Reseller Middle East February 2018 by Reseller Middle East

ISSUE 254| FEBRUARY 2018 www.tahawultech.com

CHANNEL’S ROLE IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

DEPLOYING SAAS SOLUTIONS PARTNER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SMB SECTOR

PUBLIC PROMISE

Fadi Moubarak on Avaya’s game plan for an accelerated future as a publicly listed firm

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CONTENTS

ISSUE 254 // FEBRUARY 2018

COVER FEATURE

PUBLIC PROMISE

As a publicly listed firm Avaya International’s first priorities are to enable partners to maximise the accelerated innovation it aims to bring. FEATURES

HIGHLIGHTS

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

OPINION

18 SEEK THE SILVER LINING

Jan Ursi from Nutanix, urges partners to create digital services on cloud technologies.

24 SMALL IS BIG

Reseller ME examines trends and factors driving growth in the SMB segment.

30 INTELLIGENCE BEYOND IMAGINATION

Reseller ME explores if channel partners have a role to play in artificial intelligence.

34 DEPLOYING SAAS

MICROSOFT SURFACE PRO 2017

A10 NETWORKS LAUNCHES THUNDER 1040 TPS WITH DDOS PROTECTION

REVIEW

Reseller ME examines how partners can profit in the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) space.

VENDOR FOCUS

HOT PRODUCTS

36 DIGITAL GOALS

Khwaja Saifuddin from Western Digital India, Middle East and Africa, explains the firm’s priorities around channel education and training in 2018.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

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EDITORIAL Block by block

Janees Reghelini Editor

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

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

Published by

Registered at Dubai Production City, DCCA PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 ÂŠ Copyright 2018 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.

ver the last few years, we have seen a lot of buzz around the blockchain technology across verticals such as banking, healthcare, real estate, transportation, government and retail. The recent frenzy over cryptocurrencies has also brought the technology to top of mind for many industries. Blockchain is still at a nascent stage but it has the potential to offer lucrative business opportunities for partners. The biggest opportunity in this distributed ledger technology for partners will be around consulting services. Customers will need assistance on identifying how blockchain can take their businesses to the next level and when they should think of deploying it. However, in order to be in a position to give advice to customers on best possible applications of blockchain, partners have to first understand the technology thoroughly. Researches indicate that there is a lack of awareness among customers

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Michael Jabri-Pickett mjp@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9158 Group Editor Jeevan Thankappan jeevan.thankappan@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9129 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

about the potential of the technology. This is largely because it is primarily used as a component of other solutions that an organisation might deploy. Most experts believe blockchain will be a game-changer in businesses over the next few years as the technology evolves further. Partners at the moment can invest time in identifying vendors who specialise in this technology and learn more about its features and benefits. This will help them to be in a position to educate customers when the need arrives. Services on this technology might be a long way off but not an unimaginable opportunity. Channel partners should prepare themselves and their businesses to strike the iron when it is hot. While the actual channel opportunities within this technology might not materialise immediately, nothing should stop partners from doing the ground work today. And in this process, there are chances that an idea may ignite itself and they could reap the advantages of being an early mover.

Designer Marlou Delaben marlou.delaben@cpimediagroup.com

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

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

Operations Manager Shweta Santosh shweta.santosh@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9107

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

DIGITAL SERVICES Web Developers Jefferson de Joya Abbas Madh

Business Development Manager Youssef Hariz youssef.hariz@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9111

Photographers Max Poriechkin Charls Thomas webmaster@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9100

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

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www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

Utimaco, Redington Value sign distribution partnership

encryption capabilities edington to protect sensitive Value, the cryptographic key value-added material. Utimaco distribution offers multiple HSM arm of IT models, each of which distributor Redington is best-suited for Gulf, and Utimaco, a varying applications global manufacturer of and industries Hardware Security including government, Modules (HSMs), have the IoT, enterprise announced a distribution and payment partnership for the Middle solutions, and East and Africa region. Ramkumar Balakrishnan, autonomous vehicles. Utimaco provides Redington Value “We are excited cryptographic hardware to partner with devices serving as the Utimaco. It enables us to offer our ‘Root of Trust’ to protect critical digital customers high-performance hardware infrastructures and high value data security solutions that protect assets for numerous industries. them now and in the future,” said HSMs are an essential component of Ramkumar Balakrishnan, president, many IT security solutions, safeguarding Redington Value. identities and data, and providing

We are excited to partner with Utimaco. It enables us to offer our customers highperformance hardware security solutions that protect them now and in the future.” “This partnership marks a solid step into the region for Utimaco, bringing us closer to local partners and customers. It is a great match and complementary for both organisations. Redington Gulf’s reach across the Middle East and Africa allows us to further expand our global footprint, arming customers in the area with ‘Root of Trust’ hardware security to better protect themselves. We look forward to the unique opportunities this will bring to Utimaco,” said Malte Pollmann, CEO, Utimaco.

