Reseller Middle East February 2015 by Reseller Middle East

ISSUE 218 | february 2015

WWW.RESELLERME.COM PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

A winning approach Alpha Data invests in emerging technologies to drive business.

How channel players can leverage IoT prospects • New vendors in the regional market • Interview with Seagate

Partners are the face of our business and it's our pleasure to recognize and reward them for their ceaseless support and hard work. As part of the Cloud Club campaign, Mindware together with Microsoft, flew their partners spread across the regions, to the dynamic cosmopolitan and historical city, Singapore from 4th to 7th November 2014. The muchdeserved trip for our partners, included networking sessions, updates on key cloud club plans and promotions, team-building activities and was also packed with a number of entertainment activities. Be a Microsoft partner today, to win exciting rewards. Mindware recommends Microsoft速 Office

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Changing fortunes

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Last month, I’d the opportunity to attend a media roundtable with Oracle’s co-CEO, Mark Hurd in Dubai. One of the topics discussed at the event was Oracle’s cloud play and the company, claimed Hurd, has added over 300 new customers in MEA for its SaaS applications in this fiscal year. Oracle is now second only to Salesforce.com in the SaaS market and it sees the potential for $10 billion in annual cloud subscription revenue from its large applications customer base alone. Apart from cloud, Oracle’s boss also spoke at length how his company plans to move away from commodity hardware to engineered systems. Naturally, this begs the question – where does it leave the channel? Of course, Oracle has repeatedly assured its partners that it is going to leverage the two-tier distribution model for selling cloud and partners can resell its cloud services to grow their business. Oracle is just one example. Almost all big application vendors are now slowly moving away from the traditional annual licensing model to a subscription-based one powered by cloud. Now, how many partners in the region have been able to figure out how to sell cloud services and re-invent their roles to create profitable partners with customers? Not many, I am afraid. Though larger resellers have been able to establish some kind of cloud business, smaller resellers are yet to get their heads into it. What is for sure is that the traditional model where a reseller buys from distributor is eroding with the growth of cloud, and partners need to realise that cloud is a long-term strategy and you may have to wait out years to reap the benefits. The name of the game is to transition from being a traditional reseller to a service provider. As more and more regional customers start to adopt cloud, the customer demand is going to push the channel towards this technology, and not the other way around where the channel pushes cloud to its customers. The short-term money might be in customers that still do things on-premise but that is not going to sustain your business for long. Think cloud, think long-term.

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Reseller Middle East february 2015

CONTENTS

ISSUE 218 // February 2015

cover feature Review

Seagate NAS Pro 4-Bay

hot products

IBM launches z13 mainframe

cover feature

Reseller ME sits down with Fayez Ibbini, Founder and Managing Director, Alpha Data, to learn about market trends and plans for 2015.

Highlights

Feature

News

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

Opinion 23

Strategising future goals

Ciscoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Meghan McCarthy explains how partners can monetise the Internet of Everything era.

interview 28

Storage stories

A closer look at Seagateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rebranding and channel strategy.

Lenovo announces ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Exploring greener pastures Reseller ME speaks to new vendors on the block to learn what strategies work best in the Middle East region.

42 Profitable connections

Reseller ME investigates how partners can optimise Internet of Things prospects.

Partner watch 46

Standing tall

Harish Kanjani from Computer Care discusses the channel business.

Axis Communication launches Q29 series

highlights

Aruba expands EMEA channel programme

Osama AlHaj-Eisa, Channel Director, Middle East & Turkey, Aruba Networks

Aruba Networks has announced that it is expanding its EMEA Aruba PartnerEdge Programme to address the needs of small to mid-sized enterprises (SME) and the channel partners that serve them. Aruba has recently introduced 802.11ac products designed for the SME, a variety of new programmes, promotions and SME enablement support, as well as a focused SME

competence centre in Cork, Ireland. The competency centre will focus on supporting partners to sell Aruba’s cloud-based central solution and Instant Access points. “The traction we’ve experienced with Aruba Instant, as well as the significant number of partners recruited over the last few months, indicates that Aruba solutions are quickly becoming the wireless infrastructure of choice for SMEs,” said Karl Soderlund, Vice President, Worldwide Channels, Aruba Networks. “Hundreds of partners are enjoying excellent growth with the Aruba SME portfolio and the demand for covering the market is increasing,” Osama AlHaj-Eisa, Channel Director, Middle East & Turkey, Aruba Networks, said. “With the centralised SME competence centre Aruba provides a single, consistent and easy to reach support centre for our existing and the new to be recruited partners. The competency centre caters for local language support via

phone, email, online chat and other online services.” With its Aruba PartnerEdge Programme as a foundation, Aruba is adding an SME website, online training, promotions and sales enablement support for the SME market to ensure that new partners can quickly ramp and develop solutions expertise. Each partner will go through a 90-day onboarding cycle that includes Aruba Partner portal access and, support from an Inside Channel Account Manager and Inside Channel SE, and demo equipment offers. In addition, a number of promotions have been designed specifically for the SME channel. Aruba will offer SME customers a USD 50 Aruba Central introductory price. A devoted SME channel team, based in Aruba’s Cork, Ireland office as well as in the Middle East, will focus on the SME channel particularly in the areas of partner recruitment, enablement and demand generation.

Axis, Solink partner for analytics solutions Network video surveillance firm Axis Communications and Solink are partnering to deliver a fully integrated contextual analytics solution. This partnership allows Axis IP Cameras to work with the Solink platform and its banking and retail applications. It will provide discovery and realtime alerting of operations, risk, and security events to Axis banking and retail customers. Solink’s web-based software detects an average of 10 events/ camera every hour. Events are specific markers that identify time & location-based interactions – such as in-store transactions, queue lines, motion events, alarm-panel notifications,

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

product lift, wait or dwell times. Using the contextual analytics engine, Solink can correlate these data sources to identify insights captured on video. The company is able to interact with analytic events generated by Axis’ IP cameras and leverage the video stream required for analysis. “Solink is a very welcome and important addition to the Axis Application Development Program,” said Marwan Khoury, Marketing Manager, MEA, Axis Communications. “Their applications are especially important for us in the Middle East as they address a wide range of challenges faced by key stakeholders in the banking and retail sectors. The requirements of these sectors

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are rapidly evolving and highly demanding.” “With the ever increasing desire for high resolution and high frame rate recording in the Middle East, Solink helps to ease the deployment and cost burdens on enterprise infrastructure with intelligent data and metadata searching processes across the entire company environment,” said Matthew Terrey, Solink’s representative in the UAE. “This is an ideal compromise between the best quality video available and sustainable communications infrastructure costs, which is why a partnership between Axis Communications and Solink is so invaluable to banks and retailers in the region.”

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highlights

Trend Micro announces Asus partnership

Edimax inks MEA, CIS deal Edimax Technology has signed a distribution agreement with Al Sharq Al Awsat to focus on developing an in-country channel partner program, leveraging the support extended by GCT, Edimax master distributor for Middle East, Africa and CIS countries. “We are looking forward to working with Al Sharq Al Awsat to handle the distribution of Edimax products into the Iraqi market,” Milad Jabbour, President and CEO, GCT, said. “The company has a strong reach within the Iraqi market and understands the needs of local partners. This new partnership will boost Edimax’s presence across the region and, with the support from GCT, Alsharq Al Awsat will extend the needed resources to develop marketing activities that will help to deliver the right messages about the brand & product characteristics and features.” “Alsharq Al Awsat is excited to partner with GCT as the authorised distributor of Edimax products in Iraq,” said Mohammad Talib, General Manager, Alsharq Al Awsat. “With our strong presence in Iraq through our sister companies Zero One Solutions, and Far East co, we will reach out to the channel partners and customers in Iraq to convey the right brand messaging and awareness.”

Eva Chen, CEO, Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a security software and solutions provider has announced a partnership agreement with Asus. As per the terms of the agreement, the smartphone manufacturer will preload Trend Micro’s Dr. Safety app on the latest Asus ZenFone 2 smartphones to help protect users from account fraud, privacy risks, phishing, lost devices, and unwanted contact, plus a feature that recommends safe mobile games for users. “Mobile threats are proliferating around the globe, with Android malware expected to hit a record 8 million in 2015,” said Eva Chen, CEO, Trend Micro. “As a global leader in security, Trend Micro is committed to providing the best mobile security protection for users.The partnership with leading technology company, Asus, is not only exciting news for both of us, but also marks an important milestone where the online security of smartphone users is taken to a new level through maximized hardwaresoftware integration. Going forward,

we hope that more mobile device makers will follow suit to squarely face the challenge of mobile security. We also expect to work with more industry leaders in the future to enhance the mobile security of the entire planet.” “Asus provides seamless mobile experiences through innovative products that combine cutting-edge technologies. We are very glad to cooperate with the global security leader, Trend Micro, to enhance the safety of our flagship smartphone range. ZenFone 2 with Trend Micro’s Dr. Safety app leverages our complementary hardware-software expertise to deliver formidable, browser-integrated mobile security for consumers.” said Jerry Shen, CEO, Asus.

Mobile threats are proliferating around the globe, with Android malware expected to hit a record 8 million in 2015.”

Action To Action to bring CES launches to META

Cizar Abughazaleh, Managing Director, Action To Action

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

Action To Action has announced that it plans to bring the latest technological innovations that were unveiled at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) to the Middle East, Africa & Turkey. The company has said that its primary mission is to identify new technological innovations and entrepreneurs from across the world, and help them penetrate into new markets by building and developing an efficient channel and distribution management system. “CES is ideal to meet with new

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entrepreneurs and to identify new technologies and opportunities that can be leveraged in new markets, and to new audiences,” said Cizar Abughazaleh, Managing Director, Action To Action. “The emerging markets of the Middle East, Africa and Turkey present the perfect opportunity for innovative technologies, owing to the presence of a growing number of SMEs who are looking for affordable yet feature rich solutions. We established new business opportunities during CES, which we will announce later this year.”

highlights

Gartner: Tablet sales to spike in 2015

Gartner estimates that worldwide tablet sales will reach 233 million units in 2015, an 8 percent increase from 2014. After a troubled year in 2014, the global tablet market is not returning to the levels of growth seen in the last four years as demand for tablets will continue to be slow in 2015. “The collapse of the tablet market in 2014 was alarming,” said Ranjit Atwal, Research Director, Gartner.

