Reseller Middle East

MAY 2011

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ISSUE:173 PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

contents

Cover Feature

ISSUE 173 MAY 2011

32 The keys to the Kingdom ANALYSIS AND INTERVIEWS

The Saudi channel faces great opportunities this year as major projects are announced and IT spending continues to rise. We speak to BDL’s CEO Tamer Ismail to find out what’s going on.

29 Getting serious

Philips & Lite-On Digital Solutions plans to grow its channel across the region.

31 Cementing channel partnerships

In the notoriously competitive security market in the region, Quick Heal Technologies is gaining in importance.

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34 Into the enterprise

Just a few months after rolling out its enterprise strategy, Huawei explains how the model is faring.

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37 Breaking out of consumer

Dealing with new business opportunities can be make or break time. D-Link believes it has found the successful path.

39 The balancing act

SonicWALL’s introduction of ‘direct touch’ into the local market sghouldn’t be seen as a abandonment of the company commitment to 100% sales through the channnel.

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41 Putting up the umbrella

Trend Micro sees the opportunities for security channel players to up their game and reap the rewards this year.

45 Expanding the business

By adding Azeti Networks to its solutions business, Emitac plans to build on its successful HP solutions sales.

FEATURES

37 Regulars

04 Editorial 06 News & Market Buzz 42 Products 44 Product reviews 46 Snapshot

47 The power of peripherals

With the increase of PC penetration in the region, the demand for peripheral devices has been growing rapidly. Find out how you can use peripherals as a starting point to land that lucrative deal.

53 Mobile boom

With the growing boom in handheld devices, industry pundits share their views on how channel partners can benefit from business opportunities in this segment.

Quick Finder Pages 6-27 DCG, Track Distribution, MediaTek, Gartner, Mindware, Kaspersky, Al Hosani Computer, BitDefender, Optimus, Kingston, Iomega, Al-Futtaim Computers, Techserve, Zoofitech, China Sourcing Fair, AOC, Toshiba, Comstor, Symantec, Eros Group, Huawei, Golden Systems, Al-Falak, Prologix, Brocade, BlackBerry, Iomega, Netgear

Pages 29-48 Philips & LiteOn Digaital, Quick Heal, BDL, FVC, Huawei, Emitac, SonicWALL, D-Link, Trend Micro, Belkin, IDC, Gartner, MediaTek, Symantec, Fujitsu, Jacky's Electronics, ZOTAC, HP, ASUS, WD, Toshiba, Xerox, Canon, Axis, LiteOn, Iomega

may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

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EDITORIAL Publisher Dominic De Sousa

Partnering for success

COO Nadeem Hood Commercial Director Richard Judd richard@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9126 Sales Director Raz Islam raz@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9129

Channel partnerships remain a critical factor if vendors and distributors are to succeed in doing business with resellers. Over the past 12 months, the channel has witnessed a flurry of activity from reseller companies demising from the market, to vendors and distributors streamlining their operations to enhance productivity and efficiencies.

And while much of this activity has centred around reducing complexities and making businesses to run more efficiently, few channel players have taken advantage of the current business climate to bring value to the products they sell.

Given what has happened in the MENA reseller channel over the last couple of years, resellers that have survived are those that innovate by selling solutions and adding value to the products they represent.

Now, however, there are signs of improvement and it is with this in mind, that Reseller Middle East will host the inaugural Partner Up 2011 conference, an initiative that will bring the region’s channel universe under one roof. The Manda Banda Senior Editor conference aims to provide MENA resellers with a platform where they can manda@cpidubai.com hear and learn from industry pundits on a wide range of topics. The conference will also offer delegates the opportunity to network with their peers. For it is through successful and well nurtured alliances that the channel can thrive.

In fact, when resellers partner with vendors or distributors for that matter, they are looking for more than just a technology provider. They need an associate in every sense of the word. They are looking for companies that will provide them with the resources and tools they need to be successful in today's highly competitive Middle East channel.

Having the “right” mix of vendors and distributors is only half of what is needed. For resellers to succeed, it is critical for them to have the full support from vendors and distributors.

To help resellers with a helping hand in choosing the “right” partnerships, the Partner Up conference has been designed to provide channel partners with insights on what it takes to partner for success.

Enjoy the read!

Editorial Dave Reeder dave@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9106 Senior Editor Manda Banda manda@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9110 Advertising Group Sales Manager Rajashree R Kumar raj@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9131 Advertising Executive Merle Carrasco merle@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9134 CIO Programmes CIO Programmes and Events Lead Kavitha Rajasekhar kavitha@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9132 Circulation Database and Circulation Manager Rajeesh M rajeesh@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9147 Production and Design Production Manager James P Tharian james@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9146 Designer Analou Balbero analou@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9104 Digital www.rwme.net DIGITAL SERVICES Digital Services Manager Tristan Troy P Maagma Web Developers Jerus King Bation Erik Briones Jefferson de Joya Louie Alma online@cpidubai.com +971 4 440 9100

may 2011

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upfront market BUZZ

DCG issues warning The Dubai Computer Group (DCG) has warned its members operating from Dubai’s Computer Street to be vigilant and careful when doing business with clients in the city as there is a criminal syndicate that is targeting computer dealers.

The DCG warning comes after a spate of targeted attacks on certain DCG members who have been duped of their IT products, money or both by a syndicate operating from Deira.

In a statement released to its members, the DCG states that: “We would like to update and alert those IT resellers who send their staff to collect cash or deliver goods in the Deira area to be careful as there is a syndicate that is duping dealers.”

According to the statement, three separate incidencies involving DCG members have been reported so far. In one incident, a member of staff from a reseller had gone to Deira to collect money wired to the company from an exchange bureau and as soon as the cash was collect, this member of staff was mugged by three unknown people who demanded the money. “In this case the victim didn’t have much money so he was beaten,” read part of the statement.

In another separate incident a member of staff from a different reseller company that is a DCG member had gone to collect money from a client and after collecting the cash, he was attacked by about four people of African decent who took the money in broad day light in Deira.

Mahesh Thakore, coordinator at the DCG, says as an association that looks into the interests of resellers and promoting good business ethics and conduct in the IT channel in Dubai, the DCG is appalled by these criminal incidents.

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RESELLER MIDDLE EAST may 2011

Track launches EXtra Oracle partner programme Track Distribution, part of Aptec Holdings, an IT distribution group covering the Middle East, Pakistan, Turkey, Akhut and Africa, has launched a new partner programme for it resellers called the EXtra Oracle partner programme.

The programme is designed to give its reseller partners a jump start with selling Oracle hardware and software. The EXtra Oracle partner initiative rewards resellers doing business with Track by helping them create a pipeline of opportunities selling Oracle technology.

The programme is open to all Oracle resellers in the GCC, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya.

Resellers have a chance to win a BMW car, fully paid trip to Las Vegas, Gold bars, iPads and much more. The programme has been split into two categories namely EXtra Rebates programme and, EXtra Enable and Reward programme. The two initiatives both give partners maximum opportunity to be rewarded for every deal they make with Track.

The EXtra Rebate programme has been designed to reward partners in terms of Total Oracle Business with Track, offering them a target based rebates on purchases, while the EXtra Enable and Reward programme rewards partners that engage in all Oracle partner activities thereby collecting points. Resellers are offered points on every units of Exadata/ Ecalogic solutions they buy, training, purchase of special Track promotion bundles and closing of registered opportunity. These can be then collected and redeemed to win any of the major rewards which Track is offerings.

Shailendra Sainani, GM of Track Distribution Middle East, says EXtra

offers Oracle partners a great value add in terms of innovative Oracle Database/ Middleware solutions bundled with Oracle Servers Shailendra Sainani, GM, Track and Storage.

Distribution Middle East Sainani adds that the programme also offers training that enables partners to be update to with latest technology from Oracle and Track Distribution. “It’s a 360 degree campaign aimed at partner enablement and profitability,” he says. “We will keep on further enhancing the programme to make it more challenging. We would like the partners to sign up to this initiative as quickly as possible.” He adds that the sales and business development team dedicated for Oracle across the region will assist partners to sign for this programme so that they can start enjoying immediate benefits.

Julie Varghese, product sales manager: Oracle Software at Track Distribution, says the Extra programme is open to all oracle partners across the region that want to benefit from the hardware and software engineered together model of Oracle. “Through the integration of sun servers, storage and oracle software, we have released some bundles which will reduce costs, increase performance and provide greater security. We believe that this programme will bring greater opportunities for co-operation and partnership in our business endeavors," Varghese concludes.

news

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MediaTek opens Dubai office

Gartner – Android to command nearly half of global Smartphone OS

Taiwanese mobile chipset maker MediaTek has opened its office in Dubai, a move the the company believes will help it to court mobile handset manufacturers in the Middle East and Africa market.

The vendor is aiming to capitalise on its already growing business in the Middle East with its semiconductor solutions for wireless communications and digital multimedia solutions.

By having a local presence in Dubai, MediaTek will further strengthen the company’s regional partnerships to better serve one of the world’s fastest growing mobile markets. According to the vendor, the strategy for the Middle East is to link start-ups and existing mobile handset manufacturers in the region with its OEM partners in China.

Grant Kuo, MD at MediaTek Wireless LLC Dubai, says the expansion into Dubai better positions the company to serve its customers and to grow the business by more than 20% in the region. Kuo says the company’s plan is to open up business opportunities for all the OEMs it works within China so that they can extend and capitalise on the growing mobile and smartphone market in MEA. “With MediaTek’s experienced technical and services team, we are hoping to bring our expertise to the region and to better support local brands. Furthermore, it will help in establishing a healthy handset ecosystem in the Middle East region and explore the market potential in the long run,” adds Kuo. Kuo explains that the initial focus for the Dubai operations will be to work with local handset brands in the Middle East.

Global research and analyst firm Gartners is predicting that worldwide smartphone sales will reach 468 million units in 2011, a 57.7% increase from 2010. According to Gartner, by the end of 2011, Android will move to become the most popular OS globally and will build on its strength to account for 49% of the smartphone market by 2012.

Sales of open OS devices will account for 26% of all mobile handset device sales in 2011, and are expected to surpass the 1 billion mark by 2015, when they will account for 47% of the total mobile device market.

“By 2015, 67% of all open OS devices will have an average selling price of US$300 or below, proving that smartphones have been finally truly democratized,” says Roberta Cozza, principal analyst at Gartner.

“As vendors delivering Android-based devices continue to fight for market share, price will decrease to further benefit consumers”, Cozza says. “Android's position at the high end of the market will remain

RESELLER MIDDLE EAST may 2011

Mindware to distribute AMD Radeon

strong, but its greatest volume opportunity in the longer term will be in the mid- to lowcost smartphones, above all in emerging Roberta Cozza, principal markets.” analyst, Gartner Gartner predicts that Apple’s iOS will remain the second biggest platform worldwide through 2014 despite its share deceasing slightly after 2011. This reflects Gartner’s underlying assumption that Apple will be interested in maintaining margins rather than pursuing market share by changing its pricing strategy. This will continue to limit adoption in emerging regions. iOS share will peak in 2011, with volume growth well above the market average. This is driven by increased channel reach in key mature markets like the US and Western Europe.

Peter Yeung, Global Director of Marketing at HIS, says: “HIS is delighted to collaborated with Mindware. We believe that this is great news for the long Mindware, a regional distributor waiting Gamers and HTPC users of IT products in the MENA in Middle East. We believe our region, has signed a distribution close partnership with Mindware Mario Gay, GM, Mindware agreement with HIS, to distribute will offer the best opportunity AMD Radeon products in the to deliver HIS premium graphic region. cards in the entire MENASA.” The deal which is effect immediately will Mario Gay, GM of Mindware remarks see to enhance the distribution network that this is an important partnership for the of all AMD Radeon products in the region, company. “The AMD Radeon portfolio of making use of Mindware’s extensive products is top of the line and we are excited portfolio of over 2,500 resellers throughout to bring these products to all our customers the MEA region. in the Middle East and Africa,” he says.

news Kaspersky partners with FDC, SOFTEC Distribution Kaspersky Lab, a developer of secure content and threat management solutions, has appointed two new Consumer Republishing Marissa Safe, COO, FDC partners, a move the International vendor believes will strengthen its presence in the EMEA region.

Regional distributors FDC International and SOFTEC Distribution have partnered with Kaspersky to distribute the vendor's consumer range of products.

FDC International’s appointment will support the expansion of Kaspersky Lab, in North Africa, through increasing its product awareness and enlarging its customer database, while SOFTEC Distribution will focus on developing the retail market for software sales within the Levant region and help Kaspersky Lab establish proactively strategic initiatives to counter piracy in the region.

Tarek Kuzbari, MD of Kaspersky Lab Middle East says, “At Kaspersky Lab we will always look for partners that surpass our guidelines and expectations. We carefully select our partners as they are key to representing Kaspersky Lab’s products in the region.”

“We are building business integrity into our partner programmes, maintaining profitability and aiming at greater revenue for partners and customers. These recent partnerships with FDC International and SOFTEC Distribution will help us explore new avenues and help to expand our business,” he continues.