Synology inks distribution deal with Ethos Technologies

ynology has (NAS) market announced is expected a new to be worth $ partnership 45.21 billion with Ethos by 2023. At Technologies, a Ethos, we have technology distribution been evaluating company servicing multiple vendors reseller partners in the for NAS and Middle East and North have chosen Africa region with a wide Synology for range of IT and security their proven solutions. expertise and “Over the past year, high-quality Synology has seen solutions. We exciting growth in the are looking Middle East market with forward to an Imtiaz Ghani, Ethos increasing demand from aggressive Technologies our customers,” said Nick partnership Jheng, sales manager of and growth in Synology, for the Middle East. “With this the Middle East and Pakistan markets. new inclusion of distribution channel, We believe that with our proficient and we look forward to further extending technically sound team, we will be able our growing presence in the business to provide Synology with the additional market segments in the Middle East, push and drive that it needs to increase from small-and-medium businesses to market share and become a leader in global corporations.” our region,” said Imtiaz Ghani, general “The network-attached storage manager, Ethos Technologies.

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

percent OF PERSONAL TECHNOLOGY DEVICE VENDORS WILL USE THIRD-PARTY AI CLOUD SERVICES TO ENHANCE FUNCTIONALITY AND SERVICES BY 2020 Source: Gartner

HIGHLIGHTS

Bulwark to offer Mimecast solutions to Indian customers

existing product ulwark portfolio specialising Technologies, in the information a security security domain. By specialised offering Mimecast, value-added we will help ensure distributor in the Middle that customers East region, has across the Indian announced that it will now sub-continent can offer solutions from adopt a cyber Mimecast, a player in email resilience strategy cyber resilience, to its in the cloud with customers in the Indian advanced security, sub-continent. This is in a multipurpose response to company’s archiving solution growing business, robust Jose Thomas Menacherry, and business distribution partner Bulwark Technologies continuity,” said network and a strong Jose Thomas demand for IT security Menacherry, managing director, Bulwark solutions in India. Technologies. According to the firm, Mimecast’s Brandon Bekker, managing director, services are designed to protect the Mimecast MEA, said, “We are glad that emails of millions of users worldwide Bulwark will be offering our solution against targeted attacks, data leaks, in this important market. Together, malware and spam. we can help deliver complete and “We are thrilled to introduce Mimecast comprehensive cyber resilience for email solutions in India, to complement our

We are thrilled to introduce Mimecast solutions in India, to complement our existing product portfolio specialising in the information security domain.” offering to organisations in the Indian region. Bulwark’s focused go-to-market strategy will help us grow our footprint across different verticals and market segments in this region.” Bulwark’s India office will help the company to better serve the needs of a robust partner network and its growing customer base in India. The company is investing in new talent and has recruited a strong team to drive sales and offer on ground technical support and services. In addition to this, the company is planning to invest in training programmes for channel partners to enable them to sell and distribute its wide array of products better.

Akyumen inks partnership with Dubai’s Sands Distribution

kyumen, manufacturer of electronic and mobile technology products globally, has signed up Sands Distribution as its GCC distributor, as part of its global go-to-market strategy. According to the statement released, this is the beginning of a strategic long-term vision for both the companies where Sands Distribution will distribute the Akyumen devices to retail, carrier, and traditional channel across its territory. The companies said it aims to work hand in hand to provide the best sales, marketing, and customer care experience to the channel as well as to the customers. Dubai-headquartered technology distribution firm Sands Distribution’s current business portfolio includes brands in the telecom, IT, accessories, consumer electronics and heavy appliance industry. The distributor said that its “dedicated and well-qualified”

sales and marketing team bring their “rich” distribution experience from across the GCC region. “Sands Distribution is a forwardthinking distributor that has a reach all over the GCC region and has a powerful management team that can make our devices available to customers in several countries,” said

Aasim Saied, chairman and CEO, Akyumen. Akyumen’s global business plan of developing, producing and marketing hardware and software solutions with artificial intelligence driven recommendation engine content platform will enable users to change the way they entertain, do business, and educate. The application of the Akyumen devices is not only for entertainment and business users, but also will extend to healthcare and environmental platforms using machine-to-machine and cellular network technologies on a worldwide basis. The Akyumen devices can also be used in a broader platform for collaboration, education, and futuristic gaming sensors.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

Gartner: global semiconductor revenue grew 22.2% in 2017

orldwide semiconductor revenue totalled $419.7 billion in 2017, a 22.2 percent increase from 2016, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. Undersupply helped drive 64 percent revenue growth in the memory market, which accounted for 31 percent of total semiconductor revenue in 2017. “The largest memory supplier, Samsung Electronics, gained the most market share and took the No. 1 position from Intel — the first time Intel has been toppled since 1992,” said Andrew Norwood, research vice president, Gartner. “Memory accounted for more than two-thirds of all semiconductor revenue growth in 2017, and became the largest semiconductor category.” The key driver behind the booming memory revenue was higher prices due to a supply shortage. NAND flash prices

increased year over year for the first time ever, up 17 percent, while DRAM prices rose 44 percent. Equipment companies could not absorb these price increases so passed them onto consumers, making everything from PCs to smartphones more expensive in 2017. Other major memory vendors, including SK Hynix and Micron Technology, also performed strongly in 2017 and rose in the rankings. Second-placed Intel grew its revenue 6.7 percent in 2017, driven by 6 percent growth in data center processor revenue due to demand from cloud and communications service providers. Intel’s PC processor revenue grew more slowly at 1.9 percent, but average PC prices are on the rise again after years of decline following the market’s shift from traditional desktops toward two-in-one and ultramobile devices.