“In the last two years global sales of tablets were growing in double-digits. The steep drop can be explained by several factors. One is that the lifetime of tablets is being extended – they are shared out amongst family members and software upgrades, especially for iOS devices, keep the tablets current. Another factor includes the lack of innovation in hardware which refrains consumers from upgrading.” Worldwide combined shipments of devices – PCs, tablets, ultramobiles and mobile phones – for 2015 are estimated to reach 2.5 billion units, an increase of 3.9 percent over 2014. The mobile phone segment is on pace to grow 3.7 percent in 2015 and reach two billion units in 2016. “The smartphone market is becoming polarised between the highand low-end market price points,” said Annette Zimmermann, Research Director, Gartner. “On one hand, the premium phone with an average selling price at $447 in 2014 saw growth dominated by iOS, and on the other end of the spectrum you have Android and other open OS phones’ growth

area in the basic phone segment, where the average phone costs $100. For the mid-range smartphones, the market opportunity is becoming increasingly limited.” In the operating system (OS) market, Android surpassed a billion shipments of devices in 2014, and will continue to grow at a double-digit pace in 2015, with a 26 percent increase year over year. “From 2015, we expect Windows to grow faster than iOS, as the PC market stabilises and the challenge for the next iPhone to find significant growth becomes greater, narrowing the gap between the two operating systems,” Atwal said. “We also expect development in cognizant computing (four stages: sync me, see me, know me and be me) to help the vendors’ relationships with consumers evolve from passive providers of hardware to in-sync with the user. Beyond an enriched computing experience for the user, this next phase of the personal cloud will also help make the vendor and customer’s relationships more personal, with services and advertising automatically tailored to consumer demands.”

StarLink signs distribution deal with Palo Alto Networks Regional value-added distributor, StarLink has signed a distribution agreement with Palo Alto Networks, the enterprise security vendor. Under the terms of the agreement, StarLink will sell and support the vendor’s enterprise security platform offering through its network of channel partners to enterprise and government customers in the GCC. “StarLink brings valuable experience and capabilities to our Middle East business,” said Jason Beal, Distribution Director EMEA, Palo Alto Networks. “The company’s IT security focus and expertise align well with our vision of a preventative approach to cyber threats, and we expect that their contributions

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

will translate into exponential market share expansion and customer acquisition in the GCC. We look forward to serving customers hungry for a true enterprise security platform.” “This event marks a key milestone for StarLink. Historically, we were renowned for bringing niche best-ofbreed technologies into this region to assist customers in compliance and protect themselves against the latest threats. So we always looked at firewalls as being traditional security, until Palo Alto Networks emerged with the most disruptive firewall technology offering in the market,” said Avinash Advani, VP Business Strategy, StarLink. “As StarLink has grown, our portfolio

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Avinash Advani, VP Business Strategy, StarLink

has also evolved into a defense-indepth framework, which can only be completed with the leading Palo Alto Networks enterprise security platform. We are excited to now be able to provide our partners with the most sophisticated and automated security offering.”

highlights

Arrow named in Top 20 IT trainers

Julien Peronneau, Vice President, Services and Business Transformation, Arrow ECS

Arrow Electronics has been named in the Top 20 IT Training Companies List from TrainingIndustry.com, a media outlet that covers the training industry. “We are delighted to be recognised by TrainingIndustry.com with inclusion on this

prestigious list for 2014,” said Mary Beth Edwards, Vice President, Sales Operations and Leader of the Arrow Education Services Group. The Arrow Education Services group is designed to focus on training programs aimed at cultivating skills in emerging technologies, such as cloud, security, business analytics, and mobility categories. Selection for the year’s Top 20 list was based on innovation in IT training, breadth of training and delivery methods, company size and growth potential, and number of training clients, among others. “The extended Arrow team has worked hard in 2014 to bring a consistent, quality training experience to our partners and customers,” said Julien Peronneau, Vice President, Services and Business

Transformation, at Arrow‘s Enterprise Computing Solutions business in EMEA. “We look forward to extending our reach and approach to addressing our customers’ needs in today’s challenging and changing IT landscape.”

The extended Arrow team has worked hard in 2014 to bring a consistent, quality training experience to our partners and customers.”

Cisco Meraki launched in ME

Nicholas Argyrides, Group Director of Sales and Marketing, Distribution, Logicom

Cisco Systems along with Logicom Distribution, the official distributor for its cloud managed portfolio – Cisco Meraki, formally launched the brand into the region at the kick-off event held last month. Over 300 attendees, which included partners and end users, were also treated to several live demos of the brand’s product portfolio at the half-day event at Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Presenting on the theme, ‘Enabling Internet of Everything’, Den Sullivan, Director, Operations Sales, EMEA Emerging A/P MISC, UAE, Cisco Systems, said, “It is a pleasure to launch Meraki in the region with Logicom. The network is the centre of everything and today we are connecting so many things.

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

Organisations need to be ready to interact and manage with these devices in a secure manner. Meraki is about bringing together mega trends in the market such as mobility, cloud, analytics and security.” Logicom’s Nicholas Argyrides, Group Director of Sales and Marketing, Distribution, discussed cloud networking trends and why it should be the next stop for businesses. Commenting on the channel strategies in place for the brand, he said, “Following the remarkable success of the Dubai event, we are currently preparing an identical one for our channels partners and clients in Saudi Arabia. In the near future, we are piloting a number of loyalty programmes and awareness campaigns in the region. We have also been working closely with Cisco Meraki to ensure seamless logistics of getting the products into the Middle East, which is a traditionally demanding region to import such products, especially wireless devices. “In a nutshell, Cisco Meraki is all about network management. It simplifies the problem of a growing

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network, which has, historically, been one of the most complex challenges for IT administrators. All this manageability can be also executed via the web (essentially via the cloud) at the most competitive of costs, always with the Cisco Meraki quality stamp,” he adds. Attendees also had an opportunity to discuss and clarify queries with Meraki dedicated personnel, making it an interactive session. Argyrides added, “I believe the attendance of the event speaks for itself. Our channel partners are thirsty for Cisco-Meraki, the feedback we have received is that they’ve been waiting for this for a while now. We are all very excited with the re-introduction of Meraki under the Cisco product-family and I am confident that another success story is in the making.” The Cisco Meraki portfolio includes full end-to-end cloud managed edge, branch, and campus networking solutions. According to the company, the portfolio gives lean IT teams robust enterprise features as well as complete visibility and control.

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highlights

GCT launches ME partner programmes

Veeam earns strong Q3 ME results Veeam wrapped up its channel activities in 2014 on a high note with strong third quarter results in the Middle East, including triple-digit percentage growth in the UAE. The results for the Middle East region demonstrated a year-onyear revenue rise of 158 percent, when compared with the same period in 2013. Meanwhile, revenues for the UAE rose by 118 percent over the same period. During the quarter, the company acquired approximately 10,000 new customers, with total paid customers now surpassing 121,500. The number of new enterprise customers grew 108 percent year-over-year, and revenue from enterprise customers grew 140 percent over the same period. The latest results mark the twenty-seventh consecutive quarter in which the company saw total revenue bookings hit double-digit percentage growth. “2014 has been a great year for Veeam in the UAE channel. In fact, through the course of this year, we have forged partnerships that have really strengthened our position in the GCC as a whole – we currently have over 900 clients in the Middle East, and are confident this figure will increase over 2015,” said Gregg Petersen, Regional Director, Middle East and SAARC, Veeam Software. He added, “Currently, the UAE is leading Veeam’s growth in the Middle East region, representing about 33 percent of its revenue.” Meanwhile, in September this year, Veeam announced new technical training and certification programmes for its reseller propartners and end-users in the Middle East.

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

Milad Jabbour, President and CEO, GCT

IT peripherals and networking distributor Genius Computer Technology (GCT) has launched its partner programmes in the Middle East. The programmes are designed to reward GCT’s existing partners on achieving their quotas and to help to recruit the certain partners for GCT’s range of peripherals and networking products.

The programme is designed to expand GCT’s existing channel network across the region and give its partners and their teams product knowledge and technical know-how through regular training programme. “Our product portfolio and business module has continued to evolve,” Milad Jabbour, President and CEO, GCT, said. “GCT today is the branch office of industry leading companies such as Thecus and Edimax, therefore the need to offer in-country pre & post sales services has become a necessity. This is to insure that our partners are equipped with cutting edge technology know-how to deliver highest values to consumers and end customers. The partner programs will enable us to extend and organise better support for our partners that have been consistently supporting us over the years.”

TP-Link launches new reseller programme TP-LINK Technologies has unveiled a new reseller programme in the Middle East. Dubbed TP-LINK Reseller Partner Programme, the initiative will initially be implemented to channel partners in Iraq and the UAE. The programme has been designed to help with reseller recruitment efforts across the region. Denny Liang, General Manager, TPLINK Middle East, said the TP-LINK Reseller Program is aimed at recruiting resellers that are focused on selling networking and wireless solutions. Liang explained that TP-LINK has decided to initially implement the reseller programme in Iraq and UAE because the two countries are the biggest markets for its products in the Middle East. “Our business has continued to experience phenomenal growth with the UAE and Iraq leading the growth in the Middle East,” he said. “It is for this reason that we have decided to focus on implementing the new reseller programme in the two countries before rolling out to other countries across the Gulf.”

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He added that resellers interested in joining the programme from the two countries will be required to apply through partners. “We have designed this programme in consultation with our distributors and we are upbeat we will discover the right resellers to work with,” he said. Liang added that TP-LINK together with its partners will evaluate each application and determine whether to accept or reject a reseller. “We are looking to identify a select number of resellers that will enjoy a wide range of benefits once they join the programme,” he said. “We are not after quantities but quality as we don’t want to create price wars between our resellers in the two countries.” He highlighted how resellers who are qualified to the programme will start to collect points by purchasing the vendor’s products. The company will also give other benefits to resellers that include training and marketing support.

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highlights

Online ‘bargain centre’ launched in Middle East Corporate customers can also log on to www.ensureshopping. com/corporate and avail specialised discounts for their requirements. Once they highlight the kind of products they are looking for, the website assists them with price packages and express delivery options. For customers who do not use Credit and Debit cards, the portal offers a cash on delivery option.

Dubai-based IT & mobility store www. ensureshopping.com is now available to customers in the Middle East. Ensure Shopping provides the concept of a ‘bargain centre’ where a customer quotes their own price for a specific product, and then a customer service representative contacts them on approval of their quoted price. Shoppers have the option of quoting a discount of up to 50 percent on the listed price, and then site managers oversee whether or not the product can be given away at the quoted discount. “The Middle East has a high Internet penetration and some

statistics hint at over 90 percent internet penetration in UAE,” said Rahul Nanda, General Managerensureshopping.com. “With more consumers shopping online and with a number of online shopping options, consumers have started looking for differentiated experiences online. For a selected range of products on ensureshopping.com, consumers can give their price and we try to match it,” Nanda adds. “This helps us understand the perceived value of products listed on the site which could help us in future pricing decisions. We believe we are the first portal in Middle East to offer the concept of bargaining online.”

With more consumers shopping online and with a number of online shopping options, consumers have started looking for differentiated experiences online.”

Redington Value scoops VMware WECA award Redington Value has been named as the Distributor of the Year for the West and Central African (WECA) region by VMware at the company’s Annual Partner Network Awards held recently in Johannesburg, South Africa. The annual awards recognises the dedication of VMware partners to the brand along with the continual investment they make in developing their skills and capacity in order to better support VMware customers. “We are very excited to have received this award as it shows our

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

commitment to the channel in the region and our continued drive to empower our business partners to build and sell the best of breed services for their customers in the virtualization environment,” said Sayantan Dev, VCE General Manager, Redington Value. “We have a highly empowered team for VMware within Redington Value, which is aggressively driving the VMware objectives in the marketplace and are instrumental in bringing value to our partner community. I firmly believe it’s their dedication, coupled

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Sayantan Dev, VCE General Manager, Redington Value

with the support that we have received from the local VMware team and our partners, who have placed us in a position to be able to win this award based on the successes we have had in the year gone by.”

