Reseller Middle East June 2019 by Reseller Middle East

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CONTENTS

STRATEGIC VAD PARTNER

ISSUE 269 // JUNE 2019

MAKING A MARK

Sinan Emon, GM, EEMEA, Lexmark International, shares channel strategy and insights into how the firm has grown from strength to strength.

VENDOR FOCUS

HIGHLIGHTS

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

16 FROM CHAOS, COMES ORDER

Matthieu Brignone from Pure Storage on how channel partners can help bring certainty to their customers in an uncertain world.

18 BECOMING TRUSTEDADVISORS

FVC’s KS Parag elaborates on how channel partners can address challenges faced by customers.

20 WHY STABILITY IS KEY FOR CLOUD

Lenovo’s Dr. Christopher H. Cooper delves into the data centre space to outline the latest trends and how partners can maximise the opportunities.

36 ADVANCING HUMAN EXPERIENCES

OPINION

34 PRIORITISING PARTNERS

Digital businesses cannot afford to have unauthorised data access in the cloud, says Yasser Zeineldin from eHosting DataFort.

Riverbed’s Mena Migally shares details about the firm’s new brand identity and channel strategy.

PARTNER WATCH

38 CURATORS OF VALUE

Samir Chopra from RNS Technology Services, explains how the firm is differentiating in a crowded marketplace.

REVIEW

40 NURA NURAPHONE

Nuraphone headphones offers a quirky design and a unique user experience.

FEATURE

26 SELLING CLOUD STORAGE

Reseller ME explores how channel partners can optimise the prospects present in selling cloud storage solutions.

PRODUCTS

SEAGATE UNVEILS FIRECUDA SSHD

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

EDITORIAL At the cutting edge

ith the global edge computing market expected to reach $3.24 billion by 2025, according to a study by Grand View Research; more and more customers are realising the potential of the technologies around it and the impact it could have on business operations. While this prediction highlights the inevitable mainstream application of edge computing technologies, it is undeniable that many organisations are still in the early stages of adoption. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that partners and solution providers have an opportunity to play a huge role in guiding customers with their journey towards the edge. Edge computing is a topologybased computing model which allows for data processing at or close to the source of data generation. In the era of Internet of Things, data is increasingly being created on connected devices, those that have sensors embedded in them. Considering that these deployments happen in remote locations, valueadded resellers, systems integrators and solutions providers have an opportunity to offer customers indepth support. According to an IDC survey, the four key deterrents to edge

FOUNDER, CPI MEDIA GROUP Dominic De Sousa (1959-2015)

deployments are lack of internal skills, cyber and physical security, managing cloud costs and insufficient maintenance support. All these challenges represent big opportunities for partners. Managed service providers (MSPs) can offer expertise to make it easier and more affordable for customers. They can be assured of a smooth process even without IT experts onsite. With edge computing systems located in the proximity of people, physical security is necessary. At the same time, solutions and services providers can help ensure that cybersecurity is ingrained in edge solutions right from its design stage. Historically internal technicians maintain customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; IT infrastructures. However, as a greater number of edge data centres come into play, this will be difficult to sustain in-house. Therefore, MSPs should equip themselves with adequate skills and know-how to stay on top of market developments.

Publishing Director Natasha Pendleton natasha.pendleton@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9139 EDITORIAL Managing Editor Michael Jabri-Pickett mjp@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9158 Editor Janees Reghelini janees.reghelini@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9167 Online Editor Adelle Geronimo adelle.geronimo@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9135 DESIGN Head of Design Froilan Cosgafa IV froilan.cosgafa@cpimediagroup.com Senior Designer Analou Balbero analou.balbero@cpimediagroup.com Designer Marlou Delaben marlou.delaben@cpimediagroup.com ADVERTISING Group Sales Director Kausar Syed kausar.syed@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9130 Business Development Manager Youssef Hariz youssef.hariz@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9111 Senior Sales Manager Sabita Miranda sabita.miranda@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9128 CIRCULATION Operations Manager Shweta Santosh shweta.santosh@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9107 DIGITAL SERVICES Web Developers Jefferson de Joya Abbas Madh Photographers Max Poriechkin Charls Thomas webmaster@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9100

Janees Reghelini Editor

DIGITAL www.tahawultech.com Printed by Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing LLC Published by

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Registered at Dubai Production City, DCCA PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 ÂŠ Copyright 2019 CPI All rights reserved While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

REDEFINING technology transformation

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7 HIGHLIGHTS

REDINGTON VALUE ANNOUNCES NEW VENDOR PARTNERSHIPS

egional distributor Redington Gulf’s value-added arm Redington Value, focused in the key domains of digital transformation, has announced two new vendor partnerships last month – one with CrowdStrike Inc., a leading provider of cloud-delivered endpoint protection and second with an Australian document productivity company called Nitro. Under the terms of the agreement with CrowdStrike, Redington Value will deliver the vendor’s complete Falcon endpoint protection suite to customers in the Middle East. Businesses in these markets can now join CrowdStrike’s cloud-native Falcon endpoint protection platform specifically designed and built to stop breaches. Operating in today’s dynamic security landscape, customers can benefit from CrowdStrike’s threat intelligence, while leveraging its core strengths such as its highly scalable cloud-native platform, which reduces complexity and simplifies deployment to drive down operational costs. The Falcon platform harnesses the power of big data analytics AI and machine learning to empower customers with instant visibility. Equipped with a single-agent capability, the CrowdStrike

Falcon platform provides effectiveness from day one through a single agent that requires no reboot upon installation, providing instant time to value. Alexander Foroozandé, CrowdStrike alliances and channel director for the META region said, “Our mission is to help our customers stop breaches. We are excited by the partnership with Redington Value, which will help accelerate our ability to execute on our customers’ expectations for a comprehensive approach to detecting and preventing threats. We look forward to the partnership with Redington Value to help empower partners across the region with our solutions.” According to the partnership agreement with Nitro, the regional distributor aims to make cost-effective digital transformation a reality for companies of all sizes in regional markets. Headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Dublin and London, Nitro, disrupted the PDF industry in 2005 by building the first alternative to Adobe Acrobat. Their latest offering, the Nitro Productivity Suite, allows businesses to scale powerful PDF editing tools and unlimited eSigning capabilities to every knowledge worker, while gaining

BULWARK PARTNERS WITH DECEPTION TECHNOLOGY FIRM TRAPX SECURITY

“We’re delighted to have cemented our partnership with TrapX Security,” said Jose Thomas Menacherry, managing director, Bulwark Technologies. “TrapX, as the market leader in deception technology takes cyber security to the next level. Their intelligent approach to combatting advanced cyber-attacks leads way to the next generation of cyber defense strategies for businesses and we look forward to introducing this technology to our customers and delivering this solution to the Middle East and Indian markets.” Bulwark, currently celebrating two decades of operations in the Middle East region, is a value-added distributor for IT security solutions and services and best of breed security solutions enabling customers to protect their infrastructures, assets, data and users against current and emerging threats.

ulwark Technologies, a regional value-added distributor of IT security in the Middle East, has announced a new partnership with TrapX Security, the global player in cyber deception technology, now available to businesses across the Middle East and India. Bulwark said its portfolio has been strengthened by the TrapX Deception Grid platform. Protecting networks against a multitude of attacks including malicious insiders and sophisticated cybercriminals, DeceptionGrid lays decoys and lures attackers away from the network / cloud and into a contained environment.

Ramkumar Balakrishnan, Redington Gulf

insights on usage and adoption through Nitro’s analytics platform. “We’re thrilled to have Redington as our first MEA value-added distributor,” said Sam Chandler, Nitro founder and CEO. “We look forward to working closely with the team there to offer quality solutions and services that will ultimately help our mutual customers progress on their digital transformation journeys.” “We are very excited to join forces with Nitro. This partnership will enable us to expand the current offerings in our portfolio with a competitive software solution and lead the way in document productivity,” said Ramkumar Balakrishnan, COO, Redington Gulf.

Jose Thomas Menacherry, Bulwark Technologies

“It’s our pleasure to announce that TrapX Security can now be delivered by Bulwark,” said Ori Bach, GM and VP of Products, TrapX Security. “Known for their strength and longevity within the security industry, Bulwark brings to the table a wealth of technical expertise and a strong understanding of the challenges facing Middle Eastern and Indian businesses today. This coupled with our intuitive deception technology paves the way for a more secure future for our clients.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

8 HIGHLIGHTS

NEXIGN SIGNS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH NETS INTERNATIONAL

exign, a Business Support System (BSS) and Internet of Things (IoT) platform provider, has announced a strategic reseller partnership with Dubai-based systems integrator and solutions specialist, NETS International. The Ahmad Sayed, Nexign collaboration will allow the two firms to bring flexible and scalable network-solutions offerings to operators across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, enabling them to accelerate their transition from communications service providers (CSPs) to digital service providers (DSPs). NETS’ core competencies in the domains of cloud, data centre, information security, enterprise networking and broadband access networks will gain strong augmentation from Nexign’s technology— specifically Nexign Digital BSS, which is an end-toend platform delivering full-stack BSS functionalityand global expertise in bringing the power of digital transformation to telecoms operators. “This is a pivotal moment for regional telcos and their entire supply chains,” said Ahmad Sayed, regional head and VP of Sales, Middle East and Africa at Nexign. “Systems integrators are on the frontlines of an industry-wide trend to transform CSPs into DSPs. DSPs have unprecedented flexibility to deliver the services consumers want, in the right bundles and at the right price. NETS’ robust record in business consulting, technology and integration services, plus its regional reputation with leading MEA operators, makes the company the ideal partner to maximise value of our BSS platform and deliver on Nexign’s strategic vision of supporting regional operators on their journeys from CSP to DSP.” Jahangir Ahmed, CEO, NETS International, said, “The MEA region is awash with organisations looking to do more with less, as catering to digital natives becomes more and more essential. CSPs need to digitise to remain relevant, and NETS’ experience in working with the world’s largest vendors to deliver quality at the local and regional levels, combined with Nexign’s capability to deliver unprecedented flexibility in business modelling with its BSS, will mean a sea change in value for operators and their subscribers.” The partnership will cover the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, where Nexign and NETS will capitalise on a growing number of BSS opportunities.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

EPSON, NMK ELECTRONICS SIGN DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT FOR AV SOLUTIONS

Jeroen van Beem, Epson MEA (fourth from right) and Nicolas M Kyvernitis, MD, NMK (third from right) with Epson and NMK team members

pson Middle East has appointed NMK Electronics, a Dubai-based distributor for audio, video and lighting industry in the Middle East; to be a distributor for its Pro AV solutions. Under the new deal, NMK will add Epson’s ultra-portable projectors, short throw projectors and installation projectors to its product portfolio. Epson’s professional range include solutions for (but not limited to) conference rooms, educational environments, auditoriums, museums, retail stores, visitor attractions and many more. With major upcoming events in the local market including Expo 2020, NMK foresees the demand for Pro AV solutions growing. Jeroen van Beem, director, Sales, Epson MEA, said, “As NMK is trusted by local dealers and partners for their 30 plus years’ experience in the audio, video, lighting and communications industry, they are an obvious choice

for distributing our Pro AV solutions in the GCC market. This partnership is strategically important to Epson to grow our channel, so we are pleased to work with NMK. Our commitment to product quality, technology, relationships and service and support is the reason we are the market leader for projectors for over 15 years. With the right channel partners, we aim to grow our presence in this market.” Dino Drimakis, business development manager, NMK Electronics, said, “We truly believe in manufacturers that build and develop their own products to ensure quality and reliability. End-users trust a respected, established, innovative brand, and Epson has an impressive history and has developed quickly since first entering the production and rental market. We are excited to be working with a market leader such as Epson and look forward to collaborating with our partners.”

