it as one of the most useful devices in the 21st century as it can do multiple jobs despite its size.

Despite the abilities that people can leverage from this little device, there are some who remain unconvinced with the technology’s viability.

I, personally, am one of them. The real test of any device is how likely we are to leave home without them.

Our smartphones? Almost never.

Smartwatches? Well, let’s just say that if I’m already on my way to work and see that I don’t have my smartwatch on, I will

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not be bothered to turn around to get it.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate smartwatches. I think that smartwatches can be useful but I see them as impractical devices.

While it promises to give you the features of a phone, you still need to tether them to your smartphone in order to enjoy all the functionality.

This uses up both your phone’s and smartwatch’s batteries, which can cause a lot of inconveniences. Subsequently, smartphones have practically become an extra appendage of people today. We rarely ever go anywhere or do anything without them in our hands or pockets.

There’s also the issue of pricing. The high cost of smartwatches play a big role in people seeing it as just a luxury accessory rather than a ‘need’ to have.

More than that, in an age when information is king and people are consuming more videos than ever, it simply isn’t an ideal device.

That being said, smartwatches are not going anywhere. Especially with analysts predicting a surge in

AUGUST 2017 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

popularity of wearables resulting to an enormous $100 billion market segment value in 2023.

Currently, besides the health and fitness functions, these devices are primarily notification-driven. Perhaps, what could turn the smartwatch into a necessary commodity like the smartphone is increased functionality.

Today, we are already seeing players like Apple and Samsung integrating payment features on their smartwatch offerings. Which is interesting to see as e-payments becoming more and more commonplace.

In the not so distant future, I’m hoping to see smarter and more practical applications for smartwatches such as using it as a more comprehensive health tracker – testing sodium, blood sugar levels or using it as a thermometer by measuring skin temperature. It will be quite interesting as well to see how the device can be optimised for security like using it as an identity and access management tool.

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