Remarking on the partnership, Yasser Krayem, CEO of SOFTEC Distribution adds that: “Our mission is to provide the highest quality of services and cost-effective solutions to ensure our clients’ success.

Having Kaspersky Lab, one of the leading IT security companies on board, is a great deal for us, and we have confidence that we will deliver outstanding results”.

Marissa Safe, COO, FDC International adds that: “The mutual vision in becoming number one within the ICT industry is what makes us feel part of the Kaspersky Lab family. Our relationship with such a world class vendor will play a major role in achieving this position while bringing to our customers the best of solutions, services and support”.

FDC International will cover Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Djibouti, Eretria, Ethiopia and Mauritania while SOFTEC Distribution will handle the Levant region which includes Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Iraq.

Al Hosani Computer unveils ‘Green Horses’ initiative Al Hosani Computer LLC, Kaspersky Lab’s consumer republishing partner in the GCC and West Asia, has launched its green initiative dubbed Kaspersky Lab Green Horses. The Green Horses themed fleet of vans will be expediting delivery of Kaspersky Lab’s products to customers across the UAE. Al Hosani’s main aim behind this

programme is to reinforce the brand awareness of this famous antivirus software, and endorse Kaspersky Lab’s “Green Zone” malware free concept.

Al Hosani Computer is a sof tware republishing and value-added distribution company.

The company distributes software solutions in the Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.

BitDefender unveils new partner programme BitDefender, a provider of innovative Internet security solutions, has launched the BitDefender Partner Advantage Network, a new channel partner programme designed to accelerate partner revenue growth and market expansion.

With the BitDefender Partner Advantage Network, the company is moving aggressively to better empower the reseller community to capitalise on growth opportunities in IT security, offering more dedicated technical support, sales and marketing assistance, and training and education. In addition, the partner programme will also offer beneficial commissions and business terms in the industry.

The launch of the BitDefender Partner Advantage Network follows the revamp of the company’s channel efforts in late 2010 and was initiated to meet BitDefender’s growing network of resellers across more than 100 countries globally.

Dianne Pilon, director global channel marketing at BitDefender, says given the increasingly important role IT security plays in business today and the reputation BitDefender has established as a provider of internationally certified security software, there is a tremendous revenue growth opportunity for channel partners in 2011. “With the launch of a more comprehensive channel programme, one with more technical and marketing support, greater financial incentives and better terms for our partners, BitDefender is addressing this opportunity with an unprecedented commitment to the reseller community,” he says.

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news Optimus partners with OPTI-UPS

Kamlesh Kumar Opti-UOS (L) & Meera Kaul Optimus

Optimus Technology and Telecommunications, a regional VAD of IT and telecommunications products, has signed a distribution agreement with Opti-UPS, a manufacturer of UPS and power solutions products.

In terms of the agreement, Optimus will distribute Opti-UPS across the Middle East and Africa region with exclusive distribution rights in Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain.

Meera Kaul, MD at Optimus says, “We are always looking for the latest and best technologies to bring to our region. The increasing build-up of datacenters in the Middle East is providing a strong impetus for the power solutions business. This

timely distribution agreement of Optimus with Opti-UPS will capitalise on both of our strengths and opportunities. While Opti-UPS already enjoys a high level of acceptance in the MENA markets, we will leverage our expertise and reach to build its channel across the region and hope to play a vital role in the emerging power solutions market.

We look forward to working closely with Opti-UPS to increase their visibility and market share in this region.”

Opti-UPS has an extensive range of products, which include standby, lineinteractive and online UPS products besides stabilizers and surge busters that have gained the trust of worldwide customers.

Additionally, it also offers devices that cater to specific segments such as UPS for gamers, enhanced series of workstations and PC users for both home and business users.

Kamlesh Kumar Amesur, sales & marketing director-MENA, Opti-UPS adds, “We are pleased to appoint Optimus as our regional distributor based on their proven track record. Our partnership will help us meet local objectives to build channel partners across a range of verticals.

HyperPanda, PC Time scoop Kingston awards Kingston Technology Europe, an affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, has revealed the two inaugural winners of its first-ever channel awards in Saudi Arabia, recognising the efforts of partners who have best understood and served the needs of memory- and performance-hungry consumers in the Kingdom.

PC Time, the Jeddah-based reseller which manages the distribution of Kingston Technology’s ValueRAM, System Specific Memory, Solid State Drives and USB Flash drives to other resellers and SMBs across Saudi Arabia, has won the Reseller of the

Year, while HyperPanda has earned the Retailer Award for the volume of Kingston products it sells to consumers.

“Saudi Arabia is the fastest-growing market in the Middle East for memory products, due to the tremendous demand for mobile phones, cameras, PCs and other technology in addition to memory upgrades, and due to our partners’ understanding of customers here and their needs, Kingston has become a leading choice ahead of less secure, robust memory offerings,” says Hani Suwwan, Business Development Manager – KSA, Kingston Technology.

Iomega opens Experince Centre in Dubai Iomega, an EMC company and global provider of digital storage and content management solutions has opened the first Iomega Experience Centre in Dubai.

The vendor states that the initiative which has been unveiled in partnership with power retailer Sharaf DG aims to give consumers and small businesses firsthand experience in data storage management solutions.

According to the company the Iomega Experience Centre is an 800-square foot showplace featuring an array of Iomega’s newest storage management products, premium portable and desktop hard drives, high capacity solid state drives, multi drives, and network storage solutions for consumers and SMBs Johnathan Huberman, president at Iomega Corporation says the new Iomega Experience Centre is specifically designed to give consumers and SMBs hands-on interaction in a comfortable atmosphere that makes it easy to understand and appreciate the advantages and efficiencies that Iomega’s data storage management solutions bring to the home and SMBs. “Storing, enjoying and protecting digital data has never been more vital than it is today,” he says. “The new Iomega Experience Centre shows the visitor how managing data, for business or pleasure, has never been easier, more convenient and more dependable than it is now.

Cizar Abughazaleh, GM at Iomega Middle East and Asia believes the Iomega Experience Centre is going to change the perception of the information storage industry in the region. “I look forward to customers experiencing how Iomega can protect their information, save them time and deliver cost effective data management storage solutions,” > he says.

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news > Nilesh Khalkho, CEO at Sharaf DG, adds that the new Iomega Experience Centre is a good addition to the retailer. “We always encourage premium vendors such as Iomega to help educate our valued customers about products we offer,” he says.

Khalkho points out that the Iomega

Experience Centre makes it possible for every customer to have an extra ordinary experience in all the Sharaf DG stores, especially if the client small or mid-size business.

Iomega has hinted that it will be expanding this initiative with other power retailers in the Middle East region.

Al-Futtaim partners with Nokia Al-Futtaim computer software products company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Al-Futtaim group, has entered into a partner agreement with Nokia to supply mobile phones to key domestic retailers in the UAE. The agreement with Nokia will see stet supply the retail channel a full range of mobiles phones including the latest featurerich smartphones such as the Nokia E7, C7 and N8.

In addition, the deal follows an earlier partnership agreement between Techserve, an Al-Futtaim group company, and Nokia to act as its Care Centre partner in the UAE. Vishesh Bhatia, president, New Strategic Growth Group at Al-Futtaim Group, says Nokia continues to be the people’s choice in the mobile phone category and with smartphone penetration expected to grow by a healthy 11% over the next three years in the UAE, Nokia’s latest feature-rich smartphones are expected to dominate this segment. “The Al-Futtaim group, already partner to some of the finest retail and automotive brands in the world, is honoured to partner with the world leader in the mobile phone segment,” Bhatia says.

“Nokia’s latest smartphones offer enormous consumer benefits and localised services for the UAE market. I firmly believe Nokia is driving transformation and growth of the converging Internet and communications industries giving customers especially in the UAE, an opportunity to be part of more

Vishesh Bhatia (r) & Chris Braam

than 1.3 billion people who connect to one another with a Nokia device – from mobile phones to advanced smartphones.”

Anil Sharma, Business Head, AFCOMP adds that the company has a strong business fundamentals, efficient processes and a professional team with established credentials. “We are confident AFCOMP will be able to deliver tangible value to the key domestic retailers and drive the Nokia business forward in the UAE,” Sharma says.

Chris Braam – VP at Nokia MEA explains that Nokia’s mission is simple “we connect people to what matters most to them and the agreement with AFCOMP demonstrates our strong commitment to our UAE customers through that mission statement.” The core principles of the Al-Futtaim group of quality, reliability and integrity are values which are also reflected in Nokia, Braam adds. “We are confident of AFCOMP’s ability to deliver value to our customers in the UAE and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship,” he says.

Techserve to offer professional data recovery services Techserve, Al-Futtaim’s one-stopshop for electronics service and systems integration needs, has partnered with Spain-based Recovery Labs to offer professional data recovery services to individuals, SMEs and corporates in the region.

Recovery Labs is a provider of data recovery services in Europe with over 10 years of existance. The partnership with Techserve marks the first foray for the Spain-based data recovery services provider in the Middle East.

The announcement from Techserve coincides with the opening of the first professional Data Recovery Lab in Dubai.

The Lab will offer its expertise in data recovery from computer hard drives, flash /USB drives, memory cards, mobile phones, CD’s and DVD’s.

Built to international standards and equipped with the latest data recovery technologies, Techserve’s data recovery lab is manned by a professional team of five engineers who are trained and certified by Recovery Labs in Spain.

According to security major Symantec, 88% of data loss globally occurs due to negligence and security experts say data loss can cost companies in the UAE up to 30% of their overall revenue.

Rajagopal S, GM at Techserve, says corporate data loss is not only loss of information but also eats into the IT department’s time and resources.

He adds that: “Data loss is extremely worrying for individuals or corporates.

These days, we use more portable devices like laptops, smart-phones and digital cameras where the probability of physical damage is very high resulting in data loss.

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news

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Zoofitech partners

China Sourcing Fair returns

Zoofitech, an integrated supply chain solution provider, has partnered with Autodesk, a global provider of 3D design software for manufacturing, building, construction, engineering and entertainment industry.

In terms od the deal, Zoofitech will resell Autodesk’s extensive educational solutions across the KSA and will help the vendor to widen its scope further across education institutions within the Kingdom.

The main objective of the recent partnership is in line with Autodesk’s regional brand strategy and commitment to KSA’s education sector, allowing institutions to benefit greatly from the education programs and initiatives from Autodesk.

“Our long term partnership of over fifteen years with Autodesk proves our commitment to support the education sector in KSA. We are very much looking forward to working closely with education institutes across the Kingdom, offering students the opportunity to work with credible design solutions from an innovative brand,” explains Ahmed Al-Khudair, GM at Zoofitech.

“For nearly 20 years, we have delivered solid product support & services on behalf of our customers, working together to achieve successful results. We are proud to be a part of Saudi’s dynamic expansion within the education sector & are looking forward to being one of the driving factors for this growth,” adds Al-Khudair Kamal Othman, Country Manager Autodesk KSA remarks that the company is delighted at partnering with Zoofitech.

The China Sourcing Fair for electronics resumes at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, on May 31 to June 2, 2011.

The Fair, is designed to provide an ideal platform for buyers of electronic products in the Middle East and North African markets to meet potential supply partners from China.

Export-ready suppliers from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong will this year offer premium and affordable electronics to more global buyers in the Middle East's trading capital. With its rapid growth over the past years, China's electronics industry has made that country the one of the world's electronics manufacturing powerhouses.

This year’s Fair will see supply partners showcase products in the following area: • Consumer electronics • Computer & networking • Telecom products • Electronic accessories • Home appliances According to the organisers of this annual event currently in its fifth year,

RESELLER MIDDLE EAST may 2011

Visitors at the China Sourcing Fair

there is more reasons to attend the China Sourcing Fair as visitors to the show will have the opportunity to meet the largest group of China's suppliers of electronic products. The China Sourcing Fair features hundreds of top-choice suppliers known to produce international-quality products at competitive price points.

The Dubai Fair falls between Asia's peak sourcing months in April and October, giving you more freedom to visit other trade events in Asia. If you're a buyer in the Middle East or North Africa, you now have greater access to China's innovative supply partners right in Dubai.

In addition, the event provides an ideal platform to accentuate local and international flair in their products for buyers from over 118 countries and regions, sourcing for innovative items from quality suppliers. Buyers mainly come from the Middle East, including the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, Egypt and Lebanon.

TM

Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, UAE

Tel: (+971) 4 8863300

Fax: (+971) 4 8863311

UAE Sales Center: (+971) 4 3555520

P. O. Box: 262221

Email: info@gse. ae

Website: www. gse. ae

news Huawei Enterprise eyes growth Huawei Technologies, a global ICT solutions provider, has announced plans to showcase its ICT based enterprise Dr. Lui Qi, Huawei solutions at COMEX, Oman’s IT and Telecom Exhibition. The move comes as the vendor pushes its enterprise solutions beyond the telecommunications sector with Huawe stating that it wants to further secure its presence in the Middle East region.