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10 HIGHLIGHTS

FOCUS SOFTNET ANNOUNCES NEW CLOUD STRATEGY

oftware development and enterprise applications provider Focus Softnet has announced a major push on its cloud strategy with an attractive initial offer to its new and existing customers, at its recently Ali Hyder, Focus Softnet concluded Annual General Meeting. This announcement comes as a part of the company’s future plans to migrate all of its products and services and users on the cloud. As part of this initiative, the company has planned a major recruitment drive to induct skilled functional and technical resources experienced in cloud and mobile technologies. Focus Softnet also initiated a major restructuring drive that involved adding a 200-seater support centre, which resulted in substantial increase in revenues and profits. The company foresees a 25 percent year-on-year increase in revenues in 2019. “Cloud adoption remains the single most important enabler for digital transformation in any type of organisation, operating in any type of market segments. Once adopted, enabling a responsive mobile interface is the next logical step,” said Ali Hyder, group CEO, Focus Softnet. The quest to scale digital businesses will lead to organisations in META adopting a cloud-first or cloud-only approach, with spending on public cloud services topping $1.1 billion in 2018. 89 percent of organisations in the Middle East and Africa now view digital transformation as being central to their corporate strategies, according to IDC. In today’s world, digital transformation has attained a macroeconomic scale and impact, becoming the core of what industry leaders do and how they operate. “Focus Softnet remains poised to help its current and future customers as they rapidly advance in terms of adoption of cloud and responsive mobile interfaces. We are investing aggressively in presales and professional services to boost our capability in this area and to be able to support our customers as they scale out and adopt cloud and mobile solutions from Focus Softnet,” added Hyder.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

REGIONAL HYBRID CLOUD ADOPTION DRIVES PUBLIC CLOUD MARKET SIGNIFICANTLY

iddle East organisations moving to the hybrid cloud are helping to drive the global public cloud market to top $206 billion in 2019, industry experts announced today. As Middle East CIOs optimise their business applications and competitiveness, organisations are increasingly choosing a hybrid cloud model. Core applications and sensitive data, such as banking or patient records, are kept on the local private clouds. Services that take up a lot of computing power, such as email, are running on public clouds from global providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). Showing the strong growth in hybrid cloud, Gartner predicts the global public cloud services market will grow by 17 percent to a record-high of $206 billion in 2019. Serverless computing will go from the current 10 percent rate of adoption to mainstream by 2020-2022, according to a separate report from Gartner. “The hybrid cloud market will reach new heights as Middle East organisations understand that their digital transformation relies on a mix of public and private clouds,” said Savitha Bhaskar, chief

operating officer at the UAEbased IT infrastructure and information management consultancy and solutions provider Condo Protego. “With hybrid cloud, Middle East organisations can gain flexibility, scalability, and security to optimise costs based on application-level requirements.” Moving information on, off, and between clouds can be time-consuming, and prohibitively expensive, requiring the support of specialised tools and services. However, VMware Cloud on AWS allows organisations to create unified environments across public and private clouds. In the Middle East, Condo Protego is seeing especially strong demand for the Dell EMC VxRail hyper-converged infrastructure running VMware Cloud Foundation private cloud for customers looking to leverage VMware Cloud on AWS. “With AWS planning to open several regional data centres in 2019, the Middle East is set to experience a rapid adoption of organisations running on AWS,” said Savitha Bhaskar. “Early adopters of AWS cloud can optimise their cloud environments for digital business, and free up their IT staff to support business innovation.”

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12 HIGHLIGHTS

ALMOAYYED COMPUTERS ACHIEVES AWS GOVERNMENT COMPETENCY STATUS

(R-L) Wael Abdelaziz, Partners Development Manager, Amazon; SM Hussaini, CEO, Almoayyed Computers; Teresa Carlson, VP, Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon; Hala Almoayyed, Vice Chairwomen, Almoayyed International Group; K. Giridhar, GM, Sales, Almoayyed Computers

lmoayyed Computers, the flagship company of Almoayyed International Group, has achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Government Competency status. This designation recognises that Almoayyed Computers has demonstrated expertise in working with government customers to deliver mission-critical workloads and applications on AWS, which is key to accelerating Bahrain government’s migration to the AWS Cloud as part of the country’s cloud-first policy. Achieving the AWS Government Competency differentiates Almoayyed Computers as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member that possesses deep domain expertise in one or more of the following core categories – government transportation, facilities, infrastructure management, justice and public safety, public healthcare, financial and fiscal affairs, citizen services, national security and defense, security and compliance, and open data, and has developed innovative technology solutions that leverage AWS services. Almoayyed Computers CEO SM Hussaini said, “We are committed to staying aligned with the cloud-first policy of the Government of Bahrain. And at the same time, we are aiming to be a regional leader in the era of cloud. Achieving AWS Government Competency Status is not only a reflection of our capabilities, but also of our customers, who have been so forward leaning in their cloud adoption. It validates the trust they have placed on us to execute those transitions effectively and we look forward to helping many more. Our team is dedicated to helping companies achieve their cloud and digital transformation goals by leveraging the agility, breadth of services, and pace of innovation that AWS provides.” www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

HOSHAN HOLDING, SEIDOR PARTNER TO ADOPT SAP S4 HANA PUBLIC CLOUD

lobal systems integrator Seidor has announced that Hoshan Holding, widely recognised as one of the largest holding companies in the Middle East, has become the first Saudi Arabian company to implement SAP S4 HANA for public cloud. The group said it will also integrate SAP SuccessFactors and SAP Cloud for Real Estate, to digitally transform the company’s capabilities and offerings in Saudi and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The latest ERP solution from SAP, SAP S4 HANA is a nextgeneration business suite with built-in artificial intelligence (AI), that will empower Hoshan Holding employees to capture every opportunity, while optimising business functions across the entire enterprise. SuccessFactors will allow coverage of the entire talent-acquisition lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding, and SAP Cloud for Real Estate will turbocharge the company’s asset management and insights. Among the many benefits, Hoshan Holding will reap from Seidor’s integration of next-gen SAP solutions into its technology stack is the “significant lowering of cost of ownership”, which was cited by Khalid AlBabtain, Board Member, Hoshan Holding, as a major impetus in selecting a cloud solution. “For many years, we ran our core ERP on SAP ECC,” he said. “While the solution met all our business needs, we felt there was a need to move to a more simplified, standardised and agile environment with an enhanced UX and, at the same time, migrate to the cloud, which reduces our cost of ownership. SAP S4 HANA Public Cloud solution also requires less implementation

Ignacio Ruiz de Equilaz, Seidor MENA

time, delivers global standard processes, provides a more coherent roadmap for future solutions, demands less maintenance, and reduces other costs, such as hardware expenditure.” “With SAP ECC soon reaching end of life, all roads lead to SAP S4 HANA. Organisations have several migration options available but unfortunately most businesses in the region are either not aware of all the options or are unsure of which strategy would be best suited for their business,” said Ignacio Ruiz de Equilaz, managing director, Seidor MENA. “In this respect Hoshan Holding serves as an excellent example of an organisation that has worked closely with Seidor and taken the step of migrating their core business systems to the SAP cloud.” Hoshan Group’s SAP implementation roadmap covers its KSA headquarters, as well as branches in the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Kenya and Morocco. Phase 1 of implementation was conducted in KSA and UAE simultaneously, involving five separate company codes and 28 plants. A further six locations - Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Kenya and Morocco—will follow in subsequent deployment phases.