2017 was a relatively quiet year for mergers and acquisitions. Qualcomm’s acquisition of NXP was one big deal that was expected to close in 2017, but did not. Qualcomm still plans to complete the deal in 2018, but this has now been complicated by Broadcom’s attempted takeover of Qualcomm. “The combined revenues of Broadcom, Qualcomm and NXP were $41.2 billion in 2017 — a total beaten only by Samsung and Intel,” said Norwood. “If Broadcom can finalise this double acquisition and Samsung’s memory revenue falls as forecast, then Samsung could slip to third place during the next memory downturn in 2019.”

Eyewear e-commerce startup reports significant investment

yewear brick-ande-commerce mortar specialist in the experience. UAE and KSA We plan eyewa has to make reported “dramatic growth” eyewa the since launching in 2017. reference Established by Anass in people’s Boumediene and Mehdi mind when Oudghiri, the firm said that it comes the e-commerce platform to buying has raised $1.1 million from contact UAE and KSA investors in a lenses, Mehdi Oudghiri and Anass Boumediene, eyewa seed round led by Equitrust, sunglasses the investment arm of and Choueiri Group. eyeglasses online.” This significant interest from Anass Boumediene, co-founder, venture capitalists will enable eyewa eyewa, said, “The current business to expand operations in the GCC in environment is ideal to start a new 2018, according to the e-tailer. venture. There is a strong interest Mehdi Oudghiri, co-founder, for startups, and governments eyewa, said, “There is a tremendous are not only promoting, but also opportunity in eyewear e-commerce. supporting entrepreneurship in the It is a proven business model with region. We also have seen strong many success stories in different interest from investors across the regions, yet until now, we didn’t ecosystem, especially since we are have a proper solution in the GCC. in e-commerce, the fastest growing Consumers are hungry for better value channel for retail. Thanks to our propositions beyond the traditional funding, we are now ready to scale

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

our operations across the GCC, beyond our UAE home market.” According to the co-founders, eyewa aims to change the eyewear retail game by becoming the leading tech-enabled eyewear specialist in the region. They added that they are determined to offer customers an “innovative online retail experience”; with plans for expansion throughout the GCC by 2018.

$451 billion IS THE TOTAL WORLDWIDE SEMICONDUCTOR REVENUE FORECASTED FOR 2018 Source: Gartner

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HIGHLIGHTS

itcan strengthens personalised e-commerce solutions

Xerox’ new solution to help partners improve profitability

development of o succeed in a new channel competitive where innovation markets, itcan and creativity, such e-commerce as personalised performance push notifications, marketing agency has geo-location revealed efforts to reinforce tools, chat bots its personalised solutions to and integration ensure client growth and with social media customer satisfaction, the applications serve company said. as critical factors “A large number of to reaching the e-commerce solutions target audience. being offered by providers Mansour Al Thani, itcan Various solutions these days show less that cater to this customisation options,” shift from websites are continuing to said Mansour Al Thani, CEO and cobe implemented. founder, itcan. “Companies like itcan “The future of e-commerce are now offering more personalised solutions in the UAE is going to solutions that are catered towards change more than we could ever customer experience, which has led imagine. At itcan, we have taken the to a rise in adoption by brands and time to think about what will change customers. Customer experiences and what it will mean for consumers are specific not generic. Retailers and the retail industry. Knowing that can present a uniquely personalised personalisation is one of the key experience just by knowing a customer’s buying habits, their leisure trends in the e-commerce market, our company constantly strives to interests, their style and colour offer a unique perspective to our preferences.” clientele – a strong branding and Meanwhile, the emergence performance marketing expertise,” of m-commerce and mobile app added Mansour. solutions has resulted in the

D-Link, McAfee come together to enhance security for home networking products D-Link Corporation has recently signed a strategic business partnership with McAfee, a global IT security software provider, aimed at supplying regional channel partners with router products that have the vendor’s Internet security embedded in them. The vendor said the partnership with McAfee is aimed at strengthening the SOHO and consumer networking products array. D-Link and McAfee are well-known, reliable brands striving towards providing the highest-quality networking and security solutions, and this strategic collaboration will allow the two vendors to deepen their product portfolio and enhance the reach in consumer and SOHO segment. Sakkeer Hussain, director, Sales and Marketing, D-Link Middle East and Africa

(MEA), said the D-Link and McAfee partnership is on a global level and the company will in the first quarter of 2018 introduce new routers that are embedded with McAfee Internet security. “This partnership with McAfee will benefit both our channel partners and their end-user customers,” he said. “With several decades of high-level expertise in the networking and IT security domain, D-Link and McAfee are known in the market for developing quality products.” He added that there is already a router product in the pipeline that has been designed for consumers which will have McAfee security in it. “By addressing IT security in our products, we are demonstrating our commitment to providing solutions that address the rapidly evolving IT threat landscape,” he said.