“The Middle East is at the forefront of our global business agenda following the launch of our enterprise business in

Toshiba strengthens market position Toshiba Computer Systems, a division of Toshiba Europe GmbH, has seen its market leadership in the UAE increase according to results of a recent market study conducted

by GfK Retail and Technology. Toshiba exhibited evident market importance in the UAE in July to December of 2010, achieving a high market share of 22.88% in the Notebook Category.

For the mobile computer category, Toshiba achieved a market share of 18.0% in the UAE during 2010. The results, with data gathered from December 2009 to December 2010 show that Toshiba continues to be one of the top brands in the PC industry.

“Toshiba continues to be a market leader in terms of product sales and innovation and the market study rationally fortifies our position in the UAE. Accordingly, this

January and the five day event is an ideal platform to showcase our innovative solutions and services in the sector,” says Dr Liu Qi, VP, Middle East, Huawei Enterprise Business Group.

According to Dr Liu, Huawei’s Enterprise business forms a core part of the company’s global mission to become the first choice solutions provider in building ICT infrastructure across various industries, including government, transportation, power, finance, oil and gas, smart cities and more.

“We are witnessing interesting times where technology enables us to integrate communication services in real-time. From instant messaging (chat), video-conferencing to data sharing via online networks, unified communications is just part of Huawei’s portfolio of solutions that is making a total shift in the way decision-makers operate their business.

challenges us to improve our service, further enhance our innovations and expand our market reach in the region in order to strengthen our strategic and competitive advantage,” says Leon Gifford, UAE and Lebanon country manager, Computer Systems Division, Toshiba Gulf.

According to Toshiba its incentive programmes like “Sell and Win” and “Profit for Performance” significantly contributed to the impressive sales performance and growth rate the company attained. Toshiba’s Sell and Win programme, which is directed at floor sales staff, provides useful sales tools and regular sales and product training and presents them with opportunity to earn rewards. The Profit for Performance initiative is a rebate programme for retailers and dealers to help them maximise the opportunities presented by Toshiba, thus furthering sales performance and > profitability in the UAE.

Golden Systems wins ZOTAC award

Eshan Hashem, Golden systems

Golden Systems Middle East, a distributor of IT products in the Middle East, has won the “Best

Performance” award for 2010 from its vendor-partner ZOTAC International.

The award is in recognition of the distributor’s commitment towards growing ZOTAC’s regional business, market share and customer support, and for its outstanding performance in increasing ZOTAC’s sales across the Middle East region.

Ehsan Hashemi, says, "We are honoured that ZOTAC has chosen us for this award. We are proud to receive such a distinction especially since we have just celebrated our one year anniversary with ZOTAC. To be recognised for our outstanding performance in such a short span of time, is a big achievement for us.

This award is a testament of GSME’s commitment, professionalism and tremendous focus in tapping into new territories and increasing ZOTAC’s reach and market share in the Middle East region. We would like to thank our team for their tremendous efforts, contribution and dedication in providing the best service, support and technical expertise to our customers. Being awarded the Best Performance award is a great milestone and we look forward to winning many more such accolades from ZOTAC in the near future."

may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

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news Online Distribution signs AOC for Pakistan Online Distribution, an IT distribution powerhouse in Pakistan has signed up with AOC for the Suchit Kumar, DGM Sales distribution of MEA & CIS Central Asia, AOC the vendor’s entire range of display products for that country.

According to Business Monitor International, Pakistan’s computer hardware market is expected to grow at 8% CAGR for the period of 2011- 2015.

M. Ibrahim Ojha, CEO for Online Distribution Pakistan says: “We are happy to be associated with AOC a global brand which not only brings in international quality products but also offers real value for money.

With our team of well experienced professionals, the in-depth knowledge of IT distribution trade and country wide reach, we are sure AOC will become a top brand in Pakistan soon.”

Suchit Kumar, DGM Sales - MEA and CIS Central Asia, AOC ,adds that this is a significant step forward for AOC as Pakistan is key to the company’s overall growth in Asia.

“We see this as a great opportunity to enhance our offerings in this region. We shall dedicate substantial marketing and sales resources to develop the brand there,” he says.

“We are delighted to be associated with Online Distribution and see them as the right partner in expanding our footprint in this fast growing market.”

AOC is an in-house brand of the US$11 billion conglomerate TPV Technology Limited.

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RESELLER MIDDLE EAST may 2011

Toshiba unveils VAR Programme Toshiba Computer Systems, a division of Toshiba Europe has reinforced business relationships with its channel partners through its Value Added Reseller (VAR) Programme. The VAR programe allows Toshiba to grow its B2B activity with VARs focusing on the SoHo, SMB and large enterprise segments.

Members of Toshiba’s VAR programme, who manage SOHO or SMBs, will gain the following benefits: • Sales support • Run rate pricing for standard requirements • Quarterly product training and Certification • Opportunities for demand generation • Regular channel communication • Rebate programme • Account Management by Toshiba VAR Manager In addition, Toshiba adds that those focusing on the large enterprise segment will also gain: • Discounted demo hardware • Exclusive advertising support

Comstor wins global Cisco award Comstor, a dedicated VAD of Cisco networking, collaboration and data centre solutions and a business unit of the Westcon Group, recently won the Cisco Partner Summit Award for Global Distribution Partner. In addition, Comstor received global recognition for the company’s Distribution Accelerated Partner (DAP) programme and was recipient of 15 theatre, geography and country-specific awards.

Comstor MENA achieved a unique hattrick of results. In addition to the Global Award, the distributor also won the UAE distributor of the year as well as the

• Special Pricing for Large Deals • Corporate Seminar participation • Support on Service Labour Fee Santosh Varghese, Regional GM, Computer Systems Division, Toshiba Gulf, says Toshiba aims to develop its B2B portfolio along with channel partners and build a mutually beneficial business partnership. “Our channel partners are key drivers of Toshiba’s growth in the Middle East region,” Varghese says.

Varghese adds that Toshiba aims to work closely with regional VARs to provide extensive assistance including sales support and product training to focus on the SMB and large enterprise sector.

An element of the VAR programme involves Toshiba’s highly successful “Profit for Performance” (P4P) channel strategy, which is a rebate programme recognising the commitment of key retailers and dealers by rewarding top performers. The P4P initiative was introduced to reward excellent performance of B2C channel partners who excel in achieving their quarterly sales and product mix targets.

Regional Distributor of the year for Africa and Levant region.

Cisco Partner Summit awards are aimed at recognising Renton D’Souza, exemplary channel Divisonal Manager, Comstor Middle East partners who demonstrate best-in-class business practices. Areas of consideration include innovative practices, application successes, unique programmes, problem-solving and sales approaches. All winners are selected by a group of Cisco worldwide channels and regional theatre executives.

news Symantec unveils appliance business strategy Symantec has revealed that it’s reselling appliances in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar through three of its distributors namely Mindware, Tech Access and Aptec.

Ramzi Itani, Regional The announcement Channel & Alliance Director, MENA, Symantec follows the recent launch of Symantec’s appliance strategy which provides customers with a flexible and easy to deploy delivery model for data protection, storage management and security solutions.

Responding to its customers’ needs, Symantec has set up proof of concept centres in various locations across the region to show customers they have a choice in the way they purchase and deploy marketleading software by offering a new appliance form-factor. Symantec has already run several successful sessions with financial and government entities to highlight how

they can reduce their overall costs through the appliances.

Ramzi Itani, regional channel and alliance Director, MENA, Symantec, says through the company’s existing channel, Symantec is pleased to announce that it’s reselling appliance products through three of its distributors and resellers, all of whom are being trained by Symantec engineers.

“During the past three months we have been successful in reselling over 150 terabytes of capacity to customers in the UAE, Saudi and Qatar,” he says.

With massive data growth frustrating storage and backup professionals, simplicity has become a critical element of the IT infrastructure. Appliances allow organisations to quickly deploy Symantec technology to reduce the impact of data growth in the fastest deployment model possible, thereby reducing complexity.

Symantec offers its customers 24/7 onsite support, including a four-hour response time in Saudi and the UAE in addition to next business day support in Qatar.

Scott Brown, VP of Distribution for Worldwide Channels at Cisco, says the company is proud to partner with so many well-respected organisations worldwide.

“It’s my privilege to recognise Comstor as a Cisco Partner Summit global award winner," he says. “The Global Distribution Partner of the Year Award presented to Comstor recognises its outstanding achievement as a Cisco channel partner in 2010.”

Renton D’Souza, Divisonal Manager, Comstor Middle East, says Comstor has established itself as one of Cisco’s premier VADs over the years through its focus on helping partners globally to accelerate their businesses by leveraging Cisco solutions. “It brings us immense delight

as Comstor MENA to be recognised for our dedicated efforts towards Cisco at global, regional, as well as local Levels,” says D’Souza.

Jon Pritchard, President, Comstor Worldwide, adds that for more than a decade, Comstor has a proven track-record as one of Cisco’s premier VADs. “Our dedicated teams focus on helping partners worldwide accelerate their businesses by leveraging Cisco solutions across a range of networking, collaboration and data center technologies,” he says. “We’re proud of our long-standing relationship with Cisco and are deeply honoured they have chosen to recognise us as one of their most highly valued, strategic global distribution partners.”

Eros Group partners with Sonos Eros Group, a distributor of consumer electronics, telecom and allied multiproducts in the Middle East has Deepak Babani, CEO entered into an of Eros Group alliance with Sonos, a developer of wireless multiroom music systems for the home.

In terms of the deal, the Eros Group will distribute the Sonos wireless multi-room music systems through key retail channel partners in UAE and other Gulf countries.Utill now Sonos has been available to consumers in the region through distribution channel specialising in custom installations and system integrators.

Deepak Babani, CEO of Eros Group, says: “Partnering with Sonos reflects Eros’ commitment to constantly expand its product portfolio and give our customers the latest in consumer electronics. Sonos is a global provider of music systems and we are confident that this ingenious piece of technology will appeal to our wide customer base in the region.”

Frank Hakhoff, senior international distribution manager at Sonos, says that the company’s mission is to fill every home with music. “With their detailed knowledge of consumers, industry, unique range of products, and innovative service record, we are confident that our partnership with Eros will help establish Sonos in this dynamic Middle East market,” he says.

Niranjan Gidwani, deputy CEO of Eros Group adds that Sonos was among the first companies to understand future trends in streaming music and to introduce products for this market.

may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

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news Al-Falak gets Gold Specialist status in IPPP Al-Falak Electronic Equipment and Supplies Co, a reseller of technologybased end-toAhmed Ashadawi, CEO & end solutions president, Al-Falak in the Middle East, has successfully qualified for the 2011 HP Gold Specialist Imaging and Printing Partner Programme.

As a certified HP Gold Specialist in Imaging and Printing, Al-Falak will be aligned with HP’s sales strategy and gain access to HP’s enterprise customers. HP’s partner development managers will work with Al-Falak to coordinate reselling of HP solutions and develop a business plan to drive Al-Falak’s sales. Al-Falak will also receive a partner insignia from HP to promote the added value it offers to its customer; have access to HP software development kits, support and training; and be invited to exclusive HP events.

Ahmed Ashadawi, CEO and President, Al-Falak Electronic Equipment and Supplies Co, says the HP Gold Specialist status for 2011 affirms the exceptional quality of the company’s services and solutions. “HP carefully chooses its programme partners based on their geographical reach, business stability, professional services and support capability,” he says. “We were able to prove our excellence in all these areas and we are now eager to offer the superior benefits of the HP brand to our clients,” says Al-Falak’s membership in the 2011 Gold Specialist Imaging & Printing Partner Program takes effect through October 31, 2011.”

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RESELLER MIDDLE EAST may 2011

>

The market research results also revealed that Toshiba has a relatively high overall growth rate in the retailer field, increasing 8.8% for the year 2010, in comparison with its sale performance on the previous year in the UAE. “The impressive growth rate percentage means that Toshiba is looking forward to continuous growth in the foreseeable future. Toshiba is confident that it can sustain its market leadership and fare

better in the region in terms of sales and innovation,” adds Gifford.

The market research also looked into comparison between ultra mobile, tablet PCs, portable laptops, netbooks, and desktop replacement in terms of sales unit percentage and based on the results, portable laptop is the preferred device in the UAE with an average of 75% in sales unit percentage, followed by netbooks with an average of 25%.

Prologix signs EnGenius

our company and brand in the Middle East and take our business to the next level in this region and Prologix fit the mould perfectly,” says Chee.

Through this partnership, Prologix Distribution is responsible for distributing EnGenius’ high performance wireless networking solutions including wireless LAN products and accessories and long range cordless phone.

Jerin Thomas, director business development at Prologix says: “We are pleased to have been signed on as distributors for EnGenius, a global brand. This partnership enables us to increase our profile and footprint in the Middle East and we are committed to providing the highest levels of service and support to both, EnGenius as well as our resellers.”

Thomas adds that the addition of EnGenius to its array of products gives resellers and SI the opportunity to harness best-in-class technology to the benefit of their customers. “This deal is in line with our vision of offering best-of-breed products and solutions,” he says.