14 HIGHLIGHTS

FORCEPOINT ANNOUNCES NEW CHANNEL PARTNER PROGRAMME

lobal cybersecurity company Forcepoint hosted its channel event to update partners on the latest product developments and strategic direction of the human-centric solutions the firm offers. Hosted in Dubai at the Five Palm Hotel, the event was attended by delegates from KSA, UAE, Egypt, Kuwait, and Oman. During the event, the vendor awarded its regional channel partners by recognising their achievements in 2018 and their contribution to the brand’s growth in the Middle East. Forcepoint has also launched its new channel partner programme, designed to enable focused partners to offer integrated solutions, helping customers to capitalise on the business benefits offered by digital transformation. During his keynote session, Oni Chakravartti, VP, Global Channel Sales, Forcepoint, said, “This event brought our channel partner community under one roof to celebrate their invaluable contribution to the brand’s success and growth across the Middle East. Forcepoint’s human-centric approach to security enables our customers to protect their people and critical data against the most sophisticated attackers, while freeing them to conduct their business in the most efficient and agile way possible.” The Middle East Channel Partner Award winners for 2018 included: • Highest Growth Partner – Security Matterz (KSA) and ITQAN Al Khaleej Computers (UAE) • Highest Pipeline Generated – InFort (Egypt) and Seven Seas computers (UAE) • Most Complex Deal – AFLAK Solutions for Communications and IT Ltd. (KSA) and ITQAN Al Khaleej Computers (UAE) • Most Enabled Partner – Hemaya Information Technology (Egypt) and Paramount Computer Systems (UAE) • Technical Champion – Asem Shashaa from StarLink (KSA) and Firas Ghatasheh from StarLink (UAE) • Most Value-Added Distributor – Mideast Communication Systems (Egypt) and Arrow (UAE) The event educated Forcepoint’s channel partners about innovative digital transformation strategies in cybersecurity and the opportunities to grow.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

SERVICENOW ANNOUNCES UPDATES TO GLOBAL PARTNER ECOSYSTEM STRATEGY

erviceNow has announced transformational changes to its global partner ecosystem strategy. The company has introduced new programmes for its global partner community to accelerate growth with ServiceNow and deliver greater value to customers. These programmes, unveiled at Knowledge 2019, ServiceNow’s annual user conference, underscore its commitment to developing a world-class partner ecosystem and enabling digital transformations that make work, work better for people. “ServiceNow believes it can become a $10 billion company, creating significant opportunity for our global partner ecosystem to grow with us as we help enable digital transformation for customers worldwide,” said David M. Parsons, ServiceNow senior vice president of Global Alliances and Channel Ecosystem.ServiceNow has established a new global partner segmentation approach to recognise partners’ expertise across its ecosystem. Within this new framework, partners are segmented according to two sets of criteria: 1) their breadth and depth of ServiceNow-enabled solutions adoption associated with their practice development and managed service offerings; and 2) their go-to-market maturity. The company has also implemented specific programmes that support each level of specialisation and go-to-market strategies. This includes providing visibility into ServiceNow’s product roadmap. These programmes will help partners build ServiceNow technology practices and managed services offer-

David M. Parsons, ServiceNow

ings that are powered by the Now Platform and workflows. ServiceNow has created a dedicated business development team to support the top global and regional service providers. It also has launched a new programme for service providers who innovate on ServiceNow’s workflow products or platform. In order to better address the unique needs of partners who serve public sector customers operating in a highly regulated environment, ServiceNow has established a new programme to help its partners more effectively respond to public sector customer opportunities. Initially, the programme will focus on partners serving US Federal customers; over time, the programme will expand to include State, Local and Education and will be extended to partners in Europe and Asia as well. The firm has established a new global-regional joint engagement framework to enhance joint go-to-market consistency and predictability, a new next-generation deal registration process and a global Partner Concierge Service Center (5×24) to simplify the way partners engage with ServiceNow and ensure that they have the support they need to be successful.

The latest of who has moved where in the IT channel business.

APPOINTMENTS

MIMECAST APPOINTS BRANDON BEKKER TO LEAD EMEA REGION

mail and data security company Mimecast Limited has announced the appointment of Brandon Bekker to senior vice president, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) to help manage the rapid growth within region. In this newly created position, Bekker will be responsible for supporting the continued growth for Mimecast in EMEA and ensuring collaboration and consolidation across all markets in this region, according to the firm. Bekker has a proven track record of leadership as he helped establish Mimecast as a market leader across various industries, including healthcare, financial services, retail and public sector in South Africa. As

the new SVP of EMEA, he will lead the entire EMEA region and will be based out of the London, United Kingdom office. Previously, he successfully managed Middle East and Africa since 2013 and helped to grow the regional business by more than 75 percent since the company listed. Bekker has held various leadership roles since joining Mimecast in 2007. During his tenure, he has also expanded the business to serve customers in the Middle East with the opening of a Dubai office in 2016. “Brandon Bekker has been instrumental in helping MEA customers understand the cyber threat landscape and the importance of how layering a third-party solution can improve cyber resilience when adopting cloud services like Microsoft

A10 NETWORKS APPOINTS NEW MENA CHANNEL HEAD

10 Networks has appointed Ehab Halablab as the company’s new regional channel manager for Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Halablab has more than 12 years’ experience in the IT industry. Prior to A10 Networks he worked at security firm Symantec as territory manager for enterprise where he was instrumental in driving new business acquisition. He also held a regional channel leadership position at Blue Coat Systems (acquired by Symantec) and regional sales manager position at Sophos. Halablab will be responsible for developing and executing a regional channel strategy focused on partner certification, premier security partner recruitment, and direct

Ehab Halablab, A10 Networks

and indirect channel enablement programmes. As part of the strategy to grow the business, Halablab is looking to transform distributors into value added distributors (VADs). The company will be actively onboarding new potential partners in the region that will be focused on A10’s business. The internal sales team will also

Office 365. It gives me great pleasure to see him take on this new challenge to further support customers,” said Peter Bauer, chief executive officer, Mimecast.

Brandon Bekker, Mimecast

be seeding new business opportunities that will be fulfilled through resellers in the region. In addition, Halablab will be focused on strengthening local ties with the company’s alliance partners like HP, Nokia Systems, Ericsson and NEC. Halablab will champion the regional launch of the company’s Affinity Partner Programme, which leverages incentive programmes, co-partner end user events and vertical focused events to drive partner engagement and opportunities. Another key focus area for Halablab will be enabling strategic partners within the high-growth security, cloud and infrastructure domains. “I am looking forward to empowering our partners to deliver a first-class experience to our mutual prospects and customers, drive customer engagement and fuel growth,” said Halablab.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

16 OPINION

FROM CHAOS, COMES ORDER MATTHIEU BRIGNONE, AREA VICE PRESIDENT, EMEA PARTNERS, PURE STORAGE, ON HOW CHANNEL PARTNERS CAN HELP BRING CERTAINTY TO THEIR CUSTOMERS IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD.

usinesses face uncertainty. Whether it’s rapidly evolving technology, increasing and changing customer expectations, or a changing legal and political climate—the goal posts never stop moving. Of course, one could argue that this is the very nature of business. But just how can organisations mitigate against uncertainty? There are certain fundamental steps and practices that any organisation should have in place, as standard. As a channel partner, not only is having these essentials mastered important for your own business, but it is just as important when it comes to advising your customers.

PARTNERS SHOULD BE DIRECTING THEIR ATTENTION TOWARDS SOLUTIONS THAT ENSURE THEIR CUSTOMERS ARE NOT JUST READY FOR TODAY, BUT HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MEET FUTURE DEMANDS.”

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

DATA, DATA, DATA Data is the lifeblood of businesses, and putting in place people, processes and technology to make the most of this data is more important than ever. It’s no longer enough for businesses to just be data-driven— organisations must be data-centric. Current IT infrastructures have not been built to meet the demands of a modern data-intensive business environment. Instead, they have been built over time, project by project, which has resulted in a siloed and fragmented infrastructure. These systems are not equipped to support the new frontiers of machine learning, AI and data analytics. In addition to on-premise infrastructure, increasingly, businesses also want

to leverage cloud. So not only do they need to move data between on-premise infrastructure but also between various cloud environments. BUSINESS—IT’S COMPLICATED It doesn’t matter if you’re the region’s fastest growing organisation, or the new start-up on the block—there’s fresh challenges to overcome. The introduction of the GDPR last year marked the biggest shake up in data privacy regulations in two decades. As we begin to see the first GDPR rulings, businesses are finding themselves under serious scrutiny. Few would disagree with the premise of GDPR―promoting privacy and starting to hand over the power of personal data back to the consumer. However, it’s no easy thing to achieve, especially with multiple infrastructure environments, including the cloud. Even for the most experienced IT team, understanding the number of principles within the regulation alone is enough to cause an enterprise sized headache. Along with GDPR, is the current political uncertainty, which means businesses could have to make some quick, snap changes to how their data is hosted, requiring agility and compliance. HOW CAN THE CHANNEL HELP? Really get to know your customers:

Don’t assume that you understand your customers. For example, the rise of hyper-scalers has completely changed the game for managed service providers (MSPs), causing a re-think in business models and ways of working. More than ever, these MSPs are having to position themselves as business partners, as opposed to having just a transactional relationship with their customers. By helping customers through a digital transformation journey, channel partners can truly position themselves as a strategic partner. Get to grips with data: Data will continue to cement its position as

MAKE YOUR CUSTOMERS AWARE OF THE NEED FOR APPLICATIONS THAT CAN MOVE FREELY BETWEEN ON-PREMISE, PRIVATE CLOUD AND PUBLIC CLOUD.”

the ‘oil’ of the new economy. Given the importance and value of data, IT infrastructure must now put data at the heart of the design. A data-centric architecture will enable the delivery of next-generation analytics and act as a data hub for the modern business initiatives. Make your customers aware of the need for applications that can move freely between on-premise, private cloud and public cloud. Understand the power of choice: For too long businesses have had to make a compromise when it comes to infrastructure, but not anymore. Solutions are now available that give businesses this power of choice— unifying different cloud environments and enabling easy application migration from on premise to multicloud environments, and back again. Being the partner that opens up this freedom of choice will go a long way. Businesses are no longer asking themselves whether to use a private or a public cloud, instead the question has shifted to “how can I seamlessly move between both without any loss in security or efficiency”. Future vision is key: Partners should be directing their attention towards solutions that ensure their customers are not just ready for today, but have the infrastructure to meet future demands. There must be three main objectives for partners when advising customers— managing increasing amounts of data, ensuring it keeps clients compliant and being agile enough to navigate emerging technologies. Partners need to understand the opportunities available with the hybrid cloud and how to maximise data needs across all platforms for each individual business. “FROM CHAOS, COMES ORDER” With so many factors causing uncertainty, organisations are being challenged like never before, but famously “From chaos, comes order”. The channel partners that succeed in playing a vital role in building this order will fully cement themselves as a true partner that can deliver and advise regardless of difficult circumstances.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

18 OPINION

BECOMING TRUSTED ADVISORS KS PARAG, MANAGING DIRECTOR, FVC, ELABORATES ON HOW CHANNEL PARTNERS CAN ADDRESS CHALLENGES FACED BY CUSTOMERS.

nterprise technology is a booming industry and companies are creating software and hardware that better meets the needs of their customers and solves the problems they face. But the industry isn’t without its problems. Enterprise technology as an industry faces many issues that are threatening the success of new software and new businesses. From cloud to customer demands, some of the biggest challenges in enterprise technology right now includes outdated UI/UX, mixing cloud and on-premise services, standing out of the crowd, following consumer technologies, catering to one

AS A CHANNEL PARTNER, IT IS NOT JUST ENOUGH TO MEET YOUR CUSTOMER’S EXPECTATIONS. THE FACT THAT THESE EXPECTATIONS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING, YOU MUST THEN BE ALWAYS A STEP AHEAD.”