Pui Chi Li, Xerox MEA

erox has introduced a software solution that helps authorised channel partners increase customer satisfaction by providing remote print management to their clients. The company’s new Remote Connect software improves device service and administration, and streamlines meter reads and supplies replenishment. Remote diagnostics and support, based on Internet of Things device connectivity, increases device uptime for customers. Partners will also improve profitability as they manage device needs remotely and spend less time in the field, said the company. Meter reads and supplies orders can be automated under the Remote Connect tool so customers no longer need to monitor and take action themselves. The tool provides Xerox channel partners with the data needed to trigger a delivery of new supplies at the right moment, reducing the amount of supplies customers need to store onsite and avoiding waste, said the firm. “We are committed to working with our partners to deliver the best possible experience for their customers in the Middle East. Our ultimate goal is to reduce the amount of downtime and increase overall customer satisfaction that will consequently deliver better business practices for our regional partners,” said Pui Chi Li, head of marketing, Middle East and Africa, Xerox Developing Markets Operations. The tool also helps partners enable remote billing based on exact usage rather than estimates, minimise supplies waste, and reduce in-person service visits.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

Amazon opens checkout-free store

mazon.com has officially opened its very first checkout-free grocery store to the public following more than a year of beta testing. Amazon Go relies on cameras and sensors to track what shoppers remove from the shelves, and what they put back. The store neither has cash registers nor checkout lines as customers are billed after leaving the store using credit cards on file. Amazon Go, is the company’s latest project aimed at reshaping brick-and-mortar shopping, according to a Reuters report. The convenience-style store opened to Amazon employees in December 2016 in a test phase. For grocers, the store’s opening heralds another potential disruption at the hands of the world’s largest online retailer, which bought high-end supermarket chain Whole Foods Market last year for $13.7 billion. Long lines

can deter shoppers, so a company that figures out how to eradicate wait times will have an advantage. Gianna Puerini, vice president of Amazon Go, said in an interview that the store worked very well throughout the test phase, thanks to four years of prior legwork.

“This technology didn’t exist,” Puerini told Reuters. “It was really advancing the state of the art of computer vision and machine learning.” The 1800-square-foot (167-squaremeter) store is located in an Amazon office building. To start shopping, customers must scan an Amazon Go smartphone app and pass through a gated turnstile. Ready-to-eat lunch items greet shoppers when they enter. Deeper into the store, shoppers can find a small selection of grocery items, including meats and meal kits. An Amazon employee checks IDs in the store’s wine and beer section. Sleek black cameras monitoring from above and weight sensors in the shelves help Amazon determine exactly what people take. If someone passes back through the gates with an item, his or her associated account is charged. If a shopper puts an item back on the shelf, Amazon removes it from his or her virtual cart.

HIGHLIGHTS

Talend sign a master VAR Agreement with Everteam

oftware integration firm Talend has signed a master value-added reseller agreement with Everteam, a provider of Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions. Through this partnership, Everteam will be granted the rights to market, distribute and resell Talend’s software products and services as preferred resellers in the Middle East. Sales developments are open for Everteam across the region, including KSA (exclusively), Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and UAE, as the firm has a strong presence in the region. Talend will be able to benefit from the firm’s vast portfolio and on-ground strength as the company has no direct presence in the region. This will give

both parties new opportunities as they complement each other in data management, Big Data and cloud storage, according to the statement issued. Through this partnership Everteam will continue to provide solid product offerings to its clients in the Middle East, but will also use Talend’s advanced data fabric middleware solution to convert more and more organisations into data driven organisations through advanced Big Data management - data collection, extraction and analytics. Brian Perrins, sales manager, Talend emerging markets, said, “We are thrilled to have Everteam onboard. We know that this partnership will offer a lot of added values for both companies in the region to support our rapidly growing end user base.”

Security trade show Intersec touts new drone zone

AE’s security and safety trade show Intersec’s inaugural Drone Zone and Drone Pavilion attracted many trade visitors and industry influencers last month. Crowds lined up to view the latest in UAV developments and technology and learn about the different adaptations and uses that drone technology has been utilised for. Live demonstrations by the drone specialists from Dubai Civil Defence and Dubai Police, gave visitors an opportunity to get a close look at the various security, logistical and high-tech applications UAVs are employed for today. According to statement by Intersec, whether its multi-rotor drones, single rotor drones, fixed winged drones or hybrid drones, more and more industries

are deploying the latest drones for, surveillance, traffic management, emergency response management, survey mapping, geo-topological analysis and aerial photography. The global market for drones is estimated to reach $21.23 billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 19.99 percent between 2016 and 2022. The Middle East has seen the advent of drone technology in various aspects of everyday life with government agencies using UAVs for mapping, surveillance, inspection, search and rescue and

“Through this partnership, I believe that Everteam will be in an even better position to embrace Big Data and cloud using world class applications from Talend, who are to be recognised as leaders by top industry analytics like Gartner and Forrester,” said Rony Oneissi, vice president Expertise and Solutions, Everteam Global Services.

distribution etc. The UAE government announced recently that it will enable the use of drones in the delivery of medicines and important documents like ID cards and driving licenses to citizens, thus harnessing the power of UAV technology to empower its citizenry. Intersec is held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Official government partners include the Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Defence, Dubai Police Academy, the Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA), and Dubai Municipality.