Prologix has over 10 years of experience delivering IT and telecom infrastructure solutions into the Middle East market. The team consists of certified professionals with knowledge and expertise across the core areas of networking, security, storage, wireless and telecom, who can provide technical expertise in sales, presales and customer support as a value-add.

Jerin Thomam, Progix (L) & Leo Meng Chee, EnGenius

EnGenius International, a provider of wireless solutions has signed a distribution deal with Prologix Distribution, an IT and telecom value added distributor in the Middle East.

In terms of the deal, which is exclusive, Prologix will provide the channel with EnGenius’ entire range of wireless data and voice communication solutions in the Middle East excluding Lebanon.

Leo Meng Chee, GM, EnGenius says Prologix has an extensive reseller network in the Middle East region and has established itself as a formidable VAD, with a highly capable and motivated team. Chee adds that EnGenius invests heavily in R&D to ensure customers have access to the best of technology and leading-edge products and this has resulted in a very recognisable brand. “We wanted to find a partner that could create the same impact for

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news Brocade enables SP business model transformation Brocade has announced innovative new cloud-optimised networking solutions to enable the next evolution in public cloud infrastructures.

These advancements will help service providers leverage their existing infrastructures to create a broad set of new revenue-generating services, such as virtual private cloud services, for enterprise customers. As a result, service providers can minimise their infrastructure expenditure and raise their revenue to increase profitability.

At its recent annual Technology Day Summit, Brocade unveiled the solutions that support the expansion of emerging service provider public cloud infrastructures. The company believes that today’s networks must be cloudoptimised at every critical point as they will define the application performance and the customer experience within the cloud. Service providers are able to leverage Brocade data centre networking leadership in high-performance Brocade ServerIronADX application delivery switches, as well as market-leading storage fabric and innovative Ethernet fabric technologies to build out their cloud infrastructure.

Specifically, the Brocade Ethernet fabric technology enables a completely

virtualised environment in which service providers can offer compute, storage and network resources to their customers on-demand. In addition, Brocade Ethernet fabrics simplify data center network management and operations, improve network efficiency and utilisation and thus reduce TCO dramatically.

According to a recent report by Gartner, the global market for cloud services is expected to grow to nearly $150 billion by 2014. This enormous market opportunity is transforming how service providers will deliver information technology services to their customers.

It is a catalyst that will ultimately alter how services are delivered and consumed by nearly everyone worldwide, driving a fundamental shift in business and revenue models.

Industry backs Brocade Brocade’s OEM partners, including EMC, Hitachi Data Systems, HP and IBM, have voiced their support of the company’s new next-gen Fibre Channel technologies that will help their enterprise customers migrate smoothly to private cloud architectures.

Brocade has announced the industry’s first fabric based, end-to-end networking

solutions based on industry-leading 16 Gbps Fibre Channel technologies. Fabric-based networks are a fundamental requirement in supporting highly virtualised data centres and private cloud environments and they are a critical element of the Brocade One strategy for providing low-latency, non-stop and easy-to-operate networks.

BlackBerry App World arrives Research In Motion's BlackBerry App World service has launched in the UAE, offering BlackBerry smartphone customers easy access to a broad range of mobile applications. The service is now available in a number of Middle East countries including UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and Lebanon.

BlackBerry App World, the official on-device app store for BlackBerry smartphones, allows customers to easily discover, download and enjoy applications that are purpose-built for their BlackBerry smartphones.

“We are thrilled to be bringing the BlackBerry App World service to customers in the UAE,” said Sandeep Saihgal, Managing Director, RIM Middle East.

“The BlackBerry community in this region can now enjoy great content for their smartphones with our comprehensive range of applications to choose from, enriching their mobile experience at work or play. We are also excited about the opportunity this presents to our Middle Eastern application developers, who now have a huge audience to develop local content and apps for.”

According to Mohammed Al Ghanim, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE, said: “This is a great day for the Middle East application developer community. The TRA has a strategy to encourage and support developers in the UAE and with the launch of RIM’s BlackBerry App World, we are eager to work with BlackBerry developers to provide the appropriate environment and assist them with accessing the required tools to create these applications. We will encourage the UAE universities to develop applications on BlackBerry devices”.

Three million applications are being downloaded each day on BlackBerry App World, which is available in more than 100 markets around the world.

may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

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news New Iomega B2B sales head Iomega has announced that Samer Sayed has been appointed as B2B Regional Sales Manager Middle East and Africa. He will lead current business efforts to further enhance Iomega’s SMB solution presence as the benchmark in storage across the MEA region and the preferred global provider of storage and network solutions for mid-sized businesses.

“I am delighted that Samer has joined the Iomega team”, said Cizar Abu Ghazaleh, Regional Director, Middle East, Africa and Turkey Iomega. “With over a decade’s experience, Samer’s superb skills are well-established and he will help us in extending our already strong presence in SMB markets in the MEA. His MEA sales and marketing experience in business-to-business sales is an excellent asset for Iomega”.

Samer Sayed brings more than 15 years’ experience to Iomega, most recently at EMC where he was the Regional Business Development Manager establishing and growing the public sector for EMC. Prior to joining EMC, he was Regional Manager for Fujitsu Siemens Computers/ Fujitsu Technology Solutions managing ME where he also had great achievements building and growing SMB channel and partners.

“I am excited to join such a leading company as Iomega and look forward to giving my contribution to further strengthen its presence and its success”, said Samer Sayed.

“I am enthusiastic about Iomega’s programmes and our products for small business storage markets, and look forward to giving my part to enhance Iomega’s leadership in markets across the MEA countries”.

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RESELLER MIDDLE EAST may 2011

Partners during the training session

NETGEAR training sessions NETGEAR recently hosted a series of sales and technical training sessions for its key Middle East partners at the Ramada Hotel in Dubai.

The event was attended by around 40 of the company’s top partners in the region and was aimed at increasing more awareness on the key networking and storage products of NETGEAR and the advantages and benefits obtained from its use. The training sessions consisted of key talks and presentations made by the company’s top technical experts led by Richard Jonker, MD for Emerging Markets, NETGEAR, who talked about strategic sales and marketing initiatives and Neil Smart, VAR Systems Engineer, UKI, NETGEAR, who conducted the technical aspect of the training.

The two-day event was in line with NETGEAR’s efforts to implement key initiatives aimed at strengthening its business ties with its partners while also living up to its commitment to provide an integrate suite of internet tools for the wired and wireless segment. The move follows a recent industry report showing that Middle East has witnessed a dramatic 1,825.3% growth in the number of internet users over the last decade (2000 to 2010), increasing the penetration to 29.8% and translating into a total of 63.2 million users.

During the first day of the event, Richard Jonker talked about NETGEAR’s expansion worldwide and the implementation of sales and marketing strategies in the coming years.

His presentation also covered NETGEAR’s current concentration on SMEs, which

combined with the company’s other focus segments will translate to a larger target market. Neil Smart gave a presentation on essential technical information about NETGEAR products along with the latest technologies that the company is utilizing in the bid to roll out new internet tools, particularly in the storage segment.

“This event served as a perfect opportunity for NETGEAR to meet with its regional partners and discuss new strategies in the move to create a stronger market presence in the Middle East,” said Omar Lutfi, SMB Channel Manager, NETGEAR Middle East.

NETGEAR offers strategic innovative products aimed at different segments like consumers, businesses and service providers.

Just recently, the company launched the ReadyNAS 4200, which is aimed towards SMBs and mid-sized businesses. The new unit is the first of its kind ReadyNAS model to support 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) and allows more redundancy and reliability. The company also released the NETGEAR WC7520, a wireless controller designed for smaller IT groups yet still offer all the features needed by large wireless networks. The wireless connector provides users with a fully-featured Wireless LAN architecture that can support up to 1,500 users networks, minus the cost or complexity of traditional solutions. Also being introduced is the NETGEAR XCM8800 Series, which simplifies network infrastructures with purpose-built core, aggregation, and intelligent edge modules. The NETGEAR XCM8800 Series offers users with a rackmount backplane-based design that has strong features like key flexibility, energy efficiency, and service availability.

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interview Philips & LiteOn Digital

Getting serious Reseller Middle East chats to Minnie Lin, head of marketing, ODD Channel M&S division at Philips & LiteOn Digital Solutions Corporation on the vendor’s strategy for growing its channel in the region. have continued to and keep promoting LiteOn brand to be the best choose for a professional IT people.

RME: How many distribution partners does Philips & LiteOn Digital Solutions have in the Middle East?

ML: At the moment, LiteOn has one main distributor addressing the entire region although there the company does have a distributor in Iran, two in Syria and one in Iraq.

RME: Which markets in the Middle East/North Africa are key for Philips & LiteOn Digital Solutions’ channel growth?

ML: Key products that the company is

RME: Briefly explain how Philips & LiteOn Digital Solutions is building its channel base in the Middle East region?

ML: LiteOn provides innovative and

pushing aggressively and marketing in the region are components.

customer-oriented technologies to channel partners and their end-users globally. In addition, we have been giving marketing support and local sales to support our channel partners and their customers. We

RME: What product/technology solutions are high on Philips & LiteOn Digital Solutions’ agenda in the Middle East in 2011?

ML: With the LabelTag array now

Our aim this year is definitely on getting more market share and increased brand awareness. Our vision is to become number one in the MENA belt.

100%LiteOn patented, this now allows users to create a circular label on the data side of a standard DVD±R disc with the use of special media required.

RME: Is there a specific product set or technology that Philips & LiteOn Digital Solutions is pushing strongly through the channel in the Middle East in the second half of 2011?

ML: As stated earlier, LabelTag is the company’s main focus this year.

RME: What sort of channel initiatives and training programmes is Philips & LiteOn Digital Solutions planning on rolling out this year to channel partners in the Middle East?

ML: We had trained sales people from the Middle East channel on LiteOn technologie, LabelTag, SmartErase through a number of initiatives that we held earlier this year Feb,2011.

RME: What can your distribution partners and solution providers expect from Philips & LiteOn Digital Solutions in 2011?

ML: More marketing support and channel initiatives aimed at cementing our presence in the channel.

RME: Where do you see growth coming from with your reseller business in the MENA region?

ML: We see our business growing more in the notebook and network segment as these sectors become more and more popular.

RME: Finally, what would you like to achieve this year as Philips & LiteOn Digital Solutions with your channel partners that might have been a challenge in 2010?

ML: Our aim this year is definitely on getting more market share and increased brand awareness. Our vision is to become number one in the MENA belt. may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

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interview Quick Heal

Cementing channel partnerships Reseller Middle East talks to Shobhit Mathur, Director Operations and Sales at Quick Heal Technologies on the company’s growing clout in the Middle East IT security market.

RME: How is Quick Heal building it channel base in the Middle East and North Africa region?

SM: We are a very channel centric organisation and firmly believe that true success lies in the entire supply chain performing well. We are building our channel base with a policy of one partner one country with an exception to the Saudi Arabian market. This is how we empower our partners to give their best to the brand.

Shobhit Mathur, Director, Quick Heal

RME: Quick Heal has been upping the tempo in the UAE channel market. How has the Middle East channel embraced Quick Heal as an anti-virus security vendor and as a brand?

SM: The response we have got so far is overwhelming, despite being a new brand in this market. We have been well accepted by the channel and this has resulted in the company generating good sales in the year 2010 and extensive product positioning in the Middle East region.

RME: How many partners do you have ever since Quick Heal entered the region?

SM: Currently Quick Heal has direct partnership in seven countries in the region and indirectly we are covering the entire Middle East except for a few countries.

RME: What do you see as major hurdles to growing Quick Heal’s business offerings in the Middle East?

SM: The current geo political situation in the Middle East region has restricted us in our quest to grow operations and footprint in some countries.

RME: Which markets in the Middle East are key for your channel growth this year and why?

SM: It’s difficult to pin point one specific country but currently our focus of strategic importance is on Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and UAE. These countries have the market dynamics and ability to set trends for other countries in the region to follow.

RME: What product solutions will be high on your agenda for channel partners in the Middle East in 2011?

SM: We are in the second year of our operations

in the Middle East and we will stay focused on the retail sector and offer technologies that are tailored more at the retail sector. This year, we have also introduced two technologies – Laptop Tracker and Parental control.

RME: With parts of the Middle East experiencing political instability, is this going to affect your business this year?

SM: Hope things will settle down sooner rather than later. As we already got effected in Bahrain and Libya, the company has witnessed a slowdown in business in other countries, but these are short term issues and have no impact on our long term strategies and plan for the Middle East region.

RME: One of the key strengths that some of your competitors like Symantec and Kaspersky have in the region is the ability to work with higher learning institutions such as colleges and universities. Is Quick Heal actively working with institutions of higher learning as a way of popularising your solutions offerings?

SM: As mentioned earlier, our current focus is on retail and will remain like this throughout this year. However, we will not lose any opportunity if it arises in any other area.

RME: Is there a specific vertical that Quick Heal is focusing on in the Middle East region?