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customer, balancing feedback and focus, and lots more. In such a scenario, companies often turn to their solution providers and partners for solutions to their key problems. Thus, your team as a channel partner has to come up with answers that are flexible and as per the requirement of the situation. You also have to give your team some leeway where, in the interest of your company’s reputation, they would be able to serve your customers better. Customer service in today’s world is an essential part of a company. With the increasing competition in all industries, the challenge is to deliver high-quality solutions accompanied by great customer service. However, this

CONSISTENCY IS PROBABLY THE MOST DIFFICULT CHALLENGE TO ACHIEVE. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE MUST BE DELIVERED TO ALL CUSTOMERS, ACROSS ALL BUSINESS CHANNELS, 24/7.”

task is not a piece of cake. Here are some suggestions on how you, as a channel partner can efficiently address challenges faced by your customers: UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER’S EXPECTATIONS The first and possibly the biggest challenge is to understand the diverse and constantly changing customer expectations. Since customers can be diverse by gender, race, age, generation, and so on, it is very critical to speak to your customers to understand their specific problems. Always approach them with a “no-one-size-fits-all” strategy. It is important for a business to get to know its clients, customers, and consumers. Find out their needs, expectations, preferences, opinions, and suggestions for improvement. REACH OUT TO YOUR CUSTOMERS Researching and gathering data about your customers is paramount to solving their problems. There are plenty of ways to advertise and get through the customers. Use a mix of print media, radio, television, phones, email, social media and

of course, face-to-face campaigns to reach out to your customers. Indulge in surveys, competitions and so on to gather information about your customers’ pain points, so you are better prepared to address those problems. Implementation of a customer feedback service and gathering data from customers will help you understand and work towards better customer experience.

expectations are constantly changing, you must then be always a step ahead. You need to understand that the expectations of customers are set by your competitors. Stay ahead of the competition by being updated with new initiatives and suggestions based on customer feedbacks and current industry trends.

CONSISTENCY Consistency is probably the most difficult challenge to achieve. Great customer service must be delivered to all customers, across all business channels, 24/7. Each and every experience of each and every customer must be equally good. What affects customer satisfaction are cumulative experiences across multiple touch points and in multiple channels over time. Hence, consistency can be achieved by having clear-cut policies on delivering great customer service.

EMPLOY SKILLED PROFESSIONALS Having a skilled workforce is the best thing a channel partner could ever have. However, you also need to understand that though hiring skilled employees is one thing, retaining them is another. Companies must have structured programmes to teach and train new hires about company policies, values, culture and practices in dealing with customers. Additionally, considering that customer service is one of the most stressful jobs, companies must also provide benefits that offer work-life balance and support lifestyle activities that can reduce stress and boost productivity.

EXCEED CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS As a channel partner, it is not just enough to meet your customer’s expectations. The fact that these

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

20 OPINION

WHY STABILITY IS KEY FOR CLOUD

DIGITAL BUSINESSES CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE UNAUTHORISED DATA ACCESS IN THE CLOUD NOR HAVE THEIR CLOUD SERVICES PROVIDER UNEXPECTEDLY SHUT DOWN SHOP, SAYS YASSER ZEINELDIN, CEO, EHOSTING DATAFORT.

t the start of this decade, many regional IT managers expressed concern whether their organisations would ever embrace cloud as a platform or not. They mused that cloud is perhaps suitable for very specific workloads, but they would never migrate these mission critical workloads to an external platform. As we move into the next decade, much of the regional mindset has changed to embrace cloud as a business enabling platform, while keeping mission critical workloads on a private cloud or even hybrid cloud platform. The sheer cost and agility advantages of the public cloud platform is driving regional IT

THE SECOND AREA OF RISK IS AROUND THE ECONOMIC, FINANCIAL AND TECHNOLOGY STABILITY OF THE CLOUD HOSTING PROVIDER AND ITS ECOSYSTEM OF SUPPLIERS.â&#x20AC;?

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spending into this area at a doubledigit growth rate. The requirements of in-country data regulations and compliance is attracting large cloud providers to invest locally. And such players are increasingly investing inside the region and in countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, in a relatively steady but consistent manner. According to global research and consulting firm Gartner, the number of Managed Cloud Services Providers is predicted to triple by 2020. So, all seems to be well established for rapid movement forward into the realm of wide spread cloud adoption and migration. But global risk and cybersecurity executives continue to

IT AND CYBERSECURITY MANAGERS MUST ENSURE THAT THE SAME LEVEL OF COMPLIANCE AROUND SECURITY POLICIES AND EMPLOYEE SIGNON THAT EXIST ON-PREMISES ARE MAINTAINED FOR CLOUD PLATFORMS AS WELL.â&#x20AC;?

remain concerned about relatively weak security controls and policies that exist across emerging cloud-data platforms in general. According to Gartnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest Emerging Risks Report and Monitor, the majority of risk executives reported being most concerned about were the probability and impact of potential data risks associated with cloud computing. While adoption and migration of cloud delivers immediate CAPEX and OPEX benefits and brings agility into the organisation, IT and cybersecurity managers must balance the speed of adoption with increasing levels of control and compliance into the cloud. Institutional and country level audits like GDPR, punitive measures by the Board, and other corporate shareholder guidelines, do not allow any

lack of rigour by IT and cybersecurity managers in this area. For enterprises that are actively moving to the cloud, there are the two principal risk areas that need to be actively monitored going forward. The first area of risk is the migration of onpremises data to cloud platforms and this could include sensitive, private and confidential information as well as historical transactional data about the organisation, its suppliers as well as its customers. IT and cybersecurity managers must ensure that the same level of compliance around security policies and employee sign-on that exist on-premises are maintained for cloud platforms as well. They must know where the data is resident and who is responsible for the migration and movement of the data to cloud platforms. Once resident on the cloud, they must remain in control and responsible for who has access to data in the cloud. The cloud data access policies must remain mirrored to the on-premise policies and it is the IT and cybersecurity managers who are responsible for this in-cloud compliance.

The second area of risk is around the economic, financial and technology stability of the cloud hosting provider and its ecosystem of suppliers. Rapid migration of data to the cloud is driving the spawn of gold-rush Cloud Service Providers, either as direct or indirect players. IT and cybersecurity managers must be particularly concerned if their Cloud Services Providers change their Service Level Agreements or display any evidence of inability to provide their services. The combination of the above two risks, namely unauthorised access to cloud data and inability to provide cloud services, due to lack of compliance by either the organisation or the Cloud Service Provider, can have disastrous consequences for the organisation. While such an extreme situation is yet to occur in the region, global advisory firms like Gartner are drawing attention to the possibility, as an emerging data risk in cloud computing. As a corollary, end-users are advised to engage with economically stable and well-entrenched Cloud Services Providers, while the goldrush is ongoing.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

22 COVER STORY

MAKING A MARK SINAN EMON, GENERAL MANAGER, EASTERN EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA (EEMEA), FOR LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, SHARES INSIGHTS INTO HOW THE FIRM HAS GROWN FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH AND OUTLINES THE ROLE ITS DEDICATED REGIONAL DISTRIBUTOR ASBIS ME PLAYS IN ITS OVERALL CHANNEL STRATEGY.

PHOTO CREDIT: CHARLS THOMAS

CAN YOU BRIEFLY ELABORATE ON THE FIRM’S TWO BIGGEST REGIONAL MILESTONES OVER THE PAST YEAR? We believe that the future will belong to the corporations, not due to their magnitude, financial situation or the price of their products, but because of their ability to adapt quickly to the demands coming from the market. Last year was a milestone for Lexmark to adapt and reorganise our approach, both internally and externally, in the way that we reach our customers. HOW IS LEXMARK DIFFERENTIATING ITS OFFERINGS IN THE DIGITAL ERA? Established in 1991, Lexmark has been an independent company since 1994 and has been built upon the tradition of IBM’s innovative approach to the IT industry. Therefore, Lexmark provides answers to end-users’ requirements, by listening to them, creating solutions customised to their printers and adding value to the software embedded in them.

WHAT ARE THE LATEST TRENDS IN IMAGING SOLUTIONS AND TECHNOLOGIES? With digitalisation of processes and e-initiatives increasing in the government sector, the requests coming to imaging solutions and technologies are shifting towards software added values built upon printer technologies. Lexmark not only invests in entry level products but upon its vast and varied printer lines, focuses upon the Research and Development that answers to the needs of end-users. The complete range of Lexmark printing solutions can be added to the requested process of the enduser based upon the end-to-end solutions that we offer. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON LEXMARK’S CHANNEL AND DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY FOR THE REGION? Two years ago, we decided to grow in the channel and distribution space with selected partners across the region. Post a carefully

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engineered investment, we are now focusing on growing the ‘pie’ rather than having many partners share the rewards. Within these guidelines, Lexmark has partnered with regional distributor ASBIS ME, based upon “capabilitybased management” initiatives, both internally and externally. We intend to grow our mutual reach with ASBIS by adding capabilities and abilities to invest on their endusers with our resellers. In other words, we bring investments, profits and challenges to resellers, with the strong marketing, financial and logistic support of Lexmark and ASBIS. We invite all resellers looking for a challenge and consistent profitability to get in touch with ASBIS representatives in their respective areas.

OUR BIGGEST STRENGTH IS THE UNMATCHED QUALITY OF SERVICE WE PROVIDE TO OUR PARTNERS AND END-USERS.”