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highlights

SNB IT Distribution, Fluke team up

Faisal Qureshi, Regional Director, KSA, SNB IT Distribution

Data storage and backup firm SNB IT Distribution has signed distribution agreement with Fluke Networks to promote its entire network testing equipment portfolio in Saudi Arabia. Fluke Networks, an operating company wholly owned by USD19 billion Danaher Corporation, provides solutions for the testing, monitoring and analysis of networks and applications. “Saudi Arabia’s IT investment is burgeoning as organisations face new challenges and embrace new technologies,” said Faisal Qureshi, Regional Director, Kingdom of

Saudi Arabia, SNB IT Distribution. “It is a strategic market and the current appetite for technology presents tremendous opportunity for SNB. Fluke Networks is known and respected worldwide, whose commitment to delivering quality and price-competitive products has been proven in some of the largest and most challenging network environments globally. This alliance will help SNB and Fluke Networks to increase their business opportunities and revenue growth in the KSA market, and to build a strong relationship with enterprise partners and customers by providing end-to-end innovative solutions across all verticals.”

Headquartered in the UAE, SNB IT Distribution currently has operations in Qatar, KSA and India, and is currently partnered with brands such as Nexsan (by Imation), Pelco, Tandberg Data, Infortrend, and Evault (by Seagate). “Fluke Networks is a trusted brand by enterprises and service providers worldwide,” said Afif Abdallah, Territory Manager, Fluke Networks. “We value our partnership with SNB group, and we trust it will bring Fluke Networks more coverage in the region. More important, SNB will help us satisfy our customers’ demands and provide them with the high quality of service they deserve.”

Saudi Arabia’s IT investment is burgeoning as organisations face new challenges and embrace new technologies. This alliance will help SNB and Fluke Networks to increase their business opportunities and revenue growth in the KSA market.”

GWAVA inks KSA distribution deal with Sariya IT GWAVA, a Canadian email management specialist and the KSA software and hardware distributor, Sariya IT Company have officially announced an exclusive distribution agreement for KSA. According to the company, the strengthened partnership is an important step for GWAVA’s business growth in one of the key markets in the Middle East. Sariya IT Company is a software and hardware distributor supporting resellers, integrators focusing on security. GWAVA and Sariya IT Company have

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

been partnering for developing a channel for the vendor’s enterprise archiving software for Microsoft Exchange, Office 365 and Lync. The new agreement expands the partnership covering the complete product portfolio of GWAVA as well as the renewal business. “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Sariya IT Company. The new distribution agreement will help us to cover other important markets in the Saudi Arabia such as the Novell market,” explained Christian Heselhaus, Director Sales and

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Business Development EMEA, GWAVA. “With its expertise in the communications market and years of distribution experience Sariya IT Company will help us to deliver our product vision in the Saudi Arabia.” Imran Sharief, Business Unit Manager, Sariya IT Company, added, “GWAVA is one of the leading providers of email management solutions. With a clear focus on communications the solutions of GWAVA will perfectly fit into our product portfolio and suit the needs of our reseller base.”

APPOINTMENTS

Polycom appoints Marco Landi as EMEA President Polycom today announced that Marco Landi has joined the company as President of the company for the EMEA region. Landi joins Polycom from Zebra Technologies (formerly Motorola Solutions), where he was Vice President and General Manager for EMEA. He has a long career history with Motorola Enterprise, where he served in several sales leadership roles, which included Motorola’s acquisitions of Symbol and PSION during his tenure.

Marco Landi, President, EMEA, Polycom

The opportunity is significant, and I look forward to working closely with our partners to deliver the industry’s best solutions to our customers.”

Excel appoints Sartawi KSA chief

Bassam Sartawi, Country Manager, KSA, Excel Networking

Copper, optical cabling and rack solutions firm Excel Networking Solutions has appointed Bassam Sartawi as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Country Manager. Sartawi has over 15 years’ experience in the IT Infrastructure sector and brings experience of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia market. In more recent years he has worked for Datwyler Cabling Solutions, where his role was to manage KSA regionally with a specific focus on system integrators, consultants & end user relationships. “I have recently seen Excel enter the KSA market and it excites me to have the opportunity to raise the brand awareness and bring Excel to the next level in the region,” Sartawi said. “I am looking forward to getting started to build the pipeline, secure new exciting projects and bring success.’

“Marco’s leadership and strong background in sales and business management will continue to drive Polycom’s success and leadership in this critical region,” said Peter Leav, President and Chief Executive Officer, Polycom. “Every market in this region has unique opportunities as more organisations discover the benefits of Polycom’s video, voice and content collaboration solutions. Marco will focus on providing our customers with the industry’s best experience, while also strengthening our go-to-market with our strategic partners and our channel partners.” “I am delighted to join Polycom and lead the EMEA team,” said Landi. “Polycom’s solutions help businesses of all sizes, in virtually every industry, improve productivity through collaboration experiences. The opportunity is significant, and I look forward to working closely with our partners to deliver the industry’s best solutions to our customers and driving their success.”

Ross McLetchie, Regional Sales Manager, Excel, said, “I am delighted that Bassam has joined us, he is someone that we have been in discussions with for some time and I am confident that he will be a great addition to the Middle East team. It is an exciting time to be entering the KSA market with a full time Excel presence and I believe that Bassam will be the perfect fit to help drive new business.”

I have recently seen Excel enter the KSA market and it excites me to have the opportunity to raise the brand awareness and bring Excel to the next level in the region.”

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Reseller Middle East february 2015

Inspiring . Enabling . Empowering

Channels Al-Jammaz Distribution is the leading Saudi based IT company, which distributes advanced technology products, solutions and services in the areas of networking, data and voice communications, Computers, Servers, storage, wireless mobility and broadband access. We work with System integrators; VARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s; , Retails; network solution providers and service providers as our main partners; therefore, Al-jammaz Distribution policy is to serve its partners as a trusted ally, providing them with the loyalty of a business partner and the economics of an outside vendor. We make sure that our partners receives what they need to run their businesses as well as possible, with maximum efďŹ ciency and reliability, so we give them the assurance that we will be there when they need us...

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APPOINTMENTS

Kaspersky names new regional MD Ruckus appoints Raslan MENA “The Middle East is an interesting and rapidly developing market that sales chief understands the importance of

Ovanes Mikhaylov, Managing Director, Middle East, Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab has announced the appointment of Ovanes Mikhaylov as its new Managing Director in the Middle East. Mikhaylov has been at Kaspersky Lab for the last 10 years, and will be responsible for strategic planning and implementation in his new role.

Citrix appoints new Sales & Services SVP

Carlos Sartorius, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Services, Citrix

Citrix has announced that its former Director and Vice President of the EMEA region Carlos Sartorius has been appointed as the company’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Services. Sartorius will report to company President and CEO, Mark Templeton. Al Monserrat, a fifteen year Citrix veteran, will be leaving the company, having run sales and services since 2008. Sartorius is a senior global

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

IT. I’m looking forward to applying my international experience in management and sales here,” Mikhaylov said. “One of the most important tasks ahead of us will be strengthening our partner network in the region, helping local companies boost their own business while expanding Kaspersky Lab’s customer base, and making security solutions available with high-quality services”, Mikhaylov joined Kaspersky Lab in 2004 as a Channel Sales Manager of the International Distribution Department in the company’s headquarters in Moscow. He is now based in Dubai, UAE, reporting directly to company Chief Business Officer Garry Kondakov.

executive with cross-functional expertise in the technology and telecommunications industries. Prior to his time at Citrix, he held a range of senior industry leadership positions, most recently with HP, where he was vice president and general manager of HP’s networking business unit in EMEA. “Looking forward, we are extremely fortunate to have an executive of Carlos’ calibre and experience who is ready and able to step up to this expanded role,” Templeton said. “Carlos has done a remarkable job getting our EMEA business back on track and has all of the right qualities to lead the ongoing development and growth of our global field organisations. He is well versed in our go-to-market, partner and channel models and has a deep understanding of our customers’ challenges and perspectives, making him the perfect executive for this role as we continue to drive toward our vision of a software-defined workplace.” Sartorius’ promotion is effectively immediately. He is moving to the US and will be based in the company’s Santa Clara, California facility.

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Muetassem Raslan, Regional Sales Manager, MENA, Ruckus Wireless

Ruckus Wireless has announced the appointment of Muetassem Raslan as company Regional Sales Manager, for the Middle East and North Africa region. Based in Dubai, Raslan will spearhead the strategic planning and development of business throughout the region with immediate effect. Prior to joining Ruckus in October 2014, Raslan worked with IT vendors including VMware, Cisco and VERITAS. “Ruckus has consistently demonstrated industry leadership as a pioneer of carrier-class Wi-Fi,” Raslan said. “Ruckus is superbly positioned to take advantage of the unprecedented, continued demand for high performance, pervasive wireless networks. I am elated to be a part of a company which has proven operational excellence and a culture built on innovation at its heart. The Middle East and North Africa is very important to Ruckus, as we expect to see continued strong interest and demand for Wi-Fi across the region, particularly with the growing focus on Smart Cities. Having been accustomed to the region for a long period of time, I look forward to doing business in the MENA region and implementing the latest Ruckus Smart Wi-Fi infrastructure for our current and future customers.” Raslan graduated from Concordia University in Canada, with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering.

Synechron appoints Horton innovation chief

David Horton, Head of Innovation, Synechron Middle East

Technology consulting and outsourcing firm Synechron has announced the appointment of David Horton as Head of Innovation for the Middle East. Horton will be responsible for developing and leading a creative approach and forward-looking collaboration with retail banks including current and prospective clients. ‘’We are thrilled to have David, someone who has proven his mettle

in the industry and carved out a niche position for himself, on board with us on this journey,” Faisal Husain, Cofounder & CEO, Synechron, said. “This development will enable us to provide our existing clients with a bouquet of new offerings and thus unleash new revenue streams for us. I am confident that David will drive our strategic agenda and think beyond traditional banking to serve the changing needs of our clients.” Horton brings with him two decades of experience and extensive knowledge in technology, innovation and financial services. Prior to joining Synechron, he was Chief Transformation Officer at Mashreq Bank, providing technology innovation initiatives and digital strategy across the bank. He was responsible for the branch transformation and management of innovation programmes relating to mobile banking/payments. “I am extremely excited to join Synechron and its leadership

team,” Horton said. “Synechron is an organisation with tremendous capabilities, talented people and niche offerings in a constantly evolving technology industry. I am keen to continue building on the company’s success and creating value for the clients and partners.’’ David Horton has also worked as Mashreq’s CIO, Head of Strategy, Head of Infrastructure and Information Security.