SM: Corporate and government sectors in the Iranian market and retail segment in the rest of the Middle East region.

RME: Where do you see growth coming from in 2011 for your business in the Middle East?

SM: Our growth will come from our expansion strategy. We have lots of ground to be covered in terms of territory and increasing our market share in the areas where we are cuurently present. If we are able to implement this, which we will, then growth is assured for Quick Heal and its channel partners. may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

31

cover feature Channel growth

Keys to the Kingdom KSA’s IT market, the biggest in the Middle East, was worth around SAR 12.4 billion last year and should grow to SAR 17.25 billion in three years time. As a lucrative market for IT products and services, the Saudi IT sector is driven by key factors such as several major IT projects by both the public and private sectors; unhampered growth of the national economy; and high demand for IT products and services among the overwhelmingly young population.

The Saudi IT market is an enigma. Despite being the largest in the region, the potential for growth seems limitless.

A recent report from the Business Software Alliance said that in the Kingdom, the commercial value of unlicensed software stood at $304m (an estimated SR1,140m) in 2009.

Although the situation is improving, software piracy remains among the most significant threats to the IT industry in the region.

Now the Saudi Ministry of Information, working with Autodesk, has launched a new license compliance initiative. With a market as large as the Kingdom's, the possibility of legtimising even a small percentage of current unlicensed software would bring major benefts to the Saudi channel.

It's a market that certainly repaus investment and commitment. Storage player SanDisk, for example, has just reported 38% year on year increase in unit sales. In fact, with the consumer electronics market to approach $5b by 2015, a 5% CAGR for digital devices looks a caustious estimate.

Consider this. Computer hardware accounted for about 46% of Saudi consumer electronics spending in 2009 and that sector may top $2b by year end. Stronger demand for notebooks is seen as the main factor driving retail segment growth, but the explosion in smartphone, iPad and other 3 and 4G devices may make any analyst estimates seem hopelessly out of date very quickly. Mobile handset sales accounted for 22% of consumer 32

RESELLER MIDDLE EAST may 2011

electronics spending in 2009 - sales are now expected to grow at a 6% CAGR to $1.1b by 2015, as mobile subscriber penetration reaches 220%.

The Saudi IT sector is being driven by key factors such as the commissioning of several major IT projects by both the public and private sectors; the unhampered growth of the national economy; and the high demand for IT products and services among the predominantly young and tech-savvy Saudi population The government sees ICT development as a national priority. The governing Shoura Council has a strategic objective for the IT industry to raise its contribution to GDP to 20% by 2020, as well as raising broadband penetration to 31% by 2013.

And major projects keep being announced.

The Medical Services Division (MSD) of the Ministry of Defence and Aviation (MODA) is implementing a nationwide unified medical system, to link all 26 MSD hospital and 68 medical centres and clinics across six regions.

The government is implementing a $3.1bn plan to improve the education system - the King Abdullah Project has allocated around half the funds (SAR 4.2bn) to improve the education environment and another SAR 3.58bn for extracurricular activities.

All of this provides both an opportunity and a challenge to channel players in the Kingdom.

The rewards are there. The question is: can the channel raise its game to claim them?

We talk to two players in a quick overview of channel activity in Saudi Arabia.

Leading the market With very positive growth in teh Kingdom backed by spectacular sales in other regions, BDL is feeling bullish at present. CEO Tamer Ismail explains why.

What's the Group's focus in the channel for this year and beyond?

Our focus will be on our best clients, increasing the numbers of clients, working to achieve profit for our partners and providing appropriate service for them. And understanding their problems, of course.

What growth are you seeing in the Saudi market?

Some 25% year over year which is fuelling our expansion plans. We opened two additional branches in Khmis Masheet, Tabuk, and Qassem to cover the northern and southern region as well as our existing head office in Riyadh and branches in Jeddah and Alkhubar.

What are the factors that will drive growth for the BDL Group?

We have a clear strategy that leads the company - we concentrate on adding value and working through an innovative approach in addition to efficient relation management with suppliers and

Supporting the channel FVC has ambitious plans to extend its reach into the Saudi market as MD KS Parag explains.

working close to customers.

What are the challenges that resellers and channel partners are facing in the Kingdom?

Reseller are facing increasing competition in the corporate space, which affects volumes and market development.

Visions aren’t clear for resellers in terms of annual sale rates, identifying expectations, volumes for purchases and sales - all that limits development opportunities. And some resellers leave markets continually - from time to time that harms markets and competition significantly.

What do you see as key business opportunities this year?

Smart phones.

How is the channel maturing in Saudi?

Over time. Distribution companies are adopting proper policies including not to over use credit, accurate pricing and prics control. That will get rid of bad sale channels and customers will then depend on real resellers who target the end user.

How important is GITEX Riyadh to you?

There is no great importance because we don't see any attractive marketing activities and suppliers and distributors don’t provide anything new. Importantly, there are many computer markets in malls and markets (Hyper Market Power Retail) in Riyadh - a continual gallery outside of GITEX.

What is your focus this year in the Kingdom?

Ensuring that the company increases its presales, sales and technical resources in the Kingdom. Our coverage of the KSA market is two fold: vertical and geographical expansion.

Vertical expansions will focus on government, defence, financial services, education and healthcare sectors. Here, the company will be beefing up resources to support channel partners with training, certification and demand generation activities. And geographical expansions are planned for the Western, Central and Eastern regions of the Kingdom. We have opened offices in Riyadh, Jeedah and Al Khobah.

What's your strategy for partner training?

FVC has taken the responsibility to train its internal sales and technical teams to ensure that they can train partners in the various technology focus areas. We are also educating the end user market and these activities are helping the company to create demand for channel partners. We want our SI partners in KSA to develop deeper knowledge in UC, network security, cloud computing and data centre technologies.

Where do you see the growth opportunities for FVC and its partner ecosystem?

This will come from government and public sector IT projects. There's also a momentum around cloud computing and next generation data centres.

How is that emphasis changing?

In 2010, most revenues came from government and public sector projects which accounted

for 60% of the total revenues; in 2011, there will be a further boost as the government moves to accelerate the roll out of IT projects and private sector enterprises are looking to refresh and upgrade their IT infrastructure.

Partners that will benefit from this growth are those with certiications, have specialised and are able to bring value and a services component to the table.

What are the specific channel challenges in the Kingdom?

A lack of knowledge and expertise in the channel. Partners not adapting to technology changes fast enough. It's difficult to retain trained and certified staff. Long sales cycles and the reluctance by partners to jump onto the services bandwagon.

What other Saudi activities are you planning?

We recently launched the CHEER Partner programme and through this, we are able to offer services to SIs which they can go and resell. We'll be hosting annually the Channel Partner Conference which we launched last year and we'll beef up roadshows in the Kingdom aimed at helping raise awareness around our channel programmes, products and technologies.

may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

33

analysis Huawei

Into enterprise RME spoke to Di Liu Qi, Vice President for Huawei Enterprise Business, about how the model is faring. the flexibility to sell our products and solutions how they see fit. Ultimately, we want to create a win-win situation for all.

How many SIs have you recruited in the Middle East?

How has this new business unit been received so far in the channel?

Huawei Enterprise Business has already built a portfolio of projects all over the world to demonstrate its strength in building next-generation ICT infrastructures across industry verticals. We are very excited about the growth potential and look forward to seeing how we can leverage the enormous market opportunities in the region. The feedback from the channel so far has been extremely positive. Through vigorous product training, workshops, forums certification sessions and more, to help our channel partners fully understand our enterprise business portfolio, we already have local channel partners on board.

We believe that it’s all about creating a support system for our business partners.

However, we need to deliver our products and solutions in more ways than just directly selling to the customer. We need to focus our energies on channel partners in the region.

By engaging with our channel partners, we can leverage their local knowledge and experience. The idea is to give our partners 34

RESELLER MIDDLE EAST may 2011

room for Huawei’s strategic growth. We have ambitious plans to drive our enterprise business and aim to become the region’s first choice solutions provider for building next-generation ICT infrastructures. As we approach each opportunity, our target will apply the same rigorous strategic approach and discipline that we have applied in the telecoms sector, to ensure our customers receive returns on investments. We are excited about the growth potential for Huawei Enterprise. We are confident that we can create value for our customers.

Currently we are partnered with 11 local channels in the region, one of which is INTC, our regional level master system integrator and ‘go-to-market’ partner for our Enterprise solutions.

Where do you see most of your growth coming from this year?

Can you briefly explain how Huawei is rolling out its partner training programmes to SIs?

How are you positioning Huawei Enterprise given that your core strength in the Middle East is in the telecoms space?

Huawei Enterprise delivers pre-sales and post sales training for reseller partners in three different cities - Dubai, Doha and Riyadh - so that every partner in each country is well briefed on the product portfolio, the installation and configuration as well as given an understanding of the need to focus on service delivery. We offer certification training to ensure our partners meet the industry standards required to fully engage with the product and solution.

Fast track programmes are also set up for IT consultants and specialists who come with a technical background.

What are your growth expectations for your enterprise business in the Middle East?

With the emergence of cloud computing and the convergence of IT and communication technology solutions, the transformation of the entire industry has offered Huawei unprecedented new opportunities and the enterprise business will provide enormous

Cloud computing, data centres, IT and communications technology convergence will be key areas in the enterprise business.

Huawei’s proven track record in the Middle East building next-generation ICT infrastructures in the telecoms market is a testimony of the capabilities we can also provide in the enterprise market. We believe our core strength lies in focusing on customer-centric innovation that creates values for customers to meet their business needs. Innovation is a key component of Huawei’s mission. That’s why we have invested nearly half of Huawei’s global resources into research and development, with over 10% of revenue spent on R&D every year. In 2010, Huawei filed 49,040 key technology patents globally with crosslicensing agreements in intellectual property rights for major multinational companies in the industry. In the next decade, Huawei will transform itself from a pioneer in communications technology to innovators in ICT. Driving the enterprise business will form a key part of Huawei’s road map over the next few years.

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analysis D-Link

Breaking out of consumer Dealing with new business opportunities is a key way in which channel players differentiate themselves in the market, explains Sakkeer Hussain, Sales & Marketing Manager at D-Link Middle East.

You work with both distributors and System Integrators. Briefly outline how the company is able to minimise any conflict of interest between the two segments?

Sakkeer Hussain, Sales & Marketing Manager at D-Link Middle East

How many distribution partners does D-Link have in the Middle East and which specific countries do they address?

Since January 2011, D-Link Middle East has taken over the responsibility of the operations for D-Link Africa (excluding South Africa), hence D-Link Middle East has evolved to D-Link Middle East & Africa since the beginning of this year.

D-Link Middle East & Africa are currently working with more than 50 distributors in the entire Middle East and Africa region. Countries in which we are directly collaborating with signed-up distributors are: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, Morocco, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Algeria, Cyprus, Afghanistan and Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania).

It is true that we are working both with distributors and SIs to bring our products to the market. However, these two are not competing with each other in terms of having certain interests met. With the distribution model we have in place, deals that have been closed by our teams with System Integrators are still routed to our distributors, who sell our products to the System Integrators.

This ensures a win-win situation both for distributors and System Integrators.

Which markets in the Middle East are key for your channel growth in 2011?

Facebook and Twitter friends the media files Boxee users most like. Apart from that we have a wide range of IP cameras, 3G and power line products. On the business solutions segment we offer the latest series of smart, PoE, chasis switches and storage.

Is there a specific product set or technology that you’re pushing strongly through the channel in the Middle East this year and why?

Since March 2011 we started to sell cabling solutions in the Middle East & Africa. This is a new product line which will help us to position ourselves in the cabling market as well.

What sort of channel initiatives and training programmes are planning on rolling out this year in the Middle East market?

With view to sales and marketing initiatives, we are planning to conduct plenty of promotions throughout the year in order to support the channel. Additionally, during the year there are plenty of product seminars and technical trainings being held in order to keep everyone updated and - the technical departments respectively - well-trained.

How important is your retail/consumer business in the Middle East region?

We certainly hope to progress further in the virgin markets, such the Levant countries. The current political condition in many Middle Eastern countries however keeps us hoping that the demand for networking solutions will not decrease.

The retail/consumer business has always been a major pillar helping us to achieve our targets to sell consumer products to the various consumer target groups. D-Link has always been strong in the consumer segment, but has also managed to successfully take on networking solutions that cater to large corporations.

What product solutions are you pushing through your channel partners in the Middle East?

If it is important, what power retailers are you currently working with and with what products?

On the consumer segment we have recently launched the Boxee Box, an amazing Social Network Media Centre which plays back movies in Full HD 1080p. This device is not just a media player, but also a great tool to share with your

We are currently working with all major power retailers such as Sharaf DG, CompuME, Carrefour, Lulu and Emax to sell wireless routers, IP cameras, the Boxee Box and many other networking devices to consumers. may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

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analysis SonicWALL

The balancing act Although SonicWALL has a global policy of only selling through the channel, its introduction of a 'direct touch' model should not be seen as changing that, insists newly appointed EMEA VP, Andy Zollo.