CAN YOU ELABORATE ON CUSTOMERS’ RECEPTIVENESS TO MANAGED PRINT SERVICES (MPS)? HOW DO YOU SEE THE SPACE EVOLVING OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS? Another important aspect end-users are focusing upon is the fact that demands are not only limited to hardware and software but also on the total “end-to-end” processes regarding printers and content management. The most commonly requested method is a “proactive” method called MPS that research firms such as IDC and Gartner focus upon. Across these companies, Lexmark is considered as an innovative leader, in the top quadrants, leading the industry. Having said that, it is important to correctly qualify what MPS is. Managed Print Services is an end-to-end process, where the end-user benefits from a proactive approach, www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

24 COVER STORY

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO START WORKING DEEPER WITH PARTNERS WHO SHARE THE SAME EXCITEMENT, COMMITMENT AND STAMINA, TO SERVE THEIR END-USERS.”

over multiple regions or countries, without touching the process but just controlling it and maintaining the observation upon its results. The MPS process brings additional value and savings to the end-user as opposed to a simple logistic solution, which is called BPS (Basic printing Solutions). Both MPS and BPS should not be confused with each other and either one should be chosen based on the needs of the end-user. However, the pre-qualification of such requests should be carefully assessed by vendors who utilise experts at no cost for end-users’ requests. Lexmark utilises ITIL certified

engineers and project managers in the Middle East to correctly give support to end-users for such similar assessment requests, which could easily be obtained through our special partners in the area. ASBIS will be more than happy to coordinate such requests in the region. ARE REGIONAL PARTNERS CAPITALISING ON THE SERVICES OPPORTUNITY? HOW IS LEXMARK ENABLING THEM HERE? Lexmark has an extensive chain of service partners in the region, ready to answer any needs of end-users and provide training and support to

our resellers. Our biggest strength is the unmatched quality of service we provide to our partners and end-users. We are ready to train and integrate service partners into our already existing ecosystem. Another service delivery related part of Lexmark business is the special status and support we provide to systems integrators. At Lexmark, we approach systems integrators with care and after the training provided to them, they are given the flexibility and capabilities to support the accounts registered to them exclusively. This approach helps our resellers to answer the needs of their end-users and enables them to provide more customer satisfaction. HOW CAN PARTNERS INCREASE THEIR BUSINESS VALUE WITH LEXMARK’S SOLUTIONS? HOW IS LEXMARK EMPOWERING PARTNERS’ PROFITABILITY? Lexmark is aware that our partners need to be profitable to continue investing in their accounts and for the brands that they work with. We intend to grow our market reach with the partners who are willing to grow their knowledge and focus on Lexmark. We are going to achieve this through trainings, support and registration of these accounts to the right partners as they bring their reach to customers to Lexmark. Within this methodology, partners can continue to develop their accounts under the support of Lexmark, knowing that they can invest in mid-, long-term solutions for their customers without having to revert to only short-term gains. WHAT ROLE DOES DISTRIBUTION PLAY FOR YOUR OVERALL OPERATIONS IN THE REGION? Obviously, distribution plays an important role for our operations. This is why we are going to increase our approach to market with ASBIS ME. We see a great potential within the distribution organisation of ASBIS ME.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // June 2019

WHICH VERTICALS WITHIN THE REGION DO YOU SEE THE MOST DEMAND COMING FROM FOR YOUR SOLUTIONS? There is a lot of demand coming from finance, manufacturing and government sectors. That being said, we get demand coming from any organisation looking to save on its IT spending and standardisation/control of its processes.

possibilities. Lexmark Cloud based solutions will not only enable end-users with ease of use but will also provide administrators and IT professionals a clear and transparent control over their controls and budgets. I strongly recommend all the interested parties to check the Lexmark website about Lexmark’s Cloud Solutions. They are ready and waiting to be supported by Lexmark professionals.

WHAT KIND OF INNOVATION CAN THE REGIONAL MARKET EXPECT FROM LEXMARK GOING FORWARD? CAN YOU SHARE ANY INITIATIVES PLANNED FOR THE END OF THIS YEAR? Change and innovation never stops at Lexmark. In the coming months, we expect to develop our embedded solutions and come forward with a new line – 2 Family Mono, 3 Family Color – that is targeted to answers the needs of small and medium businesses (SMBs). SMBs make an important segment within the target accounts of reseller lines anywhere. Lexmark has also heavily invested in cloud solutions. We are certain that our customers will enjoy providing one solution with many

WHAT IS LEXMARK’S BUSINESS OBJECTIVE FOR 2019? DO YOU SEE ANY CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED FIRST TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES? Lexmark’s business objective for 2019 is to wisely grow in the region with our partners and be more visible. We do not see any challenges but only opportunities within the region. The only headwind that we sense is the speed of delivery. We would like to provide our solutions as soon as possible to the end-users through our partners. As Lexmark, we are ready to do our part on continuing to support our partners greatly within our elite channel ecosystem. We are also looking forward to start working deeper with partners who share the same excitement, commitment and stamina, to serve their end-users. www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

26 FEATURE

Selling cloud storage Reseller ME explores how channel partners can optimise the prospects present in selling cloud storage solutions.

loud technologies are significantly changing the way businesses operate. More and more organisations are seeing its varied benefits and are implementing it to improve efficiencies. As the volume of data is expected to reach staggering figures, increasing number of businesses are seriously looking to cloud for storage options. While the adoption of cloud has progressed considerably, customers are seeking partners who they can trust and depend on in this journey. The market potential for channel partners is unquestionable, says Zaeem Ahmed, cloud business head, AlJammaz Cloud. “Historically the Middle East and Africa is a promising market for cloud services,” he explains. “Together with Africa, it’s worth $2.2 billion to vendors as of 2018 and that’s projected to grow to $9 billion by 2022 as per IDC. Meanwhile global cloud storage market size is expected to grow from $23.48 billion in 2016 to $88.91 billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 23.7 percent during the forecast period; with the region contributing for 2 percent only.” One of the main factors that is driving the technology’s growth is its scalability. Ahmed adds, “The Middle East region has witnessed increasing

BACKUP IS A MAJOR CLOUD STORAGE USE CASE FOR ALL TYPE OF WORKLOADS. MANY BUSINESSES MIGRATE ONPREMISES TO CLOUD BACKUP.” ZAEEM AHMED, ALJAMMAZ CLOUD

data due to digitisation initiatives of private and public sector customers resulting in exponential data growth in cloud storage coming from secondary workloads. Particularly,

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large data sets that require longer term storage and archiving at better pricing.” Customers are rapidly realising that by storing data in the cloud, they are able to get better total cost of ownership, gain capital savings and reduce operating cost, according to Aamir Shaikh, cloud sales associate, Channel and Alliances, VAD Technologies. “Apart from data archiving, backup and recovery, next generation applications and solutions will leverage an API enabled architecture approach by pushing the data straight

27 27

to cloud from endpoints and devices. This will accelerate the delivery of a cheaper and better alternative to onpremise expensive storage solutions,” he explains. Shaikh believes that regional small and medium enterprises are more inclined towards leveraging public cloud storage for further driving growth. “These firms tend to spend more with cloud storage solutions available today from Onedrive,

Google Drive, Dropbox and other local MSPs’ offerings, by overriding the spending on private storage infrastructure. The growth is attributed to increasing investments by local MSPs in data centres and service offerings.” Shaikh further says that top five industries such as hospitality, education, ICT and retail sectors account for more than 40 percent of the total market contributors in cloud storage adaption. “By far the largest percentage of cloud storage data types is secondary or longterm data storage,” says Ahmed from AlJammaz. “Backup is a major cloud storage use case for all type of workloads. Many businesses migrate on-premises to cloud

backup. Customers today are using a traditional backup application that retains backup on a backup server, tape, or a backup appliance for certain time and then migrate this data to cloud storage.” CHALLENGES While the market opportunity is real, partners often face challenges to build the right set of cloud storage offerings for customers. Lack of skillsets coupled with inadequate training contribute to this challenge. Partners must understand the technology thoroughly to be able

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

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to create relevant solutions for customers. Ahmed says, “The primary challenge for partners is how to build a scalable, billable option for customers by providing them with managed cloud storage service at a completive cost considering fierce competition from major players such as pCloud, BooleBox, Onedrive and Dropbox.” An area where he sees immense potential for channel partners to further leverage the cloud storage market is by “minimising the complexity of managing cloud backup and restore” for their customers.

“Profitability can be achieved by building robust MSP model, hosted on a multitenant cloud backup and recovery solutions.” According to Shaikh, another big challenge, especially here in the Middle East region, is clarity on data security and governance. “Common customer perception is that MSPs and CSPs can access and see their data, being cloud storage providers. How to answer questions around data governance and data security is a challenge partners face when positioning cloud storage solutions.”

One of the other major challenges is the connectivity cost of cloud storage. “Majority of existing MSPs and CSPs have to factor in the cost of bandwidth and usually charge customers for ingress bandwidth. Cost of connectivity and bandwidth utilisation is still expensive in the Middle East market. The utilisation of cloud storage can incur higher cost for frequently accessed data or hot storage.” Shaikh says that channel partners can optimise and build a solid go-tomarket approach by offering hybrid cloud storage options to increase their

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

30 FEATURE

profitability and margins. He also predicts that over the next couple of years, the region will relax the security and compliance that is required today for data, which is the prime barrier for cloud storage implementation across large verticals such as government and financial institutions. “This will enable the true spirit of cloud storage to flourish in the region,” he adds. “The Middle East region is evolving at a rapid pace and the cloud storage market is picking up momentum faster than any other cloud service,” says Ahmed. “But it is still far from being a mature market.

HOW TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AROUND DATA GOVERNANCE AND DATA SECURITY IS A CHALLENGE PARTNERS FACE WHEN POSITIONING CLOUD STORAGE SOLUTIONS.” AAMIR SHAIKH, CLOUD SALES ASSOCIATE, VAD TECHNOLOGIES

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This growth is accelerated by various factors such as increasing demand for low cost data storage, backup, and data protection. This augments the growth of the cloud storage market within small, medium, and large enterprises.” Also, he adds, “Several industry verticals such as BFSI, education, healthcare, retail and public sector boasting large customer base tend to explore cost-effective solutions to store active and passive data, as they build more robust strategy to digitise their business experiences.”

Regional channel partners have a big opportunity in this space, one that they can truly optimise by ensuring they are well-versed with the technology, are in a position to suggest the most ideal solution for a customer’s problem and are continuously updating themselves with the latest developments in the market. Staying profitable and sustaining it long-term is definitely a challenge in the channel space. Partners should alter their outlook and view the hurdles they face as new areas of opportunities and select the right partner to grow with.