I am extremely excited to join Synechron. I am keen to continue building on the company’s success and creating value for the clients and partners.”

Silver Peak appoints new Channel Sales head (SD-WAN) market. “Bob joins us at a crucial time in our growth trajectory,” said David Hughes, CEO, Silver Peak. “The increased use of cloud services has made the WAN a focal point for how enterprises connect to the cloud and internal applications. Bob’s expertise will be instrumental in

Bob Bruce, Senior VP, Channel Sales, Silver Peak

Silver Peak has announced that Bob Bruce has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Channel Sales. Bruce will be charged with the responsibility of increasing awareness of the company’s partner programme and promote new revenue growth opportunities in WAN optimisation and the emerging software-defined WAN

With more resources being injected into Silver Peak’s channel programmes, I look forward to expanding the market opportunity for the partners.”

strengthening our channel programme and helping partners realise the unique advantage they have to grow their business through Silver Peak’s differentiated WAN solutions.” Bruce brings more than 30 years of experience leading sales strategy and channel development for networking companies. He was most recently Vice President of Channel Sales at Aruba Networks, and prior to that held channel and sales executive positions at Juniper Networks and spent nearly a decade at Cisco. “Silver Peak’s technology innovation and customer-proven success in wide area networking deployments truly sets it apart from the competition,” Bruce said. “With more resources being injected into Silver Peak’s channel programmes, I look forward to expanding the market opportunity for the partners.”

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Reseller Middle East february 2015

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Cisco

opinion

Strategising future goals Partners need to prepare for new opportunities created by Internet of Everything era, as organisations look for strategic support, says Meghan McCarthy, Regional Sales Manager, Partner Organisation and Commercial Segment, Cisco UAE. Around the world, and especially in the Middle East, we’re seeing exponential growth in networked connections – 50 billion by 2020, 500 billion by 2030 - as we move into the era of the Internet of Everything, making connections more relevant and valuable than ever before. For the channel, with IT becoming increasingly intelligent and automated, customers should seek partners that have upskilled and retrained their teams to meet these new demands. Evolving consumption on the cloud Thanks to the impact of cloud on every sector – especially with the rise of video collaboration solutions in government services, education, and healthcare in the Middle East IT consumption is no longer a rigid model. On premise and cloud-based services allow our partners to offer hybrid IT according to the customer business needs. They deliver the services, businesses need securely on demand, empowering organisations to consume IT wherever and however they choose.

With the Middle East and Africa posting the world’s highest cloud traffic growth rate, rising more than 8-fold to 262 exabytes in 2018, according to Cisco Global Cloud Index (2013 – 2018), partners that make the best use of the cloud will help customers to reduce costs, transition IT spending from capex to opex, and maximise business agility. Partners need training in application-centric environment As mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have become more affordable, we’re seeing a massive rise in mobility across the Middle East and Africa, with the uptake of IPv6–capable smartphones and tablets soaring from 133 million in 2013 to 598 million by 2018. Middle East organisations are also seeing a massive increase in the types and amount of data generated – the growth of Big Data. Middle East organisations are eager to capture, manage, and analyse Big Data to drive new insights into business processes and customer insights. With 99 percent of the world’s physical objects unconnected, millions of sensors in everyday objects

connected to networks will generate cloud-based Big Data for mobile apps: helping drivers to find parking spaces, residents to monitor utilities, or citizens to monitor health. In today’s application-driven environment, partners should have the right training and certifications, while also being true software experts that can devise application-centric solutions based on intelligent combinations of physical and virtual technology. Expanding threat landscape emphasises security This rise in connectivity and automation is expanding the threat landscape –and Middle East organisations – especially in the energy, oil, and gas sector - are at high risk, according to the Cisco 2014 Midyear Security Report. To thwart cyber-attacks, Middle East organisations need to secure their network from the data centre to connected objects and devices, with insights before, during, and after a cyber-attack. Security is one of the many challenges of modern IT that requires a hugely diverse set of skills for partners, and these challenges are becoming too

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vast for individual partners to solve alone. Partners delivering business outcomes Leading IT partners provide more than technologies or services - they deliver tangible business outcomes, based on the strategic goals of their customers and deliver the right solutions. With IT becoming increasingly complex and business critical, Middle East customers need partners with the knowledge and expertise to inform overall strategy and purchasing decisions. Middle East partners should be able to step into strategic, business relevant conversations at the highest levels, providing consultancy and acting as trusted advisors. With nearly three-quarters of IT leaders believing that IT planning requires direct involvement from third-party companies, partners need to share accountability for business outcomes. With the IoE posting a USD 19 trillion opportunity by 2022, make 2015 the year that you create a broader range of solutions for your customers that maximise their competitive advantage.

Reseller Middle East february 2015

Cover feature

alpha data

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

www.resellerme.com

Riding the ‘seventh wave’

Reseller ME sits down with Fayez Ibbini, Founder and Managing Director, Alpha Data, to learn about market trends and what the company has in store for 2015.

At a glance Company: Alpha Data Type: Systems integrator Founder and Managing Director: Fayez Ibbini Year of start-up: 1981 Total staff: 700 plus Office locations: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha Technology partners: Avaya, Cisco, Citrix, HP, Microsoft, VMware, Belden, Adobe, Autodesk, Juniper, Polycom, Nedap, Milestone, Bosch, Christie, Extron, Oracle, Exterity

The business of systems integration has slowly evolved over the years. Essentially, it involves assisting customers in deploying IT projects to enable a more efficient way of doing business or automating processes and operations through technological innovations. An SI is a critical component for both customers and vendors. Today we observe technologies advancing at a fast pace and the role of SIs is no longer to simply deploy solutions but also be a consultant to their customers. They need to be able to embrace the emerging technologies trending in the market and devise future-proof solutions for their customers. Alpha Data, more than three decades old, has witnessed

the transformation of the market over the years. In 2014, the company saw the beginning of the transition from all technologies involved in the IT business to what it terms as the ‘new waves’ of technology. Drawing parallel from the sea, where every seventh wave is the most powerful one, Fayez Ibbini, Managing Director, Alpha Data, says, even in terms of technology the company is now embarking on the seventh wave. “The first wave took place in the early 80s with PC computing, which we took advantage of, being in the main frame business back then,” explains Ibbini. “The next wave was networks, however it was networking only within a company. The market soon realised that this was not sufficient and soon we were upon the third

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wave, which was the advent of the Internet. Although it existed long before we named it, cloud was the fourth one which brought in the next wave of mobility. Each wave was critical for the formation of the next one. The sixth wave is Big Data and analytics, which now brings us to the big seventh wave – Internet of Things. “IoT is what will get everyone busy for the next few years. Whoever is planning to optimise opportunities present here, must take into account, the four pillars of the ‘tsunami’ – Big Data, cloud, mobility and security. Without these, there cannot be IoT.” The company’s business focus for 2015, needless to say, will be around these four pillars. For instance, it is in the process of setting up its

Reseller Middle East february 2015

Cover feature

alpha data

cloud centre, so that it can provide cloud services on Big Data and security. He adds, “Our focus on the four pillars is forward-looking and will probably still represent a very small piece of our business. But it is growing exponentially, therefore it is only a matter of time before it will start equating or becoming better than the historical business.” 2014 was a healthy year for the SI, having bagged several large long-term projects, the results of which will materialise this year or the next. Ibbini says, “While we did see Big Data, mobility, security and cloud projects taking off in 2014, we are expecting a much larger growth in the coming years. Globally, we have seen these technologies maturing but in the UAE, they are off to a slow start.” Despite that, 2014 was a strong year for the company and saw a good amount of business coming from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. “Our track record of working on large-scale projects with organisations such as Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi reinforces our customers’ faith in us,” he says. “It is important to get the performance, delivery and the security of the company right, as we are also

Whoever is planning to optimise opportunities present here, must take into account, the four pillars of the ‘Tsunami’ – Big Data, cloud, mobility and security. Without these, there cannot be IoT.” doing sensitive installations. When a client keeps coming back with new requirements and additions, you can tell that the customer is happy with you.” The majority of the SI’s business in Dubai tends to be small to medium projects. Larger projects are beginning to come in, especially as the city is gearing up for Expo 2020. Recently, the company has also begun operations in Qatar. “We are beginning to see an uptake in this market; there is a lot of promise here,” Ibbini says. “But Qatar is still busy doing the basic infrastructure, therefore our role comes at a later stage. The country is currently in the midst of preparing its infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup. Right now, they are doing the civil work and when they begin doing electromechanical work,

Acquiring the right talent and maintaining it is the number one challenge.” 28

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

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which is usually phase two or three, that’s when we enter the picture.” The company is particular about entering a market only if they can bring in the required value. Although Saudi Arabia has been on its radar for a while now, it will set shop only after in-depth market assessment. As per Ibbini, if everything goes according to plans, we will see the SI opening an office in KSA by the end of this year, or in 2016. “It will not be smart to ignore the Saudi market as it is a large one. But we have specific criteria by which we decide to enter the market. When the time is right, you will see us there, and that should be most probably this year or next year.” Alpha Data’s challenges are similar to what the industry is grappling with today. “Acquiring the right talent and maintaining it is the number one challenge,” says Ibbini. “The only way to overcome this is by making the office culture attractive enough for people to stay

on board. And this shouldn’t be just about salaries. The whole offering has to be appealing enough for the employees to continue with us. Having taken this issue seriously, I believe we are good at it as our turnover is still pretty low.” While another challenge the market is dealing with is the significant decline in hardware sales that we have observed recently, the SI says, “Surprisingly we have been able to make enough margins from hardware. Maybe not from strictly the box business, but on the complete offering. Today the customers do not simply want the box, they also pay special attention to logistics, delivery and support as well. They are paying a bit extra to get all of this. “Therefore, yes, margins can be made, but only if this approach is taken. We have never really been just on the box itself and this has worked to our advantage. Services has always been a critical part of what we do.” The SI also has made it a point to bring down its previous multiple divisions to just two business units – products and services. “These two divisions collaborate tightly,” he says. Going forward, we will see the SI continuing to “rationalise the organisation and operations. We discovered that the ongoing business still has to happen but it can happen more efficiently at a much lower cost. This is what we will work towards this year,” he adds.

interview

seagate

Storage stories Sofocles Socratous, Vice President, EMEA Sales and Marketing, and Christian V. Assaf, Snr. Sales Manager METAG, from Seagate discuss the recent rebranding along with 2015 roadmap and channel strategy. Seagate has had many ups and downs in its long history of doing business in the global market. And for the success of any brand, the single most important component is evolution. Following the objective of staying ahead of change, at CES 2015, the 36-year-old brand unveiled its latest logo, termed as the ‘living logo’. The aim was to showcase data as a living, vibrant thing that powers human invention, culture and advances, according to the company. Recently the vendor also held its annual channel conference for the Middle East region to communicate to its partners the new objectives and plans for 2015 along with the thoughtprocess behind the rebranding. Keeping up with technology is no easy task, especially when the demands and requirements are evolving at such a fast pace. Sofocles Socratous, Vice President, EMEA Sales and Marketing, Seagate, says, this also happens to be the company’s biggest challenge today. “Seagate as a brand and as a company has to evolve with market changes. We have made a huge investment in the rebranding and also continue to invest in R&D in new technologies.” The rebranding

communicates to the market about the company’s values and innovations and about its on-going goal to be identified as a trusted partner by consumers and organisations. The storage business has changed dramatically over the years. It is no longer about selling a single unit but about offering a comprehensive storage solution, which will add value to the customer’s business. Socratous says,“Over the last couple of years, through acquisitions, we have really been able to understand the system processes a lot differently and view things from an infrastructure perspective. From offering innovative and intelligent devices, we are now able to add another standard to the infrastructure to add genuine value to the customer’s business.” The vendor’s channel strategy for the region hasn’t changed much in the last eight years – it continues to support and guide partners through the market evolutions. “The Seagate Premier Partner (SPP) programme has evolved with time, especially in terms of value. We are opening the box of information and data obtained from market researches to help and guide partners through the technological changes.”