What will be your channel focus this year in EMEA? First of all, SonicWall has this as the fastest region we have so that's why we'll put in investment. For instance, we're just starting a technical resource in Saudi which will be starting any time now. We're also looking for a direct touch because, as we expand into the enterprise market, we need more of that customer touch ourselves and that should then deliver more opportunity to the channel. It's all about getting a balance.

On the overall partner landscape, we need to balance working with distributors to improve our market base - and they're typically those who adopt the SMB range of products - then for the enterprise there will be fewer partners, typically gold and silver, where our guys will also be involved in the account management of these partners and then outside of that, as we grow the direct touch business, that will identify partners we should be speaking to. We have a very clear global two tier policy, everything goes through channel - so even as we deploy direct touch, the channel can be reassured that everything goes through distribution.

And investment?

Clearly, technical resource. As we train people up, quite naturally they want more of our technical input. Also when the channel needs help in an engagement, typically its a technical rather than a sales person they want along with them. That's our priority now.

process in that the more they do that, the more the sales guy picks up what we're doing and away he goes. Next, growing the installed base business. Or should we pick some vertical markets where we become the experts in that market? When we identify them and research them, we can then support our channel - these are the decision makers, these are the buying patterns, these are the sales triggers and so on.

What solutions do you see as priorities for the market this year?

Andy Zollo, VP, SonicWALL EMEA

We'll continue to push UTM - we've added visualisation recently which makes it a lot easier for management to see what's happening on the network. Relating it to granularity - we want you to use Twitter for business but not Farmville, for instance - is a very appealing message because of productivity issues. We've also scaled to the carrier level. Then, on the SMB side, we've revamped our back-up/disaster recovery products which should make it easy for the channel to go and get MSP type of business. If we can make something easy for the channel to sell, they'll sell lots of it; if we make it too difficult, then they'll tend to shy away.

Which territories will recive more technical support?

Are you encouraging your partners to sell consultancy services on top of the technology?

Saudi is the priority - we have an offer out already. Then the UAE.

Can there not be a conflict of interest with a direct touch model?

Oh yes, we always have to use the term carefully. The impression always is, 'Oh no, they're going direct!' The difference however when you're moving from SMB to enterprise is that, at the enterprise level, the customer expects to see the manufacturer. That's a cost of getting into that market, we recognise that. The direct touch guys kind of work in three areas. Firstly, assistance of channel going out with resellers to end-users to help the sale and that becomes an education

Absolutely. The channel owns the relationship with the customers and maybe 50% of a lifetime revenue with a customer comes from services.

What's the most important thing you do for your channel?

The thing we always focus on with our partners is training. Whilst we have a strong market condition, there's still a large market out there.

We're seeing a lot of vendors encouraging their partners to specialise. Is that something you do?

We leave it up to them. may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

39

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analysis Trend Micro

Putting up the umbrella The security sector remains one of the most buoyant in terms of customer spend, but increased revenues for the channel depend on resellers trading up and looking for game changing opportunities. Reseller Middle East discusses the issue with Anthony O'Mara, Senior VP of Trend Micro MEA. I look back at previous platform shifts and it's very hard to find the same partners at every stage. The guy who's awake can make money.

How has the market been for Trend?

Anthony O'Mara, Senior VP of Trend Micro MEA

From a regional perspective, what can your channel partner community expect this year?

We will always be two tier - that's written in stone for us. We always take care of out partners - that's the big picture. Today, in the security space, there's always a real opportunity for channel partners who are willing to make an effort and maybe change. I'd say over the last three or four years. the security industry was coming to the end of a cycle people were buying legacy desktop materials and gateways. A whole new opportunity has opened up with cloud computing and if partners are ready to move with that, then they've got a great new opportunity; if they don't, they're gonna get stuck in a position where they just

compete on price and the margin game. Some of them will go out of business, that's what they need to be awake to. If you've ever read that book, 'Who moved my cheese?', that's one of those situations right now.

So what can you do to support that?

Hopefully, as a company, we can either provide our existing channel to move or fix up new partners that will go with us. Partners who are - dare I say? - lazy, well they're going to get left behind. Whether they're Trend's partners or competitors' partners, that's what's going to happen.

We're looking a a platform shift then?

Yes and it gives everyone a great opportunity.

We've been lucky and, I think, lucky because of the leadership at the top. With each shift, at the beginning of the shift, we may not make as much money as we'd like but we do lead. However, we do focus on where the security market is going. For example, we were the first in the server sector, the gateway, we were the first in the cloud. It's about leadership. So with cloud, for example, the market may take three years, four years but it's coming, you know. It's an evolutionary thing. I know our competition will be there too but, partnering with Trend, you're part of something important. You know, at times in this industry, you get the sense of something important happening - I remember Scott McNealy back in the 1990s with his 'the network is the computer' idea - and I think much the same is happening now with our senior management and technical people.

They really believe in what they're doing and it's not just about making money. With researchers with initiative, the possibilities are amazing.

At present we're seeing a lot of services being offered around the cloud - Software-as-a-Service, Security-as-a-Servioce and so on. Is that where Trend is focused in training its partners? How are you helping may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

41

analysis Trend Micro

them to identify those business opportunities?

If we're looking at a definition of cloud security it could be private cloud, or it could be public cloud. We're in the evolution now and I believe it will end up as public cloud eventually but at present there's still scepticism - 'Why would I put everything up there?' There's a big opportunity with our partners in that evolution. I read recently from one of the analyst groups that, for every dollar spent on virtualisation, eleven other dollars are spent on other products around that - maybe hardware, software and so on.

And so, as a reseller, I know that if there's a virtualisation product for $100,000, I know there's a million dollar opportunity as well.

That's the kind of stuff that the reseller needs to be aware of. In EMEA, we have created an umbrella programme but it's important that such a programme isn't just thrown out there because one size doesn't fit all, but you can have the core that does work. Then, hopefully, we can adapt those programmes to make sure that they work for channel partners here in the Middle East. I think that if we don't take that approach, if we just say 'here's the Trend approach', then they don't stick. The measure of our suceess is not a partner making a good deal, but them making a second or a third one.

"On the technology side, I think the pace of change towards a virtual environment represents a real opportunity. On the business side, I think there are always opportunities when companies go back and review their polciies and update their security."

What areas are you asking them specialise in as part of your umbrella programme?

Virtualisation - I think everyone should be moving there so that's top of everyone's book. There's still money to made around the gateway space - we have a new hybrid appliance, for example. All companies now want simplification - take it out of the box, fit it and then not have to worry about it.

Delivering on that, that's our job.

We evolved our desktop solution over the last couple of years as a lighter solution than our comeptitors. You can argue that we don't cover the last 1% but the answer is that you have to answer the question, 'How can you predict what happens?' For us, it's about stopping things before it reaches up your machine so we never have to clean up your machine. This market is no longer about competing on price - you want to trust a company with security in its DNA, right?

We're seeing a lot of reports on mobile opportunities. What opportunities are there for you as a security provider?

What's the revenue split between your enterprise business and your consumer business?

We already have products for the mobile

In EMEA? Consumer's quite small. We have

42

RESELLER MIDDLE EAST may 2011

market but we don't yet really know how widespread the threat is going to be. The walls are there but we don't yet know what's going to be thrown at them. Look at criminals and money - it used to be in the banks then it shifted to the desktop and as soon as they realise it's now in smartphones and devices, that's what they will target. The threat today is there but it's not yet huge.

Are vendors ready for it?

I think so but it's a matter of integration.

That's a chance for the channel to ensure that all gates are secured not just the mobile device - after all, that's just another way in.

We're seeing a lot of interest in the endpoint security space. How are you positioning yourselves there?

some sales to the consumer market in the Middle East but, frankly, it's not the most important part of our business. However, in the Far East, we're the leading consumer player, in the US number two or three so, as a company, it's important.

Has your business slowled down because of political instabilities in the region?

We saw some slowdown in Q1, but we're not going away. We take a longer view.

We can ride the cycle and the companies we're dealing with, they're not going away tomorrow. If you compare that to Europe, say, companies there just disappear. I wouldn't say we're relaxed but‌

Is Trend looking at DLP (Data Loss Prevention)?

Yes, but what we've tried to do is, instead of having it as a standalone product, integrate it into a product set. However, this is a consultancy sales and, if you talk about the channel, that's a real opportunity - consultancy.

Where do you see your real opportunities at present?

On the technology side, I think the pace of change towards a virtual environment represents a real opportunity. On the business side, I think there are always opportunities when companies go back and review their polciies and update their security.

We still think we can outgrow the market.

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analysis Emitac

Expanding the business Emitac has built an entire VAD business on the back of one vendor relationship, with HP. Now it's starting to grow the model with the addition of Azeti Networks, as Patrick Mulligan, GM of Emitac Distribution, explains.

In terms of this partnership, are the solutions offered based on the entire portfolio or just value solutions?

It will be the entire portfolio but it's a solution sell based on value, rather than a box sell.

Are you going to focus on geographies or sectors with these solutions?

Patrick Mulligan, GM of Emitac Distribution

Why Azeti? What's the main motivation?

We're moving into the solutions area and Azeti is one of early successes in terms of this shift, where we're able to offer extra products to resellers so they can provide solutions for their customers.

Entering the market Jose Bustamante, VP MEA, Azeti Networks talks us through the new relationship.

What made you select Emitac as your entry into this market?

Well, it has a massive ecosystem so it was an ideal choice for us to enter the market, allowing us to target many different kinds of business. We really needed to work on a solution level so, when we had our first meetings and they explained this new VAD approach, for us it was a great combination - working with a big company and a strongly focused group within the company. That allows me to move in a very agile way and target resellers effectively. As a foreign company, we

No, we'll carry them across all parts of our business activity in the same way that we address our existing VAD business.

In the past you've said you'd be very selective in value-add solutions. How is the business progressing?

It's very strong around HP solutions, so we're primarily focused on expanding our offerings

couldn't have established ourselves here in such a way.

Value-added requires a lot of support - training, certification, etc. What sort of support have you lined up?

Firstly, local sales and consultancy.

More importantly, wider resources within Emitac. We're still in the initial stages.

In Emitac's solid territories with broadband distribution, what type of resellers would be ideally placed to take your solutions to market?

That was the first question we asked! Because of the nature of our solutions, the extension of IT monitoring to operational and environmental

around HP - servers, storage, networking and the products and services around that. That's our main thrust today though we're talking to other vendors and Azeti marks our first expansion outside of the HP space.

What other solution could you add to this value-added business?

Our position is to build the VAD business slowly and credibly, so we're building internal competencies before we go to other vendors to expand. It's a more slow way of building a business but it's very much our style. We have no plans to announce other vendors, until we've digested the Azeti solutions and then we'll start to look for complementary solutions. We want to be effective from an operational standpoint.

issues, virtually every enterprise is a potential customer. Azeti also allows the extension of HP's OpenView.

Do you have a certification programme? Will you be rolling it out in the region?

Yes, we have. We'll be doing it in co-operation with Emitac.

This partnership opens up doors clearly in terms or reach and markets. Which vertical markets do you see as priorities?

Healthcare. Hospitality. Communication. Here we can create solutions, but in every industry you can adopt a solution thanks to the open nature of the software. The most important thing now is to pick the right resellers, starting in the UAE. may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

45

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feature Peripherals

The power of peripherals With the increase in PC penetration rates in the Middle East, the demand for peripheral devices has been growing rapidly. Find out how you can use peripherals as a starting point to land that lucrative deal.

Because printers, imaging solutions and displays are the most common of all PC peripherals, resellers often seek opportunities to sell all three products in a single deal.

The major shift toward the use of MFPs has helped resellers push the power of peripherals in organisations. Corporate buyers are also finding they can cut back on paper if employees have enhanced monitors or more than one display on their desks. They are less likely to print e-mail, information from the Internet and other items that will be read once and simply discarded.

The proliferation of MFPs, imaging equipment and displays is due in part to dramatically reduced prices. While stepped up sales of MFPs and other peripherals have created opportunities for channel partners, resellers must become more creative now more than ever.

While corporate customers are buying more MFPs, there are even more significant surrounding sales of the multipurpose units. Major imaging vendors are urging

“Combating grey imports is not anyone’s strategic ideal or plan but rather a collective effort on the part of the vendor, distributor and reseller.” – Patrick Hayati, Belkin

resellers not to stop with a hefty printer sale but to instead use that deal as a starting point.

Though optional in nature, a peripheral is used to expand the ability of the host computer. It includes scanners, printers, displays, projectors, etc.

With the increase in PC penetration rates in the Middle East, the demand for peripheral devices has been growing rapidly.

In addition, the growing trend of using a computer as a photo album, jukebox and video recorder/depository is also leading to the growth of peripheral devices. It has also been observed that the increasing demand for printing and scanning in the various industries (such as manufacturing, banking and finance, and services) is driving the growth of the peripherals market. That said, how can resellers turn these commoditised products into deal breakers? How can reseller move away from a revenue driven peripheral business to one that guarantees them some profit?