SPONSORED 32

WI-FI 6: THE IOT ENGINE FOR EVERY BUSINESS

ALAA ELSHIMY, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND VICE PRESIDENT OF ENTERPRISE BUSINESS GROUP, HUAWEI MIDDLE EAST, ON THE EVOLUTION OF WLAN TECHNOLOGY AND WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS WITH THE EMERGENCE OF WI-FI 6.

s the Middle East prepares for the introduction of 5G networks, it makes sense that communications standards across the board will be upped in order to keep pace with the increasing demand. Wi-Fi – a staple of everyday connectivity in homes and businesses alike – is one of the most exciting areas where this innovation is coming through. Some of us will recall when Wi-Fi was first introduced to the world in 1997. Over the past 22 years, it has become an integral part of day to day life, something that we take for granted. It’s also something that we often criticise if it isn’t fast enough to keep up with our growing

WI-FI 6 IS ONE THING THAT BUSINESSES CANNOT DO WITHOUT IN THE COMING DECADE. IT WILL BE THE LINCHPIN OF A SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRISE IN THE ERA OF 5G AND IOT.”

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

expectations for speed and reliability in our communications. Naturally, 22 years is a long time for a technology to develop. Wi-Fi has seen many upgrades over the course of the past two decades, in sync with the world’s digital transformation journey. Now, at the precipice of the 5G era, it is about to experience its next evolution – Wi-Fi 6. A TRANSFORMATION FOR USER EXPERIENCE With the need to contend with a growing number of connected devices, Wi-Fi has been due for an upgrade. The High Efficiency WLAN Study Group recognised this back in 2013.

It began to examine the different challenges Wi-Fi would need to contend with in order to keep up with the demands of user traffic. As a result of this, Wi-Fi 6 (also known as project 802.11ax) was initiated in May 2014. The project’s standard task group was actually led by Osama Aboul Magd, a network innovator at Huawei. As has become standard across the board with communications technology, a major driving force for the next stage of Wi-Fi was providing

IN THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS, TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS 4K/8K ULTRA HD VIDEO, IOT, VR, AR, AND AUTOMATIC GUIDED VEHICLE (AGV) WILL BE WIDELY USED IN EDUCATION, ENTERPRISE, AND INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION.”

a superior user experience. This is an essential consideration for businesses that are prioritising digital transformation – and in today’s world, digital transformation is a necessity if a company is to survive the 5G connected era and what lies beyond. Wi-Fi is ultimately the first point of connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT). With its larger capacity, it will be a driving force in ensuring the successful implementation of artificial intelligence, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), cloud computing, and many other vast technology applications that define tomorrow’s business world. In the next three to five years, technologies such as 4K/8K Ultra HD Video, IoT, VR, AR, and automatic guided vehicle (AGV) will be widely used in education, enterprise, and industrial automation. Wi-Fi 6 will meet future development requirements in terms of bandwidth, latency, connection quality, transmission efficiency, and terminal power consumption management. Based on the actual application scenarios of the customer. Digital enterprise will need to leverage Wi-Fi 6 technology to build a high-quality network with high bandwidth, low latency, and high reliability - all while ensuring it remains maintenance-free. As the fastest WLAN technology

to date, Wi-Fi 6 is leaps and bounds ahead of its predecessors. Solutions such as Huawei’s newly-introduced AirEngine are ready to make enterprise-class Wi-Fi products a reality, building on technical strengths originating from Huawei 5G smart antenna technology to achieve intelligent optimisation for better user experiences and service continuity. It also has the capacity to perform with excellent results in dense environments, supporting the connectivity needs of high numbers of users. Think back to the last conference, concert, or major sports match you attended, or that time you were trying to stream a video in the shopping mall or watch an online lecture at university. You might remember how poorly local Wi-Fi performed under the stress of immense demand. Wi-Fi 6 will use available spectrum more efficiently, packing more data into the same air space to provide an enhanced experience for every connected user. In short, Wi-Fi 6 is one thing that businesses cannot do without in the coming decade. It will be the linchpin of a successful enterprise in the era of 5G and IoT, in which customers of all kinds will expect a seamless experience across all touchpoints— enabled through the application of smart and connected solutions.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

34 VENDOR FOCUS

Prioritising partners

Dr. Christopher H Cooper, general manager, Data Centre Group, META, Lenovo Global Technology, delves into the data centre space to outline the latest trends and how partners can maximise the opportunities.

CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE DATA CENTRE MARKET IN THE REGION? The data centre marketplace is growing and evolving. We’re seeing that a number of traditional resellers in the marketplace are having to transform themselves. What that means is they need to become systems integrators in nature and take that type of approach to provide managed services, and potentially even outsource workloads on behalf of clients, as opposed to just reselling infrastructure and software. I believe this is a key shift in the marketplace. Primarily because customers don’t generally

want to own or build out data centres. They want to focus on the core business. Partners need to be much more client-centric if they’re going to be successful, to understand the business issues customers are facing and then build the right solutions for them. As customers are not building their own data centres, they expect it to be provided as a service, be it Software-as-a-Service, Platformas-a-Service or Infrastructure-as-aService. Sometimes they even want it completely outsourced. We’re seeing quite a broad shift in this respect, and as a result they are pushed to transform themselves to adopt to that market change.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

WHICH TECHNOLOGIES ARE IMPACTING THE REGIONAL DATA CENTRE SPACE? The technologies impacting this space are the ones that are prevalent cross other markets as well. Virtualisation is certainly seeing a bigger uptake. Although it has been around for more than 15 years, what we are seeing now is the migration towards hyperconverged. This is about restricting and limiting the bandwidth and latency challenges of workloads. It is about putting data closer to compute. So, it’s about combining the compute, the network and the storage tightly in order to make informed decisions much quicker. The right software and infrastructure that

integrates seamlessly are required to achieve this. As part of hyperconverged, there’s the move towards cloud technologies. What we’re also seeing is that when you talk to end-users, they’re realising that this idea of everything moves to the cloud is hypothetical. It’s not feasible. For example, take autonomous driving – if everything was in the cloud then as you’re driving along the road, the expectation would be that the computer inside the vehicle will reach out to a hosted service in a data centre, send and translate that data, send the information back to help the vehicle decide whether it should accelerate or break – you simply can’t afford those kind of latency and bandwidth issues. This is true in areas such as surveillance and artificial intelligence and a lot of the other applications that are prevalent in the marketplace today. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN THE MARKET TODAY? I believe the biggest challenge in the marketplace today for all our endusers is integrating new technologies with existing legacy ones. Very few customers start from scratch and look at building out their technology. Everyone has legacy. The beauty of working with Lenovo Data Centre Group is that we have no physical legacy whatsoever. What we have is years of heritage, having come from the IBM acquisition, taking in that technology, we have no legacy operating systems or platforms that we have to support. This gives us a real competitive edge, because we can focus on developing new innovative technologies that are fit for purpose today to address current customer issues. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE SKILLS PARTNERS NEED TO DEVELOP TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS SPACE? It’s important that partners build up the skills and capabilities to understand what customers’ business issues are. And then understand what’s available in the market today with which they can build the right solution for them.

is coming out in the near future. This will help them to build the right solutions that can address the needs of customers both today and tomorrow.

THE KEY THING TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT LENOVO DATA CENTRE GROUP, COMPARED TO ANY OTHER VENDOR IN THE MARKETPLACE, IS THE ONLY FIRM THAT IS 100 PERCENT CHANNEL-DRIVEN AND PARTNER-FRIENDLY.”

IT’S IMPORTANT THAT PARTNERS BUILD UP THE SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CUSTOMERS’ BUSINESS ISSUES ARE.”

It’s a real challenge for partners today to be savvy in understanding these emerging technologies. They have to stay updated and know what

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL DRIVE THE GROWTH WITHIN THE DATA CENTRE SPACE OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS? I believe enhancing industry standards will propel the growth in this segment and this will be driven particularly by the government. If we look at cloud adoption, there are still data legislation and sovereignty issues and challenges. Some of these challenges remain and for good reason as well. But at the same time, we’re now seeing global hyperscalers coming into the region, which has a huge impact in the reseller market. While hyperscalers’ regional presence is still in its early stages, they have the potential to attract end-user workloads to their cloud offerings. This means that it is now more important than ever for resellers to properly address how they can adapt and adopt these new technologies to be competitive against these global hyper-scalers. Otherwise, they might miss the opportunities and could see eroding bottom lines. In this regard, resellers have the opportunity to offer consulting skills, however, without being able to offer an end-to-end solution, it will be difficult to gain customers’ mind share. DO YOU HAVE ANY MESSAGE FOR YOUR PARTNER COMMUNITY? The key thing to understand is that Lenovo Data Centre Group, compared to any other vendor in the marketplace, is the only firm that is 100 percent channel-driven and partner-friendly. We are entirely dedicated to our channel network. We don’t have a single direct customer across the whole region, so we work only through a complete channel model. We embrace the channel model and it is a critical component in our business. We are excited to continue our growth with our partners to offer end-users transformative solutions together.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

36 VENDOR FOCUS

Advancing human experiences At Riverbed’s first annual Middle East Partner Connect event held in Dubai, Reseller ME caught up with Mena Migally, the firm’s regional director, Channel, Territory and Telco for METNA, to learn about its new brand identity and channel strategy.

he digital performance company Riverbed hosted its channel community at its introductory Middle East Partner Connect event in Dubai last month along with its regional distributors Mindware, StarLink and Crestan International. Announcing its new www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

brand identity – Advancing human experiences in the digital world – the firm also shared updates on its partner programme Riverbed Rise and channel strategy for the region. Mena Migally, the firm’s regional director, Channel,

Territory and Telco for METNA, said, “Through the Middle East Partner Connect event, we are looking to increase our intimacy with our valued channel partners. We have shared our vision and will assist our channel ecosystem to take the new messaging forward to customers effectively.” According to Migally, Riverbed’s new branding comes at a time when the human experience is considered to be critical and relevant in today’s increasingly digital world. “Usually everyone is focused on improving their digital platforms, very few take the time to understand how it impacts the actual user. If the focus is not on the human element, then the whole digital transformation conversation could just be a bottom line discussion,” he explained. He added that through its channel programme Riverbed Rise, the company is ensuring partners understand how to monitor and visualise that enduser experience. “We are monitoring everything that is exciting to the end-user and trying to assist with the challenges they might face with our next-gen cloud infrastructure.” The firm rolled out its partner programme Riverbed Rise more than a year ago and the uptake has been phenomenal, said Migally. Designed to be simple and straightforward, the channel programme appealed to partners as it also included great incentives towards selling hardware, getting trained and specialised, among other features. StarLink’s sales director for DC and Cloud, Ahmed Diab said, “Riverbed’s flexible and simple channel programme Riverbed Rise and partner portal Riverbed Reach have been key in enabling us as a