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

www.resellerme.com

Christian V. Assaf, Snr. Sales Manager METAG, Seagate

The partner event is a gesture to thank the company’s premier partners, says Christian V. Assaf, Snr. Sales Manager METAG, Seagate. The top 50 partners who attended the event contribute 70 percent to Seagate’s total business in the region. He adds, “Apart from the rebranding, we also discussed some of the emerging vertical segments. Today the use of data and where it is stored is changing. Storing personal data is gaining prominence. The storage idea is evolving and we need to change as well, we are leading this

“Giving the right kind of tools to our partners, to help them to keep growing and to be on top of their business, is our objective. Our commitment to our partners is to educate and support them.”

Sofocles Socratous, Vice President, EMEA Sales and Marketing, Seagate

transformation.” The deluge of data being recorded in the surveillance market is driving the growth for storage solutions. And more than that, the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, which enables machine-to-machine communication further demands solutions to store and analyse data. The total number of drives sold by Seagate in 2014 was less than the previous year. But what’s interesting to note is that the capacity was a lot higher.

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“We educate our partners on how this shift is happening. Giving the right kind of tools to our partners, to help them to keep growing and to be on top of their business, is our objective. Our commitment to our partners is to educate and give them everything that we believe as a company is required to be on the path of future. Putting them on the right track and supporting them in every way continues to be our aim,” adds Assaf. Across Europe, the company has select premier partners who receive support in terms of market investments, account management and also access to early samples and roadmaps. Socratous says, “We work with them from an innovation perspective to understand better what other solutions we can create and come forward with. The partner conference forum is a platform to receive feedback, interact and reward them. Also it allows us to provide an insight into the bigger picture of Seagate and communicate what’s next for them.” Seagate has grown and broadened its product portfolio over the last few years. According to Socratous, 2014 was a successful year and “has created excitement for the next several years.” Along with focusing on the rebranding this year, the company plans to embed itself deeper into vertical markets such as surveillance and NAS. “The Middle East surveillance market is the second largest one for Seagate across Europe. Surveillance, NAS and cloud are some of our focus areas for 2015. We will continue to support and work with the manufacturers and partners for these solutions. Storage is the backbone of everything, we aim to be the trusted partner in this segment.”

Reseller Middle East february 2015

ANTICIPATING THE C-SUITE

COMGUARD JOINS IDC @ ST CIO

MIT 2 0

DDLE

MIDDLE EAST CIO SUMMIT 2015 Where IT meets Business 25-26 February 2015, Atlantis- The Palm

Co-partnered with:

New vendors

Exploring greener pastures The favourable market conditions of the Middle Eastern region are drawing in a number of new players, looking to sustain a profitable business. As the region is preparing to take on the complete potential of emerging and third platform technologies, Reseller ME speaks to new vendors on the block to explore the strategies that work the best in this region. www.resellerme.com

Reseller Middle East february 2015

New vendors

AirTight Networks

Malik Nawaz, Regional Manager – MEA, AirTight Networks

Headquarters: California Regional presence since: 2014 Regional distributors: Comguard and Rexcom Networks

AirTight Networks, headquartered in California, has been doing business in the region for the last four years. Identifying immense opportunities in the market and to keep up with the growth, the company established a direct presence last year. “AirTight Networks offers enterprises the next generation of intelligent edge, secure, and flexible WLAN and WIPS solutions,” says Malik Nawaz, Regional Manager, MEA, AirTight Networks. “Wireless demand is growing in the Middle East and WLAN security is a

major concern for all large businesses, which have unlocked new verticals for us in the region.” The vendor’s key focus is to develop its partners’ and resellers’ business and help them achieve their objectives. “A good partner engagement is the core success of channel business and we have developed programmes such as Opex pricing programmes for our partners to help them win more projects. This helps us to differentiate from the competition. “Our key criteria for a partner is to have full

understanding of WLAN and WIPS solution and the ability to go after market and not be afraid of positioning new technologies,” says Nawaz. The company has been growing at a steady rate every quarter and this year we will see it working towards gaining “region-wide recognition” in areas it is not present yet. “Technology partners and end users need to focus more on wireless security because protection of personal data is important. Poor wireless security leads to vulnerabilities and hacking attacks,” says Nawaz.

ColorJet International Pavan Gupta, Director, ColorJet

Headquarters: India Regional presence since: January, 2014 Regional distributors: Omang, UAE Rasaf, KSA Universal Enterprises, Bahrain Flex Sign, Egypt

ColorJet, the India-based printer company began operations in the region a year ago. Having established its international headquarters in Dubai and with resident representatives in Turkey, KSA, Bangladesh and China, the vendor will eventually look to expand more on a global level. The vendor aims to strictly operate through the regional channel network present here. Pavan Gupta, Director, ColorJet, says, “Our offerings bring a certain degree of freshness and innovativeness into the market. We focus on offering what the market

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

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needs, for example, quick goto-market products under the soft signage or digital textile requirements. Our second focus is on the channel front - channels are utmost important. “However good the product is, you need a local person for pre-sales and post-sales. We prefer to work with a single partner in a given country. We want to work on a dedicated channel,” he adds. To expand its production capacity, in addition to its India-based one, the company established a second factory in China,

which is less than a year old. Going forward, the company plans to have about 25 channels in the region including South Africa, West Africa, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. “Once we have established here, which should be two years from now, then our focus is going to move on to South America and then the Russian-speaking areas,” explains Gupta. “In 2015, we are working towards having around 25 to 30 channel partners who can give us a mindshare, and once we have this mindshare, we believe the marketshare will follow.”

New vendors

CopperFasten Technologies Eddie Monaghan, Channel Manager, CopperFasten Technologies

Headquarters: Galway, Ireland Divisions: SpamTitan and WebTitan Regional presence since: May, 2014 Regional distributor: ABS MENA, Middle East

Ireland-based CopperFasten Technologies, which was founded in 1999, is famous for two of its product divisions – SpamTitan, an anti-spam solution and WebTitan, a web filter solution. Identifying the Middle East as a strategically significant region, the company now has sales and support offices in Dubai through its partnership with ABS MENA in 2014. Eddie Monaghan, Channel Manager, CopperFasten Technologies, says, “We have found a high level of demand for our security solutions and services in the Middle East. The region’s buoyant

economy, which includes a large number of growing mid-size companies with a need for effective email and web security products at a competitive price have led us to expand the business. Also, the growth of Managed Service Providers throughout the Middle East region, which represents an excellent opportunity, was another reason why we set shop here.” The company aims to further strengthen its channel base and have a strong reseller partner in each Gulf state by the end of this year. He says, “We will be actively participating in channel

recruitment to support this growth strategy. We offer complete local technical assistance to all of our partners in both Arabic and English to help them deploy free product evaluations to prospective clients,” he adds. The vendor is on the lookout for two different types of channel partners in the region – partners who wish to expand their managed services offering and security focused partners. “We look forward to developing productive and meaningful relationships with key partners throughout the region,” he adds.

CMY

Daon

Ghassan Chahine, Consultant, Daon

Headquarters: Virginia, USA Regional presence since: 2012

The 14-year-old biometrics and identity management software provider, Daon, began focusing on the Middle East market and other GCC countries about three years ago as there was a significant demand for the company’s solutions. As the economy size increased, the identity management needs became part of almost all market sectors; this was also initiated by the government needs of both digital economy boost and increasing security demands. “Daon was part of providing response to

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

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clients in this region by providing complete end-toend solution in satisfying, compliant and competitive results,” says Ghassan Chahine, Consultant, Daon. The company’s channel strategy is to cover the market through consultants that work on the ground, engaging with clients on the roles of sales and presales, in order to provide market intelligence, collect requirements and provide the solution effectively. “Once the project is implemented, we dispatch estimated resources to field, ensuring proper

engagement for successful implementations as well as ensuring proper delivery and support.” Partner’s knowledge about the client or end user and his past performance experience plays an important role when the vendor selects partners. Another factor that is evaluated is the partner’s technology and project management capabilities. He adds, “Our focus in 2015 is to invest more in the GCC market by increasing the awareness of identity related business and also about our capabilities.”

Harnessing the value of information

E N I F REDE

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Flash is transforming the way we think about storage. Ubiquitous in data centers at all levels, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enabling innovation across IT.

Authorised Value Added Distributor StorIT Distribution fzco | P.O.Box 17417 Jebel Ali Freezone Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971.4.881.9690 | Fax: +971.4.887.1637 | Email: info@storit.ae | Web: www.storit.ae

New vendors

Infoblox

Cherif Sleiman, General Manager, Middle East, Infoblox

Headquarters: California, US Regional presence since: May, 2014 Regional distributors: Secureway, Computerlinks and StarLink

Infoblox, founded 16 years ago in California, has been cashing in on the opportunities present in the Middle East over the last three years through its distributor and reseller partners. It opened an office in the region last year. According to the company, trends such as cloud, Big Data, virtualisation, security and mobility are creating significant pressure and opportunities for customers across various verticals. Cherif Sleiman, General Manager, Middle East, Infoblox, says, “When we look at security, we see huge

growth prospects. Regional organisations will focus on security as the number one area of IT spend. DNS is a big area of opportunity for us in 2015.” The company has put in place aggressive training and tailored certification programmes in order to enable its partners and to enhance channel coverage. He says, “Ensuring that we have a very capable channel in every country in the region is top priority and we are well on our way. We continue to work very closely to focus on delivering more value to our customers

and partners through our distribution including executing lead generation campaigns, conducting proof of concepts and demos, and training and certifying our key partners.” According to the vendor, its direct touch and executive team are 100 percent channel focused and partners can expect immediate responses to their needs and queries. “We look for partners with exceptional reputation of excellence in service and with solid expertise in applications, networking and/or security,” he adds.