According to research and analyst firm Gartner, global mobile device sales to end users totalled 1.6 billion units in 2010, a 31.8% increase from 2009. Smartphone sales to end users were up 72.1% from 2009 and accounted for 19% of total mobile communications device sales in 2010.

"Strong smartphone sales in Q4 of 2010 pushed Apple and Research In Motion (RIM) up in our 2010 worldwide ranking of mobile device manufacturers to the No. 5 and No. 4 positions, respectively, displacing Sony Ericsson and Motorola," says Carolina Milanesi, research VP at Gartner. "Nokia and LG saw their market share erode in 2010 as they came under increasing pressure to refine their smartphone strategies."

Shortages continued to affect popular components, such as camera modules, touchscreen controllers, and active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) screens, in Q4 of 2010. "This situation will not ease until at least the second > half of 2011. Shortages will be a may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

47

feature Peripherals

long-term consideration for mobile device and peripheral vendors, because other fast-growing categories of connected consumer devices, such as media tablets, are competing for the same components," says Milanesi.

White-box sales exceeded 115 million units in the Q4 of 2010 and 360 million units in 2010 overall. Although white box sales helped boost mobile device sales to 1.6 billion units in 2010, it would be misleading to interpret this as market "growth" in the strictest sense. "What we see is an increase in addressable market for mobile device manufacturers as consumers shift their behaviour to buying new phones from legitimate channels over second-hand and black market devices," adds Milanesi.

In order to reduce cost and remain competitive, many peripherals vendors are now adopting contract manufacturing. A few of the large vendors have also set up their offshore design and manufacturing units at low-cost countries and locations across the globe. However, despite an impressive growth, certain factors like severe competition, increasing level of commoditisation, and product

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RESELLER MIDDLE EAST may 2011

“The return to growth will not be uniform across all countries and segments as developed regions are expected to show gradual or steadier activity, while developing regions are projected to show faster and higher growth levels.” – Phuong Hang, IDC obsolescence are hindering the growth of peripherals. With the improvement in technology, the peripherals market is undergoing a rapid transformation. The vendors of the peripherals market (such as vendors for scanner, graphics card, speaker, microphone and Webcam) are now launching many products and incorporating more sophisticated technologies and improvised functionalities.

Patrick Hayati, MD, emerging markets at Belkin Middle East, says due to the welldeveloped PC channel within the Middle East the peripheral channel has naturally grown at a similar rate. Hayati adds that there has also been an increase in the

number of resellers and dealers selling peripherals as companies move away from a revenue strategy and more towards a profitable strategy.

Hayati says although the market size of peripherals in the Middle East maybe difficult to determine as many products are sold to countries outside of the region, the market has continued to grow steadily.

Globally though, the hardcopy peripherals market enjoyed record shipments in Q4 2010, with vendors shipping more than 36.5 million units, up 7% versus Q4 2009, according to market-research firm IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker.

IDC notes that this is the highest number of shipments since Q4 of 2007. At the same time, MFPs continued to win out over single-function devices, with MFPs accounting for 67% of shipments, up four points from the previous quarter.

According to IDC’s Phuong Hang, programme manager for the firm’s Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker, the worst is over for the hardcopy market, “It’s time for the market to return to normal. For 2011, we anticipate that the recovery will continue at a slow and steady pace. The return to growth will not be uniform across all countries and segments as developed regions are expected to show gradual or steadier activity, while developing regions are projected to show faster and higher growth levels.”

feature Peripherals

As is usual, the top three vendors— Hewlett-Packard, Canon, and Epson— continued to capture the lion’s share of the market, with more than 75% share of the total market in Q4 2010. HP shipped 15.5 million units in the Q4, and enjoyed the highest year-over-year growth of 10%, followed by Canon’s 5%, and Epson’s 2%.

IDC says that with the exception of Western Europe, HP enjoyed positive year-over-year growth across all regions.

Factors driving growth Hayati says although the PC growth is one of the main drivers of growth in the peripherals space, other factors helping the market to grow include: availability, steady flow of stock and more vendors entering this segment and in the process prices have come down. “Obviously the PC installed base in the Middle East contributes to the demand significantly,” he notes. “There is also demand for products that would enable consumers to avail all the added features and tools that today’s PCs allow for.”

Market challenges Hayati points out that one of the most significant trends that is emerging in the channel today is that of versatility, products are moving towards multi functionality in order to cater for more requirements and it’s a means for vendors to differentiate

themselves from competitors. The challenges include commoditisation and compatibility. Despite the commoditisation and peripheral compatibility issues, Hayati says resellers need to be innovative in the way they take on these products to market. “Competition is something that is continually changing and evolving.

Some of the latest strategies seen recently by resellers include additional services offered such as free technical support, additional warranty period, free replacement and added value through freebies and/or giveaways. The consumer has become more demanding and the level of expectation has increased,” he says.

According to Hayati, another challenge that the channel faces has to do with grey and fake peripherals products. “Combating grey imports is not anyone’s strategic ideal or plan but rather a collective effort on the part of the vendor, distributor and reseller,” he reiterates. Hayati says simple business practices if executed correctly can ensure the channel minimises the demand for grey. These according to Hayati include: competitive pricing, stock availability, channel programmes for dealers and resellers, RMA and after sales service, warranty and most importantly being first to market.

“We fight fakes by way of constant feedback and presence in the market,”

"This situation will not ease until at least the second half of 2011. Shortages will be a long-term consideration for mobile device and peripheral vendors, because other fast-growing categories of connected consumer devices, such as media tablets, are competing for the same components." – Carolina Milanesi, Gartner

he says. “This is a collective effort by all parties within the supply chain. Identifying, informing and sharing of information helps identify fake products early and limit their penetration of such product into the authorised legitimate channel.”

Hayati adds that another peripherals opportunity has opened up as a direct result of Apple products that have graced the consumer gadgets market. He says with the number of Apple users increasing daily and the huge success of the iPad tablet this is undoubtedly one of the fastest growing platforms and one that many companies would look to capitalise on.

Retail channel Hayati states that as the IT retail sector has grown so has the demand for Peripherals.

He explains that retailers were quick to realise that the peripherals segment was ideal for increasing the overall margin basket and an opportunity to upsell. “Why would a retailer want to sell a laptop for $1000 at a margin of 3 to 5% only for the customer to walk across the road to purchase a hub, cooling fan and media card reader from a competitor who would stand to make an average margin of between 20 to 25%,” he asks? Hayati explains that traditionally retailers would sell only a specific range or segment whereas today retailers prefer to carry a range within each segment catering for all needs. “This has obviously created huge competition between the vendors over space restraints, promotions and pricing,” he observes.

Over 85% of globally shipped handsets will include browsers by 2011, say Gartner analysts. In mature markets such as Western Europe and Japan, 60% of handsets will be smartphones with advanced browsing capabilities. The mobile Web, along with associated Web adaptation tools, will be a leading technology for B2C mobile applications through 2012, and should be part of every organisation’s B2C technology portfolio. may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

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feature Handhelds

Mobile boom With the anticipated boom in handheld devices, industry pundits share insights on how channel partners can benefit from business opportunities arising in this segment.

Global mobile (voice and data) revenue will exceed US$1 trillion a year by 2014, according to Gartner. Mobile will generate revenue from a wide range of additional services such as context, advertising, application and service sales, and so on. Each of these will be a significant business worth several tens of billions of dollars per year.

In mature markets, smartphones will dominate device sales for the foreseeable future. However, the dominant mobile device type shipped globally will be feature phones without an identifiable OS because emerging markets dominate handset demand.

Organisations operating in emerging markets such as the Middle East should assume smartphones will be a niche device beyond 2014. Many new device types such as tablets and e-book readers will emerge through 2012 and some will find a role in enterprise organisations.

Arthur Wang, head of emerging market business development at MediaTek , says the company’s focus is to help its partners increase market penetration in the Middle East. “We have set up local presence to provide local and on-time support to our channel partners. Our new office will also help us further strengthen

“The launch of the iPhone has changed the handset user experience as well as expectations and set a new standard for a series of handsets features including user interface, speed of connectivity and application variety.” – Arthur Wang, MediaTek

our regional presence and better serve one of the fastest growing mobile markets in the Middle East,” says Wang.

Wang says with an experienced technical and services team, MediaTek is bringing its expertise to the region to better support local handheld brands. “We have started to conduct a series of technical seminars for the local channel to help them position and sell our products better,” he says.

Chandan Mehta, product manager, Fujitsu Technology Solutions, says mobile or handheld security is definitely gaining momentum in the corporate space because CIOs are increasingly cautious about personal devices gaining access to networks, or the misuse or theft of the company’s devices.

Mehta says at Fujitsu Technology Solutions, the company believes in building security from the ground up, so that it meets the most stringent IT security requirements of organisations and businesses.

Bulent Teksoz, channel technology officer, emerging markets at Symantec Middle East, says today more power lies with the individual than ever before with the massive proliferation of mobile devices bringing contemplated freedom to the consumer.

Teksoz says the “consumerisation” of IT means more control to the individuals.

However, Teksoz agrees with Mehta and points out that this ubiquitous, inexpensive device is presenting a challenge to all Middle East businesses who want to give their customers what they want and where they want, while using the device of their choice.

He says that Symantec aims to ensure such enterprises embrace consumerisation, allowing users to use the device of choice while enforcing governance and securing corporate data. He remarks that while consumers attempt to bring new mobile devices into the workplace, enterprises are ill-equipped to secure and manage the rapidly expanding mobile device landscape. “Unlike the PC market where a single OS dominates, the mobile market has multiple players > with significant presence,” he says. may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

53

COMPUTING / ELECTRONICS / IMAGING / GAMING / MOBILITY

17th - 19th MAY 2011 Fujairah, UAE

14

Countries

63

165

Vendors

1,000+

Retail Executives

Top retailers attending in 2010 included:

One-on-One Meetings Vendors at the ‘sold out’ 2010 exhibition included:

...165 Retailers in total

Learn more about DCC MEA at www.dcc-mea.com

...63 Vendors in total

T: + 971 4 391 35 26 E: sales@distree.com

RESEARCH PARTNER

feature Handhelds

>

He points out that enterprises lack an all-embracing solution for the plethora of mobile OSs that can both keep enterprise data safe and allow use of personal devices.

This, says Teksoz has caused enterprises to either disallow access for personal devices or to allow access, which puts corporate data at risk. “Mobile devices should be equipped with features such as Advanced Theft Protection (ATP), a system platform that is resistant to deep-level hacking and the optional embedded Trusted Platform Module (TPM) help ensure that even if the slate is lost or stolen, the data it carries remains protected,” says Teksoz.

Market drivers Teksoz says it has been predicted that half a billion smartphones will be sold globally by the end of 2011, with almost 50% of those buying a new mobile phone now choosing a smartphone over a standard cell phone. He adds that the key driving factor here is convenience. “Merging work and play, handhelds and smartphones are becoming increasingly accessible and affordable,” he says. “Downloading many

useful apps as well as allowing the user to browse the Internet and check and reply to emails quickly and sufficiently is a very attractive trait for all consumers.”

With the traditional business network now as big as the global network, cloud computing presents an opportunity to deliver on customer expectations, he says. “Key information and applications no longer sit inside businesses data centres under their

“With the traditional business network now as big as the global network, cloud computing presents an opportunity to deliver on customer expectations.” – Bulent Teksoz, Symantec Middle East control; they are being pushed to such devices,” he says. “Now, corporate sectors will have to protect, manage, and police people and information, regardless of device and regardless of location. In order to protect personal or business-critical information, endpoint security, network access control, and centralised management solutions need to be in place.”

Ashish Panjabi, COO at power retailer Jacky's Electronics concurs and says there's been so much going on in the world of technology of late and so many innovations appearing constantly, it sometimes gets difficult to actually understand what is the way forward. “We get so engrossed

“Mobile or handheld security is definitely gaining momentum in the corporate space because CIOs are increasingly cautious about personal devices gaining access to networks.”

– Chandan Mehta, Fujitsu

everything gadget related, we tend to spot or realise trends of where we're heading only when we take a deep breath, step back and slow ourselves down so we can comprehend what exactly is happening,” he says.

Panjabi says whether it's a mobile phone, smart phone or a phone that's one day embedded under your skin, one thing is for sure, the processor in here is probably what is going to drive a lot of what a user does or how a user works.

“In some senses we've already seen this happen with the way we use our BlackBerry, Apple iPhone or Android-powered smartphone,” he says. “We use the phone to check our messages on Facebook or Twitter, SMS, chatting over BBM or What'sApp, browse the Web, play games, check stock market updates or weather forecast, get restaurant reviews or even, make phone calls.

However, inspite of using a mobile phone, we still end up using during the course of a normal day, other devices like a computer of some sort, a TV screen and increasingly a tablet. Panjabi says in essence, most > people are moving towards towards may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

55

feature Handhelds

>

the stage that they've got four screens in front of them at most times and more often than not, they're using more than one screen at at time (e.g. watching TV and playing a game on your tablet).

the most popular mobile operating platforms such as iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, and Android with centralised management to ensure business resources are optimised and information stays protected.