USUALLY EVERYONE IS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THEIR DIGITAL PLATFORMS, VERY FEW TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT IMPACTS THE ACTUAL USER.”

distributor to empower our partners with the right tools so they can assist their customers in their journey towards digital transformation.” Migally added, “We have now ensured that Riverbed Rise is aligned towards our vision, which includes

WE URGE PARTNERS TO KNOW OUR VISION AND OUR PROGRAMMES SO THAT THEY CAN BENEFIT AND GROW WITH US. IT IS IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE COMMITTED, LOYAL AND FOCUSED PARTNERS.”

digital experience monitoring solutions and SD-WAN, instead of only selling traditional WAN optimisation, which we have been doing over a decade. We are now encouraging partners to pay attention to selling to net new customers while also ensuring existing customers are happy.” The programme additionally rewards partners if they drive deals on their own, focus on getting trained and enabled on emerging technologies. “We are ensuring that partners can run and sell unchaperoned. The programme incentivises for going the extra mile rather than simply fulfilling a requirement.” The Riverbed Rise programme also offers clear-cut rebates from which partners have the opportunity to train and generate further business. This can be done through the various tools provided by the vendor such as marketing programme, professional services and so on. “It couldn’t get any easier. As long as partners are selling the vision to new customers and driving it on their own, they are getting incentivised.” Riverbed is also making sure that regional partners build their professional services portfolio in order to become trusted advisors rather than just implementation arms. “We are enabling partners to build professional services portfolio where they can carry out migration analysis, enhance their capability to do gap analysis, and see how they can match it with other services.” Migally believes that partners will be in a stronger position once they really get to know the Riverbed story. The company has evolved and grown tremendously from its early days. “While WAN optimisation is a key pillar to its solutions, strategies and portfolio, the firm has grown way beyond that to cater to customers’ comprehensive digital needs,” he said. “We urge partners to know our vision and our programmes so that they can benefit and grow together with us. It is in our best interest to make sure we have committed, loyal and focused partners who are effectively taking our vision and messaging to our customers.” www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

38 PARTNER WATCH

Curators of value Samir Chopra, founder and CEO, RNS Technology Services, explains how the three-year-old security-focused systems integration firm is differentiating in the crowded marketplace.

stablished in 2015, RNS Technology Services officially began operating a year later and provides customers with information and cybersecurity solutions through its team of technical experts and strategic consultants. Armed with almost two decades of experience from a host of vendors, founder and CEO Samir Chopra was looking to build a systems integration

firm that truly was solutionscentric and added genuine value to customers’ businesses. “From my previous experience, I found that without having the backing of a brand, it was quite difficult for a systems integrator to deliver true value. Unfortunately, the people delivering the solutions to customers were either not adequately skilled or they had the skills but didn’t know

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

how to communicate effectively to end-users,” Chopra says. In such an environment, he discovered that there was a huge opportunity to add value to customers’ business and make their lives more secure and easier. “This is where a firm like RNS comes into the picture. We offer beyond reselling and zero in on being solutions-centric and services-

oriented provider.” Just in the span of two years, the SI has grown to boast over 100 enterprise customers including top banks with multi-million-dollar projects and 20 plus government firms among others. It has also managed to secure partnership with leading global vendors such as Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, Citrix, FireEye, McAfee, Trend Micro to name a few. This kind of growth was possible because the market understood the credibility the firm brought to the table early on, explains Chopra. “We ensured that the market and our partners understood early on that we were not in the game just to resell licenses or hardware. There were enough players already fulfilling this aspect, so we had to make sure we were different,” says Chopra. “Our vendors understood that to protect their reputation and to guarantee that customers were utilising the solutions that they were buying, they needed to have a partner like us, who can keep customers happy.” According to the CEO, customers were renewing their partnerships with the firm readily because they found RNS’ offerings “useful and a genuine value-add”. “Customers are seeking specialists for the technologies that they were looking to integrate into their operations. This was missing in the market and we took advantage of this to establish ourselves as specialists for their security needs,” he says. RNS specialises in four key pillars of security – endpoint protection, detection and response, network protection, identity and data governance – with managed services as the link that binds them all. Chopra says, “Endpoint protection is no longer just about antivirus or threats at the endpoint. The lines are

CUSTOMERS ARE SEEKING SPECIALISTS FOR THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT THEY WERE LOOKING TO INTEGRATE INTO THEIR OPERATIONS. THIS WAS MISSING IN THE MARKET AND WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THIS TO ESTABLISH OURSELVES AS SPECIALISTS FOR THEIR SECURITY NEEDS.”

disappearing fast between perimeter and the cloud. Most of us carry all our critical work on our endpoints. The threats have evolved greatly and today customers need endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, patch management solutions, file integrity

NETWORK PROTECTION HAS BECOME A CRUCIAL ELEMENT IN AN ORGANISATION’S BUSINESS TODAY. WITH THE PERIMETER DISAPPEARING AND THE CLOUD INCREASINGLY BECOMING CUSTOMERS’ DATA CENTRE, SECURITY IS A HUGE CONCERN.”

monitoring solutions and so on. “Typically, in a large organisation, there are not enough people to monitor these threats, let alone understand them. These threats fly under the radar undetected and sometimes unknown for years. This is the problem we are trying to solve from an endpoint perspective.” When it comes to detection and response, the firm is enabling customers to stay proactive and respond within real time during security incidents. “Network protection has become a crucial element in an organisation’s business today. With the perimeter disappearing and the cloud increasingly becoming customers’ data centre, security is a huge concern,” he explains. Chopra goes on to say that ‘identity and data governance’ is the strongest pillar of security that the firm is focusing on. “This is because if you look at where the world is going – a country usually functions on identity. Our address, phone numbers, credit cards and so on are based on identity. It is a huge part of the overall IT and security. And privacy is going to play a massive role going forward. We have also seen many fraudulent activities take place in this space,” he says. “Both from solutions and services perspectives, we are offering our expertise in terms of ensuring customers are happy within this area and that their data is secure.” Increasing number of large organisations are realising that it is more efficient and economical to outsource complex IT-related services to third party providers. Identifying the opportunities present in this space, RNS has developed a robust services portfolio. “This came naturally to us as we are a services-oriented firm and understood the potential of the market.” Over the course of this year, we will see the security systems integrator expanding its regional coverage and working towards achieving a doubledigit revenue goal. “Along with our revenues, we are aiming to double our efforts around customer engagement and internal staffing during this year.” www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

40 REVIEW

NURA NURAPHONE ONLINE EDITOR ADELLE GERONIMO TOOK THE NURAPHONE HEADPHONES FOR A SPIN AND WAS IMPRESSED BY ITS QUIRKY DESIGN AND THE UNIQUE USER EXPERIENCE IT OFFERED.

hen it comes to headphone technology consumers today often take three factors into consideration – connectivity, battery life and noise cancellation. Furthermore, as there’s a huge variety of headphones available in the market, any company coming into this saturated space need to have a “unique” aspect to stand out. Nascent audio company Nura ticked all the boxes when it launched its Nuraphone headphones. First things first, the design. At first glance, the Nuraphone looks just like any other headphones. It has a headband made of a thin single piece of anodised metal. The device sports a dark, matte black finish with minimal padding underneath made from a soft, thick silicon type material. The headband doesn’t adjust though, rather the earcups slide up and down a groove in the slim metal band. A unique aspect of the device’s design is that it features a combination of over-ear with in-ear fittings. When on the head, the headphones feel sturdy however the in-ear buds do feel weird when trying the device for the first time. While the unconventional design is a notable attribute of the device, it is not the most significant aspect of the Nuraphone experience.

Dragan Petrovic, Nura

Unlike typical headphones, the Nuraphone delivers sound via the main headphone cup and the in-ear earbud. It optimises audio engineering and machine learning technology to give you a “personalised audio experiences.” Before listening to music for the first time with the Nuraphone, you will need to tune them specifically for their hearing using the Nura mobile app. For a personalised experience, the Nura app requires you to make sure that the earcups and inner-ear buds are tightly placed in your ear. Then, it’ll play a variety of sounds as it figures out how to best tune audio based on how you hear the sounds. The process is aimed at measuring how sensitive your ears are to audio frequencies and tones. Once this is done, the app will create a hearing profile based on the results and apply it on the headphones. The whole process takes a couple of minutes. Nuraphone’s sound profile matching technology is pretty impressive. When

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

used out of the box the device is decent enough but once the modified profile is activated it produces a combination of punchy, full and balanced sounds. The app also lets you turn on a feature called “immersion,” which enhances the bass. Further into Nuraphone’s unconventional theme, the device’s controls are unusual too. It has no physical buttons or LED lights anywhere. Instead, the metal discs on the earcups headband double as capacitive buttons, which can be programmed to switch between modes, turn the custom profile on or off, or play/pause. While this adds to the device’s classy and unique look, it also means the headphones are difficult to control at times. The bulkiness of the device also makes carrying it a bit cumbersome as it has no hinges or pivot points anywhere, so you can’t fold or collapse the Nuraphone. The headphones can handle both wired and wireless connections, supporting Bluetooth with AptX and AptX HD for Android users. But, perhaps another downside of the device is that it relies on a proprietary charging cable, which makes the possibility of losing them a big concern. A plus here,, however, is that the headphones charge fairly quick and come with a hefty 20 hours of wireless playback per charge. CREATOR’S CORNER The Nuraphone headphones were developed by Australia-based startup

WHAT PEOPLE DON’T REALISE IS THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL’S HEARING IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS. WE THEN SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A SYSTEM OR A TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL MATCH EACH USERS’ HEARING AND GIVE THEM THE BEST POSSIBLE LISTENING EXPERIENCE.”