$3.7 trillion IS THE TOTAL GLOBAL IT SPENDING EXPECTED TO REACH IN 2018 Source: Gartner

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

Fortinet demos security solutions for connected vehicles

and applications, the attack surface is even larger. Integrated security is paramount for the safety and consumer confidence cybersecurity in the connected car. capabilities for the Fortinet is extending connected car of the its global leadership in future at CES 2018 last network security to the month in the Renesas automotive industry as Advanced and manufacturers begin Autonomous Test Track to develop vehicles and Future Ready that require automated Solutions Showcase. security with real-time “Connected vehicles Michael Xie, Fortinet threat intelligence are the next major and strategic technology innovation segmentation to protect the car’s disrupting the automotive industry. complex architecture. We are excited With 3D mapping, sensor processing, to collaborate with Renesas and smart device integration, clouddemonstrate secure network solutions based services, advanced LAN/CAN that meet the unique requirements networks, and autonomous driving of the evolving automotive operating defining the connected car of the environment at CES.” future, the cyber risks are enormous,” At CES, Fortinet and Renesas said Michael Xie, founder, president displayed how the Fortinet Security and chief technology officer, Fortinet. Fabric technology running on the “And with IoT devices connecting to R-Car H3 SoC provides security policy the car network to access content ortinet has exhibited advanced

management and automated protection of the powertrain and communication domains in the vehicle, including the LTE module, vehicle-to-vehicle communications module, the wireless access point, the engine control module and more.

$2.1 billion

IS THE TOTAL WORLDWIDE SPENDING ON BLOCKCHAIN SOLUTIONS FORECASTED FOR 2018 Source: IDC

Genetec reveals Intersec Dubai 2018 lineup

enetec showcased its latest unified security technology solutions and initiatives at Intersec Dubai 2018 last month. The firm unveiled Citigraf, a decision support system that unifies public safety operations across city departments for interagency collaboration. The company will also showcased Security Center 5.7, its unified, open architecture security flagship. Security Center 5.7 automatically identifies edge devices and cameras that need firmware Firas Jadalla, Genetec updates, helping

assure network protection, integrity, and ‘Security of Security’. Privacy Protector is certified with the European Privacy Seal (EuroPriSe) and ‘GDPRready’, providing image blurring and pixelisation with encryption to assure privacy and compliance. A new distribution feature with HID mobile access control credentials ensures business continuity with native access control failover and mobile HID credentials management. Security Center 5.7 is available now through the global network of Genetec certified channel partners. “In 2017, we witnessed an

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

increase in cyber-attacks, privacy breaches, and poorly-designed software and equipment,” said Firas Jadalla, regional director, Sales, Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Genetec. “Genetec is keeping the conversation going to urge its integrators and customers to establish trusted best practices that can keep its people and organisations safe and secure. Genetec Security Center 5.7 addresses these concerns head on by offering unmatched levels of authentication, encryption, and authorisation—in a unified platform.” With an intuitive interface built on Genetec Security Center, Citigraf collects, manages, and correlates information provided by integrated CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) systems, CCTV footage, ALPR data, RMS (Record Management Systems) and more. This system helps law enforcement and security dispatch operators immediately identify and display the exact location of an event using icons on a map from a built-in geographical information system (GIS).

HIGHLIGHTS

Infor joins LinkedIn Learning Solution’s LMS Integration Partner Programme

nfor has announced the company’s inclusion in the LinkedIn Learning Solution’s LMS Integration Partner Programme. This will allow the firm to integrate Infor Learning Management Tarik Taman, Infor (LMS) with LinkedIn Learning, which is expected to result in access to more flexible training options for joint customers. Combined Infor LMS and LinkedIn Learning customers will be able to access LinkedIn Learning with Lynda.com content through their Infor LMS solution. The functionality is currently expected to be available early this year. According to the firm, LinkedIn Learning is designed to combine content from Lynda.com with personalised course recommendations, based on insights from LinkedIn’s network. Users can select from topics covering leadership skills, time management, problem solving, peer relationships, conflict management, project management, communication and presentation skills. Part of the

Infor Human Capital Management (HCM) suite of solutions, Infor LMS is a robust end-toend solution designed to help with creating, delivering, and reporting on learning throughout an internal and extended organisation. Its goal is to help accelerate the rate at which organisations can help employees achieve their full potential by learning how to improve various business skills, which can contribute directly to the success of the company. “Successful organisations understand that if they foster the talent within their workforce, they can help them achieve their full potential and can help them transfer those learning accomplishments directly to the business,” said Tarik Taman, VP and general manager, IMEA, Infor. “Aligning ourselves with leading companies such as LinkedIn can help ensure that we are working to provide our customers with the best learning experience and options in the marketplace, so their organisations can be better positioned for true return on capability.”