MOBOTIX

Phillip Antoniou, Business Development Manager, Middle East & Africa, Mobotix AG, Security Vision Systems

Headquarters: Germany Regional presence since: 2012 Regional distributors: Alaa for Industry (AFI), Global Distribution, Mayflex ME and SNB IT Distribution

The European network camera manufacturing vendor, Mobotix established business in the region in 2008, however opened the regional office only three years ago. Phillip Antoniou, Business Development Manager, Middle East & Africa, Mobotix AG, Security Vision Systems says, “We are a software company with in-house hardware development for digital, high-resolution and network-based video security solutions.” The region has many prospects in security and

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

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video surveillance market. Understanding the market’s demands for a standard of product that is versatile, robust and resilient against the environmental and operating challenges, the vendor decided to initiate business here. The company follows a strict channel structure, which includes distributors, systems integrators and end users and it makes sure that there is no overlapping. “The key attributes we look for in a channel partner are professionalism, technical competency and the ability to provide a turnkey solution

as needed to the end user,” says Antoniou. In 2015, the company aims to continue its mandate of supporting its channel ecosystem. “Our goal is to continue to support our channel and our end-user clients. We will also be introducing new future proof solutions throughout the year and the emphasis is on highlighting where these solutions will be most beneficial to our regional partners, also to increase our footprint across various verticals such as education, hospitality and mobility,” he adds.

New vendors

Netfort Technologies John Brosnan, Managing Director, Netfort Technologies

Headquarters: Ireland Regional presence since: 2012 Regional distributors: Bridge Solutions and Distribution, Dubai.

The software development company, Netfort Technologies, through its LANGuardian product offering, enables organisations to understand what is happening internally, helps monitor users and how key resources are used, to bring about a high level of network performance and security. Founded in 2002, the Irish company has been operational in the region since 2012. John Brosnan, Managing Director, Netfort Technologies, says, “The region’s increased

dependence on IT and focus on network security, reliability and performance has led us to establish business here. It is now obvious that due to the diversity and growth of recent security incidents, companies of all sizes must proactively and continuously monitor activity to protect their business, data, customers and staff. “Our channel approach includes a two-tier channel strategy including a network of distributors and trusted value-added resellers. All Netfort business in the region is done via the channel.” In a highly competitive

market, it is challenging to stand out from the crowd. However, LANGuardian allows the company to differentiate itself from the competition. Brosnan says that local knowledge of market and establishing the Netfort brand is tough for an Irish company but “total focus on channel partners ensures we overcome these obstacles.” And establishing the brand in the region is one of the main focuses for the firm in 2015. Additionally, it aims to grow its network of partners and subsequently its customer base in the region.

Nexthink

Yassine Zaied, Executive Vice President, Emerging Markets, Nexthink Middle East

Headquarters: Switzerland Regional presence since: December, 2011 Regional distributors: ComGuard

Over three years ago, Nexthink, a provider of enduser IT analytics, entered the region by launching operations in Qatar. With a triple-digit growth in the region, the company also has businesses in UAE, KSA, Jordan, Kuwait and Egypt; and is looking to expand to Bahrain and Oman. Yassine Zaied, Executive Vice President, Emerging Markets, Nexthink Middle East, says, “The UAE and KSA are continuing to grow and we believe that Egypt and Kuwait are promising markets that have a lot

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

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of potential. In Egypt, the newfound stability is reviving business and consumer confidence and as a result, organisations are now investing in their IT infrastructures to support further growth.” The market is maturing, there is a growing diversity of end-users in all types of organisations, and the opportunity in the Middle East is huge, says Zaied. The company is in the process of recruiting partners across the region, including systems integrators, service providers and MSPs in GCC and North Africa.

“By leveraging Nexthink’s technology, partners can enhance their existing offerings and deliver the next level of managed services,” adds Zaied. When selecting partner, the company looks for those who have solid relationships with their customers. “Channel partners remain the focal point of any enterprise solution provider doing business in the Middle East. The channel is very important to Nexthink and we work closely with our partners, as they are often our entry point to the customer,” says Zaied.

2013

www.datacenterfuture.com

New vendors

Pure Storage

Joao Silva, VP EMEA, Channels and Business Development

Headquarters: California Regional presence since: November 2014 Regional distributors: Global Distribution

The enterprise storage vendor, Pure Storage, commenced operations in the Middle East market through its regional distributor, Global Distribution since June 2014. And soon after assessing and identifying with the market potential, established a team based in Dubai. Joao Silva, VP EMEA, Channels and Business Development, says, “Our mission is to enable the adoption of flash in the data centre and build a better storage company. Flash has a transformative effect on the data centre. It allows IT staff to deliver 10x better

application performance, with 10x less space and power requirement, while being more reliable and simpler to manage.” Being a 100 percent channel company, it operates through a two-tier model, with a local distributor and channel partners catering to most Gulf states. Partners can avail extensive benefits through the vendor’s P3 partner programme. “We follow a strict deal registration discipline and once a deal registration is accepted, we win or lose with our partner. Our unique technology

allows our partners to offer a transformative approach to the data centre and act as real technology advisors to their customers. Our Dubai team is here to support our partners through the whole sales cycle as well as after.” The vendor believes a consultative approach, willingness to disrupt the status-quo and bring a better technological approach to their customers are some of the qualities required in a partner. “We are looking at forming real win-win-win partnerships between our customers, our partners and us.”

Secunia

Victoria Bentham, Regional Director, UKI/MEA/ANZ, Secunia

Headquarters: Denmark Regional presence since: 2014 Regional distributor: EMT Distribution

Secunia, a global security solutions provider, helps businesses to control and manage vulnerability threats across networks and end-points, through its vulnerability intelligence and patch management offerings. Operating in the region since 2007, it was only last year that it decided to have a channel approach towards the market. Victoria Bentham, Regional Director, UKI/MEA/ANZ, Secunia, says, “We work through channel partners and believe in empowering them to achieve their and our business goals.

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

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“We have a distributor for the region. We offer support to our partners for pre sales, sales, technical and training. We also have quarterly awards for partners and we do bi-annual partner events across the world.” Catering to all verticals including education, utilities and aviation, the company has excelled with customers in the oil and gas and banking sectors among others. “Our customers see us as a unique solution that gives them the ability not only to find vulnerabilities in their network but also patch/remediate those

vulnerabilities – all from one platform,” she adds. While selecting partners, the vendor identifies those who have interest and experience in the security field. “Also, we look for partners’ work on Microsoft products. Another criteria we look for is good regional presence along with some solid customer references.” In 2015, the vendor aims to become the top provider for vulnerability intelligence and patch management in the region. “We also want to develop and nurture strong partner relationships across the region.”

feature

Internet of Things

Profitable connections Internet of Things unlocks huge opportunities for the regional channel partners. Reseller ME finds out how they can optimise this technology to remain profitable.

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

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The world in the next decade or less will transform dramatically. The connected environment will be taken for granted, the connections will not be visible, they will be integrated into all the systems, processes and routines. There will be infinite and even more extensive applications possible with Internet of Things (IoT) and will not be limited to just connected thermostats, smoke alarms, refrigerators, traffic lights, watches, health monitors, and other similar gadgets. IoT offers businesses the potential to solve challenges even before it actually happens. Shams Hasan, Enterprise Product Manager, Middle East, Dell Middle East, says, “There are some positive adaptations of IoT already in use today such as in environmental monitoring, infrastructure management, manufacturing, energy management, medical and healthcare systems, and building and home automation. There are

some concerns as well, such as, privacy and security, technology autonomy, environmental impact, connectivity loads, and compliance.” Whether it is IoT applications or challenges around it, there is a huge opportunity for channel partners to make the most of this. But are partners doing what is required to reap the benefits? Hasan explains, “From a quantitative perspective, experts such as McKinsey and Goldman Sachs estimate the impact of IoT on the global economy as high as USD 6.2 trillion by 2025. Regionally we could break this down for the MENA region, a sizable global economic entity easily accessible to Middle East partners. With MENA GDP equivalent to 2.2 percent of global GDP, this would amount to USD 136 billion of that potential market. The regional partner ecosystem has a long way to go in regards to where it needs to be to cater to the market’s demands.

Given that there is low investment costs to protect and significant interests in IoT in the region, technology vendors, integrators, solution providers, and partners need to understand that if customers do not get the help they need today, they will look outside the region, and get it.” Shams Hasan, Enterprise Product Manager, Middle East, Dell Middle East

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“Given that there is low investment costs to protect and significant interests in IoT in the region, technology vendors, integrators, solution providers, and partners need to understand that if customers do not get the help they need today, they will look outside the region, and get it.” If customers receive the expected support from partners in order to understand the trends and the technology better, they will remain loyal and continue to give their business. But often partners themselves are not fully equipped to answer customers’ queries, let alone lead the discussion. “Partners can benefit a lot if they position their solution offering in a top to bottom approach rather than going after end product. IoT requires a good enterprise grade WLAN backbone network and that’s where partners could benefit the most,” says Malik Nawaz, Regional Manager, MEA, AirTight Networks. Rabih Dabboussi, General Manager, Cisco UAE, says to effectively sell IoT solutions, partners need to engage with customers on a deeper strategic level, serving not only as value-added resellers or systems integrators, but as business innovators who can provide a competitive advantage. “For customers to deliver on tangible outcomes, partners need to work with them in new ways – transitioning to a

Reseller Middle East february 2015

feature

Internet of Things

service-focused, softwareled approach. Partners may also need to retrain their IT experts to enable them to work more effectively with customers.” Also, it is not enough to simply sell the solution today, partners need to be in a position where they can provide customers with a complete, strategic IT roadmap. This, according to Dabboussi, will not only give them a competitive advantage in the market but also allow them to tie investment in IT services directly to business results. However in order to offer an extensive roadmap, partners need to be well-versed with the broad-ranging technology. What can help here, says Sakkeer Hussain, Sales and Marketing Director, D-Link MEA, is segmenting. Partners will know the different target customers by segmenting the technology into various verticals. And these verticals could include smart homes, smart cars, smart wearable devices and so on. “By identifying the key verticals, they could promote their solutions to the right

customers. One of the verticals to be impacted by IoT is smart home or home automation, which we at D-Link are going to introduce to the market very soon.” Hasan says, “Channel Partners looking to grab the IoT bull by the horns need to understand that these solutions are complicated. Investments need to be made not just in building partnerships with technology and solution providers but also within their own capabilities.” But over and above that, vendors too can play a huge role in training and educating the partners. It is critical the partners are aware of what is required to be on the profitable path with this technology. A case in point will be Cisco’s global IoT specialisations in key verticals, says Dabboussi. “Ranging from connected safety, security and manufacturing, these specialisations enable partners to improve customer relevancy, help build critical skills, and learn more about the vendor’s technologies.