Nura, which was founded by Dragan Petrovic, a PhD in electrical engineering and medical doctor Luke Campbell in 2016 after raising $2.5 million dollars on the crowdfunding site Kickstarter. In an interview with TahawulTech. com, co-founder and CEO Petrovic discussed the firm’s unique venture and its future plans. “We all share a common interest in music that’s why we started this company,” said Petrovic. “We realised that we are living in this amazing time where we have access to all of the best music that’s ever been created on almost every platform or device that we have. “Then we talked about all the creativity, passion and skills that go into making music; and how we now have all these technologies that will allow us to listen to these masterpieces at our fingertips. So, we asked ourselves: is the experience complete now?” Petrovic added, “What people don’t realise is that every individual’s hearing is different from others. We then saw an opportunity to create a system or a technology that will match each users’ hearing and give them the best possible listening experience. In order to do that, we had to have a good understanding of how a person hears and devise a way to measure that. That’s how got the inspiration to develop the Nuraphone.” The Nuraphone optimises a self-learning technology that measures a user’s explicit individual listening traits. It measures the sound that our ears generate in response to these tones called the Otoacoustic Emission (OAE). This tiny signal originates in the cochlea and vibrates the eardrum, which the device picks up, processes, and turns into each user’s unique hearing profile. Looking forward, Petrovic noted that Nura has recently signed up a distribution partner here in the region as part of its vision to expand its footprint and spread awareness about its innovative offerings. “The Middle East is a key market for us,” said Petrovic. “Especially as people in this part of the world are always looking out for the latest and unique technologies. We’re definitely seeing great interest in our innovations from this part of the world.” www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

42 PRODUCTS

SEAGATE UNVEILS FIRECUDA SSHD

eagate’s FireCuda SSHD allows customers to take advantage of the benefits of SSD technology without feeling the pinch. Designed in a blend of 8GB NAND MLC flash and a traditional hard drive, the FireCuda series offers higher performance capabilities than a regular hard drive. It comes powered with two features that are critical when it comes to storage – speed and capacity. The hybrid drive offers the best of both worlds – SSD and HDD. Equipped with 8GB of superior performance solid state memory, the drive also sports a total capacity of 2TB, making it an ideal choice for users seeking exceptional performance. Designed for PC gaming, the FireCuda series provide high capacity options equivalent to that of a hard drive solution. The SSHD not only delivers faster load speeds for nonstop performance and play but also saves time with a drive that boots in seconds rather than in minutes, according to the company. Available in 2.5- and 3.5-inch sizes, FireCuda Flash Accelerated drives are powered with reliable storage and is backed by an industry-best 5-year limited warranty. Additionally, the drives are also designed to draw less power than competition. Flash-accelerated HDD technology allows the hard drive to limit drive access, saving power and lower power components create less heat — resulting in better frame rates and computer performance.

HP INTRODUCES ENVY WOOD SERIES HP Inc. has introduced new additions to its Personal Systems portfolio that enable more natural and intuitive experiences across work and life. This includes the new HP ENVY Wood Series. The firm said it is delivering the world’s first convertible PCs with authentic wood. The HP ENVY 13, HP ENVY x360 13, HP ENVY x360 15 and the HP ENVY 17 Wood Series builds on the durability and performance of the previously announced metal versions, but feature a choice of all new, nextgen Intel Core processors or 2nd Generation AMD Ryzen Mobile Processors with Radeon Vega Graphics. Each PC is accented with one-ofa-kind authentic wood inlay in two exquisite combinations: Nightfall Black with Natural Walnut, or

Natural Silver with Pale Birch. The HP ENVY Wood Series includes features like Amazon’s Alexa Service, Modern Standby, Wake on Voice, Wake on Fingerprint reader, along with privacy and peace-ofmind with HP Sure View and the HP Webcam Kill Switch solution. The new laptops can be paired with HP ENVY Uptown Tote, for added protection, mobility, and RFID security. For seamless and intuitive connection to dual 4K monitors, network, and accessories, the HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 with HDMI Adapter allows for full power, productivity and device expansion that works across HP and other non-HP laptops through a single USB-C cable connection.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

RIVERBED ANNOUNCES RIVERBED SAAS ACCELERATOR Riverbed has announced Riverbed SaaS Accelerator, a new solution that significantly accelerates the performance of leading SaaS apps, such as O365, Salesforce, ServiceNow and Box, by up to 10 times. When SaaS Accelerator is combined with End User Experience Monitoring (part of Riverbedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Digital Experience Management offering), organisations can for the first time directly measure and monitor in real time the performance of SaaS-based enterprise applications, and then effortlessly accelerate performance with SaaS Accelerator. As a cloud-based solution, SaaS Accelerator enables organisations to turn up the service within minutes so they can benefit immedi-

ately from improved performance, and Riverbed SD-WAN customers benefit from one-click provisioning using the Riverbed SD-WAN management console, said the compa-

ny. Additionally, existing SteelHead appliance and SteelHead Mobile customers can leverage their current investment when they deploy SaaS Accelerator, for a comprehensive solution that extends from the end user device through the network to the SaaS application. And for organisations with a security posture that requires all SaaS traffic be backhauled through a corporate data center, the introduction of Riverbed SaaS Accelerator enables those companies to maintain that approach while eliminating the latency challenges that can often hinder productivity for mobile and remote employees.

OPPO RENO SERIES NOW AVAILABLE IN THE UAE OPPO Reno 10x Zoom Edition is set to hit the shelves in the UAE this month and is priced at AED 3,299. Featuring a 48MP HD primary lens, 13MP telephoto lens and an 8MP wide-angle lens, OPPO Reno goes above and beyond with a tri-lens full-focal length capability that elevates photography and mobile entertainment to all-new heights, according to the firm. The 60x Digital Zoom feature takes full advantage of the possibilities offered by the triple camera module. The triple cameras work together to achieve a full-focal-length coverage of 16mm-160mm, thus offering 10x hybrid Zoom, which is complemented by a 60x Digital Zoom capacity with software optimisation. The primary lens employs optical image stabilization (OIS) and a closed-loop focusing motor, as well as three different focus modes. Equipped with a notch-free full view OLED display, a pop-up 16MP selfie

camera, and powerful hardware capabilities, the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom Edition will be available in Ocean Green and Jet Black colors with an 8GB RAM + 256GB storage. The ultra-wide-angle camera of the Reno 10x Zoom Edition offers users a 120Â° wide angle camera, which makes it easier to capture a wider range and multi-person portrait. The Ultra Night Mode 2.0 function allows users to capture sharp pictures and vivid colors at any time. The Reno 10x Zoom Edition also features a 6.6-inch notchless panoramic screen, protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6. The ultra-slim bezels on both sides are only 1.63mm, of which the lower bezel is only 3.5mm. The notch-less full screen achieves a 93.1 percent screen-to-body ratio, with no ports and no interference. www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

44 PRODUCTS

A10 NETWORKS DELIVERS 500 GBPS THUNDER DDOS DEFENSE SYSTEM A10 Networks has announced a new capacity enhancement to its Thunder 14045 TPS, which delivers industryleading attack traffic mitigation capabilities. This capacity gain provides the highest performance available in the market with 500 Gbps of defense in one appliance, said the firm. The smaller form factor reduces the number of devices required, while building scalable DDoS defenses that meet the challenge of emerging attacks. As service providers look to expand their service offerings, the Thunder TPS solution enables them to build profitable DDoS mitigation services that protect their own networks, as well as their subscribers. Thunder TPS solution is core to the firm’s DDoS defense strategy delivering: One-DDoS Protection – The industry’s only connected intelligence system that provides full-spectrum multi-vector DDoS defense with

distributed detection and machine learning capabilities within targeted infrastructure, including Thunder TPS, ADC, CGN, and CFW. • Predictive, Automated Cyber Defense – Intelligent Automation, granular protection capabilities and zero-touch operation accelerate responses to ensure optimal, efficient protection. • Actionable DDoS Weapons Intelligence - Incorporates global

•

intelligence from A10 Networks DDoS weapons research for improved security posture and real-time insights into emerging threats. Industry-leading Performance – The highest performance in a small form factor enables fast detection and mitigation while lowering costs, reducing complexity, and increasing reliability in the field.

HONEYWELL UNVEILS HEAVY-DUTY INDUSTRIAL PRINTER Honeywell has introduced a new high-performance industrial printer with integrated label verification and precision printing features that deliver error-free printing. The Honeywell PX940 Industrial Printer features the industry’s first internal verification system providing customers in the Middle East with defect free and accurate barcodes every time. Barcodes that do not meet an established threshold are retracted, voided and a new label is reprinted. With the integrated verifier, customers required to comply with regulatory standards will no longer be subjected to fines and other costs associated with barcodes that cannot be scanned. Complying with these regulatory standards is vital for many industries, including

transportation and logistics, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, shipping and distribution, industrial manufacturing and automotive parts manufacturers. The PX940 can produce up to 10,000 labels per day and can support heavy-duty printing and high print quality in rugged environments. With standard features such as Bluetooth and smart printing capability, users can configure and fine-tune settings without the need for a host computer by running apps on the printer – eliminating the need for a connected PC. With printing registration of twotenths of a millimeter, the industrial printer will print accurately on small labels edge to edge with virtually no error tolerance, said the firm. Label making software for the

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

PX940 can be downloaded from the Honeywell Marketplace, an enterprise app store designed to provide businesses with direct access to software and solutions developed by Honeywell and thirdparty developers.

46 LAST TAKE

YOUR IDEAL MORNING ROUTINE INCLUDES… I wake up naturally between 6:30-7:00 every morning. Generally, I stay in bed for the first twenty minutes trying to visualise the day ahead. I check my emails, calendar and catch up on the news while I drink my coffee. Then I get into the shower, feed my cats and get ready for work.

YOU ARE PROUD OF YOUR MOST RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENT, WHICH IS… The launching of NXN digital transformation platform “DNX” campaign as one of the first, fully integrated and ready to use platforms for digital and smart transformation across the Middle East, which is based on open and shared data. Also, bagging three awards on our contribution and innovation in developing this digital-enabler platform within one year.

Amal

FARAH

MARKETING MANAGER, NXN

FIVE GOALS YOU AIM TO ACHIEVE IN 2019… My main goal is finding a work-life balance that makes me happy. When I find that inner acceptance, I can be the best version of myself for my partner, my upcoming baby, my friends, and my work.

FIVE THINGS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT… My husband, my cats, traveling, Netflix and good food

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // JUNE 2019

THE MOST UNDERRATED TECHNOLOGY TREND ACCORDING TO YOU IS… Augmented analytics is a powerful technology for most businesses that will help make the data analytics process easy to comprehend for every person in the organisation. But it’s rarely being discussed within the community. We will definitely see an upcoming hype in augmented analytics and how it tackles the ever-growing need for intelligent, data-driven insights. It’s only a matter of time before we start seeing full-scale adoption of this new trend on the block.

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