LogRhythm helps safeguard personal data

ogRhythm has released its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Compliance Module, a fully-integrated security solution for achieving and validating GDPR compliance. For companies that collect and process personal data of European Union citizens, the LogRhythm GDPR Compliance Module offers a robust, pre-built suite of rules, alerts, and reports specifically mapped to GDPR Articles. By implementing LogRhythm’s GDPR Compliance Module, organisations can protect their customers’ personal data, avoid negative publicity, prevent loss of customer confidence and avoid fines. All organisations doing business with companies or individuals within the EU fall under the scope of the GDPR and are subject to compliance with the new law. Non-compliance can result in significant penalties, including fines of up to €20 million or four percent of an offending organisation’s global

annual revenue. Ensuring compliance with the GDPR promises to be a major operational and technological exercise for all subject organisations. Gartner predicts that by the end of 2018, less than 50 percent of companies affected by the GDPR will be in full compliance with its requirements. “Given the breadth of the GDPR, no single solution provides automatic compliance with all aspects of the regulation. In fact, there are more people and process requirements to the regulation than technology,” said James Carder, chief information security officer and GDPR data protection officer, LogRhythm. “The LogRhythm GDPR Compliance Module offers a simplified approach towards meeting this new regulation by providing a fundamental security framework designed to help organisations address the technology requirements of the GDPR. This framework helps organisations reduce risk, avoid fines and preserve their ability to conduct business in and with the EU.”

Samsung Galaxy S9 to launch this month

amsung has rolled out invitations to its muchanticipated Galaxy S9 unveiling, announcing the launch event to take place on 25th February in Barcelona, just a day before the official start of Mobile World Congress conference in Spain. The event will be streamed live via Samsung’s website. According to the company, customers can expect a more refined camera on the latest flagship device as the invite has the text “Camera, reimagined”. Media reports are predicting the device will have improved battery, enhanced screen and possible experimental features. The Galaxy S9 line-up is also expected to be among the first to feature Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 845 processor, which was announced recently. The new smartphone line is being introduced to the market just after a few months of its competitor’s Apple’s iPhone X launch. Since the launch of its Galaxy Note8 lineup, the company seems to have recovered from its Galaxy Note7 fiasco and gained back market share. The company’s flagship devices continued to perform well in Q3 2017, according to a recent IDC report. It stated that Samsung has remained the overall leader in the worldwide smartphone market with 83.3 million units shipped, up 9.5 percent from 2016.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS Kodak Alaris appoints new regional head Hani Raad, Cisco

Cisco names new regional general manager Cisco has appointed Hani Raad as general manager for its West Region in the Middle East. In his new role, Raad will focus on leading Cisco’s digital transformation initiatives in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the Levant and Iraq, and will work closely with its partner ecosystem to support government and private sector customers on their digitisation journeys, while helping them drive desired business outcomes. In his new role, Raad will be responsible for overseeing the firm’s business operations and driving its growth plans across his markets. In this expanded role, he will leverage Cisco’s growing portfolio of solutions and work to strengthen collaboration with governments and Cisco’s partner network to ensure that Cisco remains the region’s partner of choice for digitisation. “I look forward to my new role and am excited about the tremendous opportunities that are present across the countries I oversee,” said Raad. “As a company at the forefront of digital business transformation with the broadest technology solutions, Cisco is well positioned to help accelerate the digital transformation of our customers in a meaningful way. By leveraging our global experience and industry-leading innovations we are able to help the region’s organisations become future-ready as they transition towards the digital era.” Having joined Cisco over 11 years ago, Raad has a diverse 24-year background of regional ICT sector experience coupled with cross-industry exposure.

Kodak Alaris has appointed Naji Kazak as general manager for Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Russia. Kazak will lead the planning and execution of business development and strategy across this region. With over 15 years of experience in hardware and software solutions in the Middle East and Africa, Kazak has been instrumental in helping previous organisations grow their channel networks, increase market share and expand to new markets. As Kodak Alaris’ go-to-market model is partner focused with over 90 percent of the company’s business routed through channel, partner recruitment and enablement is high on Kazak’s priorities. Other key areas that he will drive include customer oriented activities to build stronger relationships, enhancing the after-sales support structure, building on the strength of the company’s production capture capabilities and identifying and targeting new markets and verticals. He will focus on driving business across the GCC, Turkey, Egypt, South

Africa, and North Africa and target verticals including banking and finance, Naji Kazak, Kodak Alaris Government, BPOs, insurance, healthcare and education – industries where the company has traditionally enjoyed a great amount of success. Kazak said, “I am thrilled to join Kodak Alaris at such an exciting time when the company has ambitious plans to expand in the region. I look forward to joining this great team to help establish Kodak Alaris as the information management company of choice and expand our growth initiatives. Our IN2 ecosystem is the best in the industry, and I am committed to ensuring that we have the right strategy in place to quickly respond to customer and partner needs and fully capitalise on market opportunities as they present themselves.”