Hasan adds, “Vendors can help resellers and partners in general through thought leadership, training, and resources. With Dell’s Internet of Things (IoT) Lab, we provide our resellers and channel partners a unique platform to help their customers with a dedicated facility for testing and deploying new IoT solutions.” Every new technology comes with its own set of challenges. “The main challenge is rethinking business models as hardware and software becomes one; in the IoT world, everything becomes a computer once software is added to it,” says Hussain. Ensuring a robust wireless connectivity, solving security challenges and extracting insightful data are also vital for IoT applications. “Exploiting modern IT requires hugely diverse skills that are too vast for any one partner to solve. However, no customer wants to search through suppliers to find those that can create the bespoke unified solutions to complex challenges. That’s why partners should be connected to a strong ecosystem of companies, so

For customers to deliver on tangible outcomes, partners need to work with them in new ways – transitioning to a servicefocused, software-led approach. Partners may also need to retrain their IT experts to enable them to work more effectively with customers.” Rabih Dabboussi, General Manager, Cisco UAE

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

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The number game

50 billion

networked connections by 2020, which will grow to 500 billion by 2030

Source: Cisco Reports

IoT market will grow to over

$3 trillion by 2020

Source: IDC

IoT, which excludes PCs, tablets and smartphones, will generate incremental revenue exceeding

$300 billion

in services in 2020 Source: Gartner

they can unite with specialists from strategic consultancies to facilities management firms to create a broader range of solutions for customers,” says Dabboussi. The IoT market is only going to grow exponentially in the coming years. Research firm IDC forecast the global IoT market to grow from USD 1.3 trillion in 2013 to USD 3.04 trillion in 2020 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 percent. Those channel partners who can draw out a strong roadmap for their customers and ensure they are updated on the latest developments will have a better chance to take on the wave of IoT.

partner watch

Computer care

Standing tall Harish Kanjani, General Manager, Computer Care, discusses the challenges of doing business in an evolving channel environment. Even with the advent of power retailers, the resellers at Dubai’s Computer Plaza and Computer Street continue to be important elements of the regional channel ecosystem. They continue to strive through the struggles of low margins and fierce competition. But what helps differentiate themselves in the market is the customised level of services, which brings about a dedicated set of customers. Although competition from power retailers is a definite challenge, there are several factors that differentiate these resellers, says Computer Care’s General Manager, Harish Kanjani. “Customers can come to us for good deals and better prices throughout the year and not only during events such as DSF or Summer Surprises. We ensure we offer personalised services to our customers, we take the time to know and understand the customers’ requirements and they have been coming to us for years. “Also, as we are a smaller business compared to power retailers, we are not bound by policies and procedures, the management is directly involved with customers. We are nimble and can make the required changes quickly.” Operational for almost two decades, Computer Care Group, a regional reseller and retailer has seen the market evolve. Today, it carries products from global vendors such as Lenovo,

Toshiba, HP and Acer. Kanjani says, “The vendors are doing a great job of supporting us. However, there are some challenges. For example, in some product lineups there tends to be a price difference. Of course, this can be attributed to value chain costs as well as for shipping, import and taxes. But often consumers buy these products globally at a different price, which then impacts us here. “There’s also the lag in time to market of certain products. Consumers today are eager to get their hands on the product as soon as possible. In such situations when the arrival of the official product into our market is delayed, we may lose out on the business of the early adopters.” Catering to a wide base of customers and businesses, Kanjani adds that a place like Computer Plaza is most ideal for SME businesses. “When they come here, they can see the variety of the products from many brands and also have the option to browse other stores.” 2014 was a challenging year for the channel partners as the landscape remained highly competitive. However, the reseller was able to keep a steady pace in its retail division while also growing its commercial business. “Our new corporate office at Al Ain Centre has played an integral role in this,” he adds. “We are also expanding our product line up with new partners in our store at The Dubai Mall. This is done by taking into account the evolving

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

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technology spending habits of today’s consumers.” Today the channel players are still not paying too much attention to online and social media activities. However identifying the opportunities this space can offer to the business, the reseller is ramping up its online presence and is in the process of revamping its website. “We’re also paying special attention to our service division. We’re expanding the division and making the necessary investments in the right resources.” According to Kanjani, the market has become hard to predict. “Given the currency fluctuations and other environmental factors, export business is negatively affected and thus we can’t account for it like we used to be able to. Also, the influx of grey import products’ impact on price levels as well as warranty and support services is another challenge.” The reseller is working towards ensuring profitability is not a challenge in 2015 and therefore, the focus is going to be more on corporate and SMEs. He says, “In 2015 we’re hoping to continue our growth by making the right investments in a growing team and infrastructure. This will help us streamline our operations as well as improve our customer service. We aim to stay as close to market trends as possible so we can continue to deliver the right kind of products to customers based on their needs. Finally, we’ll focus on digital channels as an opportunity to grow our business.” With showrooms in Computer Plaza and The Dubai Mall, the reseller has the strength of about 50 people in its team and has a certification of ISO 9001:2008.

Vendor partners: HP, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, Acer, Merlin, Samsung, Beats Distribution partners: Logicom, Redington Gulf, Aptec – an Ingram Micro company, Mindware, FDC, Jumbo Distribution, BDL, Al Futtaim.

SNB IT

partner watch

“Both these vendors are well positioned in the market. Historically, we have had ‘push’ products in our portfolio. But with these SNB IT Distribution is broadening its portfolio and partnerships, we now have an market strategies to ensure steady growth all around. edge over the market with ‘pull’ products. We have SNB IT Distribution Lite solutions to the whole on the security received tremendous has been growing Middle East. The company is and surveillance steadily over the last working towards enhancing its market. Sebastian support from the year with a number warehousing facilities in Qatar adds, “As we have a vendors.” of significant vendor and KSA this year. focus in surveillance,

Flying high

partnerships and other developments. The distributor announced new partnerships with Pelco and Tripp Lite at the security trade show, Intersec, held last month. Sonia Sebastian, Director, Security Systems, SNB Middle East, says, “Both these vendors are well positioned in the market. Historically, we have had ‘push’ products in our portfolio. But with these partnerships, we now have an edge over the market with ‘pull’ products. We have received tremendous support from the vendors.” The Pelco partnership extends to the UAE and Oman markets, while KSA, Qatar and other regions are in discussions. The distributor will deliver Tripp

“This will be a big focus for us in 2015. We want to introduce our warehousing capabilities to the market. We will get into the traditional distribution mode along with the value-added services. Our strategy is to focus on turnkey solutions while providing every complementary product to make the offering a comprehensive one. And beyond that, we will support our partners with local product delivery and other requirements. “It is going to be a one-stop destination for any of our partners. We are looking at a comprehensive suite. We will always work with our partners.” At the trade show, the company’s focus continued to be

we have several Extra Low Voltage (ELV) partners that we like to host.” SNB IT’s recently appointed CEO, Munaf Chouguley, adds, “Last year, we had a good turnaround that has helped in building up the ROI for the entire year. This year also, we are expecting the same. We have had a 45 percent year-onyear growth in 2014.” According to the CEO, the plan for 2015 is to have “growth all around”. “We are trying to expand a bit more not only on revenues but also on complementary products. We are also enhancing the number of people in each territory. Today, in Qatar we have three people and in KSA, we have

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about five, including the local technical presales support, which is very important on any project. This is how we plan to go forward with our overall goal of carrying out turnkey projects.” In the coming months, we will hear a lot more from the distributor on the vendor partnerships front. Partners can look forward to territoryspecific events where they will be briefed on the distributor’s warehousing facilities and other business plan information. Headquartered in the UAE, SNB IT Distribution currently has operations in Qatar, KSA and India.

Reseller Middle East february 2015

Vendor focus

Axis communication

Innovation centre Reseller ME catches up with Marwan Khoury, Marketing Manager, Middle East & Africa, Axis Communication, at Intersec 2015, to discuss trends in the market. private sector organisations are making the right decisions, in terms of investing in the right technologies.

What is your focus at the event this year? The focus remains on building the company around innovation and developing our channel partner programme. We continuously offer new cameras and new products. We launch about 30 cameras a year on an average. At Intersec, this year, we have showcased some of the latest ones. We also had our 4K solutions on display as well, 4K is the future of the industry in terms of not just the image quality but also the image usability. Today, it goes beyond the traditional security solutions and caters to all the stakeholders within

the various industries such as banking and retailing. Customers are using the information they are gathering to provide their end users with a better offering. This is where stronger analytics play a role. 4K will be driving the industry towards that direction.

How are you enabling your partners to sell these new products effectively to the market? We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go directly to the market, we go through our distributors and systems integrators. We have a channel partner programme. What we offer our partners is education. We ensure that before they partner with us, they must be certified. Also, we make sure we provide the appropriate training and we always work with them so that they can grow into the higher-tiered partnerships such as silver and gold, where we depend on them to represent the brand to our customers. We empower them through the right education and follow up, in order for them to be well positioned in the market. And events such as Intersec play a big role for us in terms of attracting new partners.

How is the region adapting to these emerging trends? The region, overall, is growing at a dramatic rate. We are growing faster than any market in the world. We are achieving around 25 percent growth. The UAE, for example, is among the highest adopters of IP technology in the world. There is always a strong demand here. Both public and

Do you see partners understanding the importance of certifications? Being certified is a prerequisite to enter our programme. And if they do not pass a course with us then they cannot be our partners and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how we are protecting the end customers, by ensuring the right partners are on board.

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

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What are some of the trends in video surveillance? Analytics is becoming a big factor right now in this market. When there are such high-quality images, customers are discovering that there is so much more that they can do. For example, on the retail front, traditionally we have had the on-board camera analytics where it does the peoplecounting. But now, marketers and merchandisers are using it to understand end-usersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; habits and preferences better. Bank customers are also seeing the benefits. It is beyond just security now. Companies are working with partners who are traditionally security based. And we will still continue to base that as our priority but we are also looking into other avenues as well, as the technology is strong and diverse. What is your business focus for 2015? We have various segments, which we traditionally focus on, but retail still continues to grow rapidly. Banking is becoming very important for us. There are general critical infrastructure such as city surveillance, while we also see opportunities in education. We are growing at a rapid pace. We have opened an office in Qatar recently and we are hopefully looking to open a couple more across the region in this year.

23rd March 2015

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review

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Seagate

RME RATING

Seagate NAS Pro 4-Bay

With space for four hard disks, the 16TB storage unit is ideal for small businesses. However, Seagate has added a couple of neat features that make the device accessible to the average file hoarder. The Seagate NAS Pro line is a two, four, or six-bay small desktop form factor NAS, designed with power users and businesses with up to 50 employees in mind. Featuring an Intel dual core 1.7GHz processor, the four bay model features 2GB of DDR3 RAM, two Gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.0 ports, and one USB 2.0 port. The NAS also comes with Seagate’s new operating system, NAS OS 4, and ships with Seagate HDDs. In truth, having all of the software, hardware and drives made by Seagate brings things together rather nicely. Users can set up and configure multiple devices with the NAS OS 4 interface, which provides dashboards that can allow visibility for CPU, RAM and network connectivity status to name but a few. Seagate’s Sdrive app offers straightforward management of the NAS Pro, and allows remote access to files with PC, Mac, Android, and iOS. Although transferring large files is trouble-free, the unit is prone to occasional performance dips in smaller file writes. At 16TB, it would be stretching a point to say the device is aimed at consumers; the needs of a typical small business would be comfortably satisfied with this slick black box. Nonetheless, those who do hold vast pools of personal data should not be put off by the NAS Pro’s sizeable storage. Therein lies its greatest strength - the device is very easy to set up without IT expertise at your disposal. Both the avid file hoarder and local grocery store owner would be able to get the device up and running with relative ease. It comes preconfigured, which is the main setup catalyst, but techies can change the configuration through SimplyRAID technology built into the OS. SimplyRAID isn’t just useful for IT aficionados; it also comes in handy for the everyday user, simplifying data backup with a range of automated processes. The NAS Pro is easy on the eye as well as compact, although its needlessly jagged corners pose something of a safety hazard. Nonetheless, the weighty box is nice and compact at 217 x 173 x 172.5mm. Priced at AED 4,403, it provides decent value for money too. Given its size and reliability, all in all, the NAS Pro 4-Bay is a sound investment.