Focus

Security

Apart from slate and tablet PCs, Mehta says Fujitsu’s focus in the Middle East will continue with the Lifebook offerings, as well as the efficient, scalable, and secure storage and server technologies. “Fujitsu mobile solutions include slate PCs such as Fujitsu’s new Stylistic Q550, which is a full-fledged machine that has the portability of a tablet, yet offers more functionality.

Teksoz adds that Symantec provides complete protection for mobile devices, regardless of the number of devices, as the solutions can scale from just one to millions, meeting the demands of enterprises and communication service providers. He says Symantec also provides the first unified security and management solution, supporting

Teksoz says Symantec protection mechanisms leverage the Symantec Global Intelligence Network to deliver an unparalleled view of the entire Internet threat landscape. This intelligence results in actionable protection and peace of mind against evolving attacks, says Teksoz Additionally, he explains that Symantec can aid in improving enterprise customers’ user experience, while providing stronger network security through the new cloud-based deviceagnostic Symantec Next Generation Network Protection. “Communication service providers have little security differentiation in their enterprise mobile connectivity offerings, which causes a decreased average revenue per user, while network infrastructure costs continue to rise,” he says.

Security is important to communication service providers as it can improve quality of experience and reduce cost of operations.

According to Teksoz, the next generation network protection is a device-agnostic security offering for communication service providers that helps enterprise customers protect their mobile devices through content control, device security, and clean connectivity.

Content control enforces Web content policies for all mobile handsets as well as

“We get so engrossed everything gadget related we tend to spot or realise trends of where we're heading only when we take a deep breath, step back and slow ourselves down so we can comprehend what exactly is happening.”

– Ashish Panjabi, Jacky’s Electronics

mobile data cards. “Device security provides malware protection, antispyware protection, infected notification, and remediation tools.

Clean connectivity scans on all inbound and outbound traffic, which provides a malware-, spam-, and virus-free connection,” he says.

As the economy and market situation continues to put continuous pressure on lowering margins which is an obstacle to growth, partners that will win in the handheld devices market will be those that offer services and bring value to the devices they sell.

Wang agrees and adds that from ultra low cost single chips and 3G to smart phone solutions, MediaTek is striving to provide channel partners with solutions characterised by high performance and differentiation, through a rich product line. He adds that MediaTek’s diverse product offerings can better serve the multi-cultural society in the Middle East and African market. “We have recently introduced the MT6236 platform, to address the accelerating demand for high-end feature phones, at price points that meet the needs of operators in developed markets and consumers in emerging markets,” he says.

Wangs adds that the launch of the iPhone has changed the handset user experience as well as expectations and set a new standard for a series of handsets features including user interface, speed of connectivity and application variety. “Smartphones will drive the launch of new application and device sales for the foreseeable future,” he says. According to ABI research, feature phones with messaging and internet access enabled will represent a third of the overall handset market until 2015.

Wang says with over six years of experience in the handset industry, MediaTek knows that users in emerging markets want feature phones with certain functions at an affordable price.

We are confident to deliver handset solutions with a similar user experience, which can deliver fancy user interface, Internet access, rich applications without compromising speech quality. And most importantly, we will deliver these handset solutions at an affordable price,” he concludes. may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

57

Presents

AWARDS2011 SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATIONS NOW For more information please visit: www.resellerme.com/awards2011

Sunday, 12th June 2011 The Westin, Dubai, UAE For nomination enquiries please contact:

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products

ZOTAC intros GeForce GTX 580

ASUS releases Automobili Lamborghini VX7 notebook

ZOTAC International, a manufacturer of

The powerful new 15.6” ASUS-Automobili Lamborghini VX7 offers

graphics cards has introduced the ZOTAC

a completely revamped notebook experience. It embodies the

GeForce GTX 580 AMP edition,a single GPU

excitement of Automobili Lamborghini’s supercar grand touring

graphics card. The ZOTAC GeForceGTX 580 edition is designed to amplify cooling

traditions and offers users a fresh take on portable computing.

Crafted to reflect the ultra-sporty and aggressive look of Automobili

performance and gaming at extreme

Lamborghini models, the VX7 is available in distinct orange, black

high-definition resolutions.

and carbon fiber colors.

A custom high-performance heatpipe heatsink enables the ZOTAC GeForceGTX 580 to stay cool and whisper-quiet while dual orange 92mm fans add a stylish ZOTACtouch to create

The ASUS-Automobili Lamborghini VX7 features the power of quad-core generation Intel Core i7 processors and clocks in as the first notebook with discrete NVIDIA GeForce

an enthusiast-grade graphics card that combines performance and

GTX 460M graphics, supported by

style in a single 2.5-slot graphics card.

a massive 3GB of dedicated video

The ZOTAC GeForceGTX 580 boosts gaming performance by

memory. Users also benefit

doubling the video memory of standard ZOTACGeForceGTX 580

from a speedy solid-state

graphics card for a total of 3GB of video memory. The 3GB of video

hybrid drive of up to 1.25TB in

memory ensures the ZOTAC GeForceGTX 580 is able to render the

capacity, rated at approximately

latest Microsoft DirectX 11-enabled games and applications with

10,000rpm for super-fast access

maximum details and performance at resolutions up to 2560x1600.

and performance.

HP integrates 3PAR utility storage

WD expands external hard drive Western Digital (WD), a global provider of external storage solutions,has unveiled its My Book Studio Edition II dual-drive

HP has announced the integration of 3PAR Utility Storage across

storage system with a massive 6TB of storage to meet the capacity

the HP Converged Infrastructure portfolio to simplify scalable cloud

needs of creative pros and Mac enthusiasts who create, store,

computing, and introduced new storage solutions for virtualisation

edit and archive large HD video and photo files. The new capacity

and data deduplication.

provides users 33% more storage than the previous capacity, while

This integration enables clients to optimise cloud delivery with features like automated storage tiering to improve performance, and thin storage offerings to eliminate over-provisioning.

The combination also helps clients seeking to consolidate storage

maintaining the same footprint.

Combining its extended 6TB storage capacity and compatibility with Apple Time Machine, the new My Book Studio Edition II drive becomes an instant storage

hardware and respond to explosive data growth to address both of

solution for a variety of professions including

these challenges with converged block-and-file storage on a single

art and design, photography, legal and

storage array. HP also has simplified data management with solutions

medical, and a host of other small businesses.

built on converged storage, server and networking platforms to provide clients with unified management and a lower TCO. “Our clients tell us their journey to the cloud will be one of the

The system offers a quad interface providing maximum performance and flexibility including eSATA and FireWire 800

most critical transitions for them this decade,” says Walid Gomaa,

when maximum performance is essential;

StorageWorks business unit manager and sales manager at HP

and FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 when system

Middle East.

flexibility is most important.

may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

59

WORLD

products

Toshiba extends notebook portfolio

Xerox increases printer speed Xerox has ramped up productivity in the office with two new black-and-white

Toshiba Computer Systems,

printers – the Xerox Phaser 4600

a division of

and Phaser 4620. Designed for large

Toshiba Europe

workgroups, these new printers offer

has announced its new

advanced features and print speeds of

R800 series, a range of thin and light

up to 52 and 62 pages per minute.

laptops targeted at the corporate, middle-sized and SMBs. The

“In today’s fast-paced office

new laptop family includes the 13.3 inch R830, mainly targeted at

environment, no one has time to wait for

business travellers and managers, 14.0 inch R840, the ideal device

their documents to print,” says Dan Smith,

for the occasional travelling executives and the 15.6 inch R850 for

head of integrated marketing for the Middle East and Africa region of

those who prefer a bigger screen. Despite being thin and light,

Xerox’s developing markets operations. “These two new Xerox printers

the R800 series devices are fully-featured and powerful enough to

are ready to keep up with any busy office or workgroup.”

run the most-demanding professional applications. The attractive

The Xerox Phaser 4600 and Phaser 4620 offer printing capabilities

price performance ratio allows equipping the entire workforce

on a wide range of media, from transparencies and cardstock to

from management down with Toshiba R800 series devices to meet

envelopes and labels.

the need for workforce mobilisation. The new business laptops

Security features include secure print and image overwrite that

are expected to be available during the second quarter of 2011

electronically “shreds” information stored on the printer’s optional

throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.

hard drive.

Canon unveils the IXUS 220 HS

Axis intros network cameras

Canon Middle East has enhanced its renowned IXUS series with

A xis Communications, a provider of network video solutions

the launch of the IXUS 220 HS, a strikingly elegant compact

has launched the palm-sized AXIS M31-VE network camera

digital camera that blends classic IXUS design with leading

series that enables discreet surveillance for customers at an

performance. Sleek, slim and undeniably stylish, the new model

affordable price.

is the latest in a line of premium, ultra-slim IXUS models, and

“The AXIS M31-VE series is ideal for cost-conscious

balances greater style with a more advanced specification than

business owners and managers who would like to have high-

ever before.

quality discreet surveillance of entrance areas,” says Baraa Al

Canon’s HS digital camera provides consistently high image quality in all

Akkad, regional manager, A xis Communications Middle East.

The outdoor cameras can operate in temperatures from

conditions, while the inclusion of a 12.1

50°C (122°F) down to -20°C (-4°F) and the impact-resistant

Megapixel CMOS sensor provides high-

casing comes with a weather shield for protection from

speed shooting functionality. Perfect for

sunlight, rain and snow. Models without the weather shield,

taking everywhere, the IXUS 220 HS also

which have a greater tilt

packs a 24mm ultra-wide angle 5x optical

range, are better

zoom lens into a sleek, stainless steel

suited for ceiling

body just 19.5mm thin, making it the

mounted

slimmest camera of its kind. The ability

installations

to shoot Full HD (1080p) videos with

such as in cold

stereo sound also allows users to capture

storage rooms or

moving images in stunning quality.

under porches.

WORLD

reviews

LiteOn external DVD/CD writer

For many netbook users, the lack of a CD/DVD drive is one of the biggest setbacks they have to encounter regularly. Whether it’s for listening to music or installing software, a CD/DVD drive plays an important role. If you have a PC with a DVD drive at home, you can map to that drive using your home

network, but what if you’re not at home? Thankfully, external USB-powered drives are available and recently LiteOn provided us with the 24x external DVD/CD writer.

This DVD writer jointly made with Philips and weighs less than 350g. It works with dual layer DVDs, writing at 4x speed, single layer at 8x and CDs at 24x. CD reading is at 24x.

The writer comes with a USB cable and a plastic bag containing a quick installation guide and a software disk. In addition, the disk contains Nero 8 Essentials for Windows and Nero Linux 3 Essentials.

Some other features that the Lite-On external writer has, which makes this product attractive, are the ability to perform limited dual layer DVD burning, read various types of CDs and interface with the USB 2.0 port.

The slowest part of this DVD burner pertains to rewriting to a CD or burning a DVD using the DVD-R Dual Layer format. This burner only allows you to burn this type of disk at 4x instead of 8x. Every other type of media that you might be interested in using with this burner will perform much faster.

By and large, the LiteOn external DVD burner performs most of the functions that you would be looking for in a DVD burner.

LiteOn internal DVD writer with LabelTag LiteOn recently sent RME their latest internal DVD/CD writer. Although there is nothing jazzy about DVD burners, this one has a unique twist, LabelTag. LabelTag works with any standard optical storage disc to burn data and create a label in the same session – quite cool and much neater than a marker.

This drive also has the ability to label discs during the burning process.

Many drives feature LightScribe, which allows for direct disc labeling by the drive itself when using specially made LightScribe media. The LiteOn writer uses a technology called LabelTag. This allows users to create a circular label on the data side of a regular DVD disc, with no special media required. However, with LabelTag, only the data side of the disc can be labeled and you can't use CD-R, CD or DVD rewriteable discs. And because LabelTag uses the data side of the disc, the labeling doesn't have as much contrast compared to a LightScribe capable disc, mainly because LightScribe media uses a special coating on the front of the disc. Another limitation of LabelTag is that area available to label is limited to how much space is left on the disc. For instance, if you record a small amount of data, then you will have a larger area to label. If your disc is completely full, then you will not be able to label at all. With LightScribe

capable drives, this is not a problem, since only the top side is used for labeling, but of course specialised media is required.

This LiteOn internal drive is a capable DVD/CD writer. From a read/ write standpoint, this drive offers good performance. The LabelTag feature is unique, allowing for creating, burning and labeling of standard DVD disc in one continuous session without having to spend extra money on special media. may 2011 RESELLER MIDDLE EAST

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snapshot Chitchat

Samer sayed Company: Iomega International SA Age: 45 Management style: Leading by example Most admired company: EMC Most admired IT executive: Mohammed Amin What do you like most about the Middle East channel: Market dynamism and the ease of doing business.

Most pressing channel business issue in the

Middle East: Receivable and employee education investment.

Key to success: Focus, having clear goals and objectives Favourite car: Porsche GT3 Your car: Lexus What are you reading: Generally I read two books a month (last book was the Big Switch) Birthplace: Syria Hobbies: Reading