Veritas announces new CEO Data management vendor, Veritas Technologies has appointed Greg Hughes as chief executive officer, as part of a planned succession strategy to lead Greg Hughes, Veritas the next phase of the company’s evolution. Hughes will also join the Veritas board. Bill Coleman, Veritas’ previous CEO, will remain a member of the Veritas board, continuing to serve as a trusted advisor to the company. He will also join The Carlyle Group as an operating executive. Hughes recently served as CEO of Serena Software, an enterprise

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

application lifecycle management software company. Previously, he joined Veritas in 2003 and held various executive roles for the next seven years through the merger with Symantec. He rose to president of Enterprise Products at Symantec, which included responsibility for all Veritas products. “I am excited to return to Veritas at a time when data management has never been more critical for our customers globally,” said Greg Hughes, chief executive officer, Veritas. “I look forward to continuing the company’s evolution and am confident, working with Veritas’ strong executive management, that we have the right global team, product set and expertise in place to enable Veritas to capitalise on existing and future growth opportunities.”

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

F5 announces new positions F5 Networks has announced the addition of four new executives to its leadership team, reporting directly to president and CEO François Locoh-Donou. Kara Sprague, in the new role of senior vice president, general manager of Application Delivery Controller (ADC), and Ram Krishnan, in the new role of senior vice president, general manager of Security, will lead product portfolio management and product and solutions marketing for their respective areas. They will have accountability for product success from development through sales across private and public cloud, software, hardware, and emerging technologies.

Tom Fountain has been named as the executive vice president and chief strategy officer. In this new role, Fountain will lead the company’s mergers and acquisitions programme. More broadly, he will be responsible for driving the business’ longterm strategy and working crossfunctionally to accelerate growth. Fountain will also oversee corporate development initiatives, business development activities, technology partnerships, and new business incubation projects. In addition, Ana White has joined F5 as the company’s first executive vice president and chief human resources

Commvault names new head of global partnerships Commvault has appointed Owen Taraniuk to head of Worldwide Partnerships and Market Development, effective immediately. In this new position, Taraniuk will be responsible for leading the creation and execution of the company’s global go-to-market Owen Taraniuk, Commvault (GTM) strategy and indirect partnerships. Taraniuk’s 25 years of experience in the technology solutions industry ideally positions him for this new role. His experience includes senior leadership roles for multi-national organisations across EMEA and APJ. Prior to joining Commvault, Taraniuk was the vice president of Asia Pacific and Japan for EMC2 Corporation, Enterprise Content Division.

“Taraniuk’s appointment signals a strategic shift towards being partner-led with a focus on increasing our investment in alliance and partner relationships whose role in growing and scaling Commvault’s global business is critical in our future plan,” said Ron Miiller, senior vice president of Worldwide Sales for Commvault. Taraniuk and the Worldwide Partnerships and Market Development team will work closely with Commvault’s Solutions Groups and Marketing to jointly align and drive existing and new solutions to market. “I am excited to be leading this initiative to greatly extend Commvault’s global footprint together with partners

officer. With over 4,500 employees worldwide, White will lead people practices and professional growth programmes, recruiting and diversity, organisational development, and employee advocacy initiatives. “As we continue to strengthen our offerings in the cloud and security markets, executive-level management and experience expanding global teams will be a critical factor in our success,” said Locoh-Donou. “I’m thrilled with the additions of Kara, Ram, Tom and Ana to F5 and look forward to working with them to bring new, innovative solutions to market that will set us up for organic growth in the years to come.”

and customers by aligning our tremendous innovation and leadership in data protection with world-class offerings from leading organisations,” said Taraniuk. Taraniuk joined Commvault in October 2015 as Vice President of Asia Pacific and Japan. During the last two years, his strategic vision and development of a strong leadership team led to greater cross-functional engagement, an expanded set of partnerships and significant customer growth in the region, said the firm.

I am excited to be leading this initiative to greatly extend Commvault’s global footprint together with partners and customers by aligning our tremendous innovation and leadership in data protection with worldclass offerings from leading organisations.”

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

APPOINTMENTS

Philips Middle East names new CEO The health technology vendor, Royal Philips has announced the appointment of Özlem Fidancı as chief executive officer for the company’s operations in the Middle East and Turkey. Fidancı, a Philips veteran, is set to continue driving the company’s strategic objectives and overall growth across the region. In her new role, Fidancı will be responsible for 16 countries. Özlem Fidancı said, “Philips has had a longstanding history in the region, and the Middle East and Turkey is an important market for Philips, one which reflects our growing commitment towards driving our investments further across the region.” “We are keen to be working with the private sector as well as governments throughout the region to help build an innovative approach towards a stronger healthcare infrastructure, in line with national health agendas. The aim is to optimise healthcare data management, enhance clinical performance, patient experience, and deliver an added value to the local health systems,” added Fidancı. Having graduated from Turkey’s Boğaziçi University in 1992, Fidancı began her career Tetra Pak as Business Development Manager until 1998, where she then joined Philips, and held a number of senior roles. After having served as the Philips Consumer Products general manager since 2008, Fidancı became the head of Marketing, Sales and Strategy to the Philips Electronics business in Singapore in 2010, where she played an important role in driving the company’s emerging markets’ strategic plans. In 2011, she rejoined the region as vice president and general manager to the Philips Consumer Products Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META). Fidancı became the senior vice president Health Systems for the Middle East and Turkey in 2015, and since then has carried out a number of successful projects that aimed at extending healthcare solutions, digital health applications and increasing people’s access to healthcare services.