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hot products

Sharp introduces professional display monitors

Wacom presents Cintiq Companion 2 At CES this year, Wacom introduced the Cintiq Companion 2, a touchscreen tablet for professional creators of digital content. It works either as a fully-fledged Windows 8 tablet with all the creative input capabilities of a Cintiq or, when the need arises, will connect, via Cintiq Connect, to the home or office Mac or PC and function as a primary or secondary Cintiq display with the pen performance, said the company. With 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition, the Cintiq Companion 2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pro Pen performs like a traditional brush, pen or marker when used in combination with creative software applications such as Adobe or Autodesk. The pen and high-resolution screen (2560 x 1440) allow artists and designers to produce detailed material with a realistic pen-on-paper feel with limited glare. The footprint, adjustable stand and sleek design allow users to work comfortably in a variety of environments. By incorporating the Pro Pen, multi-touch, 6 ExpressKeys, Rocker Ring, Radial Menu and Cloud Services all onto the Companion 2, professionals are given a way to work that has virtually no limits.

february 2015 Reseller Middle East

Sharp MEA has launched a 55-inch professional LCD monitor and a 70-inch Ultra-HD monitor, both 4K compatible. The 55-inch professional LCD monitor (PN-V551) features a 3.5 mm ultra-thin bezel, is suitable for video wall application, and can render 4K content in a certain configuration. The width of the bezel between neighbouring monitors in a multi-screen display is 3.5 mm, creating a high-impact video wall. The monitor is equipped with the vendorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UCCT (Uniform Colour Calibration Technology) which identifies

uniformity of colour and brightness across a video wall that then creates a good quality image. The 70-inch 4K Ultra-HD monitor (PN-H701), supports a super-high resolution image quality to showcase any desired content, from detailed text to textured graphics, said the company. The slim bezel contributes to its sleek design in either portrait or landscape orientation setting. A built-in USB media player allows playback of photos, videos and music stored on a connected USB memory device.

IBM launches z13 Mainframe

IBM has announced the z13, which delivers scale and economics together with realtime encryption and analytics. According to the company, it provides new capabilities such as being able to process 2.5 billion transactions a day. It makes practical real-time encryption of all mobile transactions at any scale.

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z13 speeds real-time encryption of mobile transactions to help protect the transaction data and ensure response times consistent with a positive customer experience. The system includes 500 new patents including cryptographic encryption technologies that enable more security features for mobile initiated transactions. It is the first mainframe system with embedded analytics providing real-time insights on all transactions, added the company. The z13 features one of the fastest microprocessor, which is twice faster than the most common server processors, supports 300 percent more memory, 100 percent more bandwidth and vector processing analytics to speed mobile transactions. As a result, the z13 transaction engine is capable of analysing transactions in real time and will be able to help prevent fraud as it is occurring, allowing financial institutions to halt the transaction before the consumer is impacted.

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Obi mobiles unveils Crane S550

Obi Mobiles has unveiled its new range of smartphones for the region just months after its Middle East launch in September 2014. Obi’s new range of mobile devices include the Boa S503; Leopard S502; Crane S550; Alligator S454 and Fox S453 and Racoon S401. Featuring a Quad-core technology and Android KitKat OS, the Obi Crane comes with a 5.5-inch qHD IPS touch screen and supports 200 pixels per inch display. The device is also built for the rigors, featuring a back cover made of hard anodised metal and vacuum electroplating that is resistant to everything from minor scratches to corrosion. It also features gesture control technology that allows users to perform actions with just hand gestures. These pre-defined (noncustomised) gestures include ‘c’ for call-log, ‘e’ for browser, ‘m’ for music, ‘o’ for photos and ‘double tap’ on screen to activate the screen. The dual SIM Obi Crane retails at AED599.

Lenovo announces ThinkPad X1 Carbon Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon, launched at CES this year, is a 14-inch performance ultrabook, which features new options such as the FHD display for the best viewing experience and a PCIe solid state drive for up to 80 percent faster storage performance than standard SSDs. It also supports even longer battery life and weighs under 2.9 pounds with a durable and rugged carbon-forged chassis. It is equipped with 5th Generation Intel Core processors and a whole suite of accessories to optimise the experience.

The updated ThinkPad portfolio for 2015 highlights expanded businessclass features and builds on the legacy of ThinkPad DNA: thin and light, with extended battery life to maximise mobility, and bright and clear displays up to 3K resolution for optimum viewing pleasure and ergonomic comfort. Models of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon start at USD 1249 and will be available from January 2015.

Brother International releases monochrome laser printers and MFCs Brother International has launched the Middle East release of its latest Mono Laser Printer model, the HL-L2365DW and two new Multi-Function Centres (MFCs), the MFC-L2700DW and MFCL2740DW. The newly-launched models come with new and enhanced features that have been designed to give users increased efficiency and affordability. The company’s latest line have been developed to meet the needs of SOHOs and SMBs. The range is built compact to suit any business environment yet provides a full range of networking and workgroup features. According to the company, the new models offer features such as value for money, convenience of connectivity, improves productivity and is environmental friendly.

All models come with either wireless or network connectivity for easy-tomanage printing. The new range of machines print and copy faster at a speed of 30 pages per minute. The flagship MFC-L2740DW model is also able to scan, copy and fax both sides of a document automatically with its Dual CIS Scanner, saving time, effort and printing costs, said the company. All models come with a one-line LCD. The flagship MFC-L2740DW model also features a large 2.7-inch colour LCD touch screen with efficient shortcut functions that users will find easy to use.

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Axis Communication launches Q29 series Axis Communications has introduced a new series of network cameras with remote temperature monitoring capabilities, AXIS Q29 temperature alarm camera series. With two available lens alternatives and a resolution of 336x256, the cameras allow remote monitoring of critical temperatures at both short and long distances. With the Q2901-E and Q2901-E PT Mount it is possible to set up multiple alarm zones, which send an alarm when the temperature reaches above or below a pre-configured threshold. To make it easy for the operator, the cameras provide visual aids, such as

isothermal palettes and spot temperature capabilities, to fast predict failures by indicating problem areas before the issue becomes visible to the eye or before machinery stops working. The Q29 series is easy to install and can be integrated with existing security systems, thanks to one-cable installation and support for Power over Ethernet (IEEE 802.3af) features. Axis temperature alarm cameras are planned to be available in Q1 2015 through Axis distribution channels.

Philips IPS-AHVA displays now available MMD, the brand license partner for Philips monitors, has announced a 27-inch IPS-AHVA display with factory-calibrated colour support across the Adobe RGB colour space. With the wide gamut of Adobe RGB, the display can reproduce over one billion colours with near-total fidelity, giving professional users the confidence that the colours on the display are consistent with industry standards â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for colour precision throughout the entire production workflow, said the company. Pre-calibrated to render colours

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accurately, the 272P4APJKHB display supports 99 percent Adobe RGB and 100 percent sRGB colour space, eliminating the process of matching colours across multiple devices. Moreover, with sixaxis adjustment, PerfektKolor enables the display colours to be fine-tuned to precise requirements. The 27-inch display can represent over one billion colours simultaneously. It also features a webcam and speakers, crystal-clear Quad HD images at 2560x1440 or 2560x1080 resolution, an extra-wide viewing angle for image clarity from nearly any perspective, and the tilt-and-swivel flexibility of the SmartErgoBase. With MultiView on board, the display connects to multiple sources simultaneously, enabling users to view a notebook feed on one part of the screen, for example, and data from the camera on the other, added the company.

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Nexans introduces universal cables

Nexans, a global player in cables and cabling systems, has launched its new LANmark-OF Tight Buffer Universal Cable, which harmonises its Tight Buffer Indoor and Universal cable portfolio with an installer-friendly and more cost effective Tight Buffer Universal cable for indoor and outdoor use. The company developed the cable using a new type of glass yarn that combines rodent protection with installer friendliness and avoids skin-irritation when compared to similar products of other vendors. The LANmark-OF Tight Buffer Universal cable is developed for horizontal and vertical installations, indoor and outdoor in a duct. It is dielectric and fully dry and has 900 um buffered fibres. This second coating till 900 um provides additional protection of the fibres and facilitates the handling when terminating the fibres in a patch panel. The easy strip tight buffer design allows stripping the fibre over 10 cm in one action. It is a cost effective solution for short and medium distances.

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Reseller Middle East’s assistant editor offers her thoughts on the Middle Eastern technology channel.

Channel surfing

Column

Expanding horizons When I visited Dubai’s annual security conference, Intersec, this year, there was one aspect that was common with almost all exhibitors. It could be easy to guess, considering the on-going trends. The buzz was all about 4K video surveillance cameras. Most security manufacturers are enhancing their portfolio to monetise opportunities present in this segment. While the surveillance market is growing fast at a global level, reports suggest that there is an even higher uptake in this region. Traditionally, the IT channel didn’t consider it to be a high-profit market but that is changing as more organisations adopt IP-based cameras. This means the surveillance market too is now powered by the Internet, unravelling countless possibilities. As the complexities and quantities of data increase, the next obvious challenge will be how to store, manage and analyse it. If what is happening across the globe is anything to go by, an increasing number of regional customers will also begin to look at channel partners not just for deployment but also services around these devices. But are partners ready? That’s the question that needs some serious thought. It’s all well and good to be moving along with market trends but partners might find better results if they tried to stay ahead of the curve. It’s important to initiate conversation with vendors and end-users alike and prepare internally. This could mean ensuring your staff is trained and educated on what’s going on in the market and what’s to come. It is timeconsuming, but worth every minute in the long run. The integration of different technologies is already happening in many sectors. Partners need to broaden their portfolio with this in mind. Customers want problems solved and if as a partner you can foresee some of their issues as the business grows, and suggest solutions, the result is satisfied customers who will then seek you out for future business. And as they say, the customer is the king. This month we have interviewed Alpha Data’s Founder and Managing Director, Fayez Ibbini, whose company is a fine example of one that has been in the region for a long time and has managed to evolve with the market. This edition has several Internet of Things themed articles and it will be something that will be at the top of many agendas for years to come. Until next time, that’s all from me. Janees Reghelini, Assistant Editor, Reseller ME

february 2015 Reseller Middle East