New senior management joins AMD AMD has appointed Mike Rayfield as senior vice president and general manager of AMD Radeon Technologies Group (RTG), and David Wang as senior vice president of engineering for RTG. Both will report to president and CEO Lisa Su. Rayfield will be responsible for all aspects of strategy and business management for AMD’s graphics business including consumer graphics, professional graphics, and semi-custom products. Wang will be responsible for all aspects of graphics engineering, including the technical strategy, architecture, hardware, and software for AMD graphics products and technologies. “Rayfield and Wang are industry leaders who bring proven track records of delivering profitable business growth and leadership product roadmaps,” said Lisa Su. “We enter 2018 with incredible momentum for our graphics business based on the full set of GPU products we introduced last year for the consumer, professional, and machine learning markets. Under Mike and David’s leadership, I am confident we will continue to grow the footprint of Radeon

across the gaming, immersive, and GPU compute markets.” David Wang, RTG With more than 30 years of technology industry experience, Rayfield joins AMD from Micron Technology, where he was senior vice president and general manager of the Mobile Business Unit. Prior to Micron, Rayfield served as general manager of the Mobile Business Unit at Nvidia, where he led the team that created Tegra. With more than 25 years of graphics and silicon development experience, Wang brings deep technical expertise in managing complex silicon development to AMD. Wang rejoins AMD from Synaptics, where he was senior vice president of Systems Silicon Engineering responsible for silicon systems development of Synaptics products. Prior to joining Synaptics, Wang was corporate vice president at AMD responsible for SOC development of AMD processor products.

ServiceNow announces regional director ServiceNow has promoted Mark Ackerman to the position of regional director for Middle East, South Africa, Turkey and Eastern Europe, including Russia (MESAT & EE). Joaquin Reixa, senior AVP EMEA South, ServiceNow, said, “In 2015, Ackerman was appointed to run the Middle East territory for ServiceNow and in just three years, he has recruited a talented and dedicated core team, helped raise the brand awareness of ServiceNow in the region and built a strong client base that includes globally recognised regional brands in the aviation, banking and finance, transport and oil and gas sectors. We have set some extremely ambitious objectives

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

for the region over the next three to five years, and given Ackerman’s track record and understanding of the market and opportunity, I have full confidence that he is best suited to lead the team and spearhead our growth in the region.” Taking full responsibility for the Emerging Markets territory, Ackerman has been tasked with accelerating regional revenue contribution, to EMEA, to $1 billion by 2020. To that end, his focus for 2018 will be on growing ServiceNow’s footprint and market share, particularly in the UAE, Saudi, Kuwait and Bahrain, via additional direct hires and further investments in existing channel partners and alliances.

OPINION // NUTANIX

Seek the silver lining Jan Ursi, EMEA director of channel, Nutanix, advises channel partners to create digital services based on cloud technologies that can benefit organisations.

ccording to a report by Gartner, by 2019, the total public cloud services spending in the MENA region will rise to $1.42 billion, with the largest growth coming from cloud management and security at 21 percent. This is then followed by SaaS and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) with growth rates of 20.2 percent and 19.3 percent respectively. This should spell good news for channel partners who have invested in and bet big on hosting cloud services for their customers, particularly as they look towards new more IT-intensive digital services such as VR and AI. Conflicting with this rapid growth, however, is a small fraction of channel partners who are starting to pull back from the cloud. This isn’t happening

by chance – it’s driven by a wider trend of businesses taking the same approach. Historically, businesses in the Middle East have always been a little more cautious than other regions to adopt a public cloud approach preferring to host sensitive data in their own private cloud. This, coupled with a shortage of local facilities who are able to host the data on the ground, make the choice to switch to a public cloud even more challenging. So, how should channel partners react to ensure they can stay relevant and in business? Hidden costs When it was first launched, one of the most highly-anticipated benefits of the public cloud was its fulfilment of businesses’ desire to move away from

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

CAPEX to OPEX models. This forced major hardware partners to change tactics and reinvent themselves to focus on services within the public cloud model. As time has gone on, many partners and businesses have realised that the cost benefits aren’t exactly what they seem. The increasing run-rates over time add up to a recipe that just doesn’t work for all workloads, particularly those that are more predictable and can be easily run on-premises. Throwing away the key Aside from bill shock, another common grievance with the public cloud is ‘lockin’ rules. When ‘data gravity’ sets in and partners and customers realise they might have too much happening in

Jan Ursi Nutanix

“What we need is hybrid cloud – not as it is known now – but hybrid cloud that really works and creates the right balance between public cloud and modern on-premises solutions like hyperconverged infrastructure and enterprise cloud.”

a responsibility to ensure that sensitive data does not end up in jurisdictions that break countries’ or customers’ governance policies, particularly as these policies become more stringent. This is of particular prevalence in the Middle East, for example. It is a reality that there aren’t many local data centres hosting cloud services here on the ground. For many organisations, it is not seen as an option to host data abroad, and is illegal for government organisations to do the same.

the public cloud and the rising costs that go with it, they’re often met with unexpected costs when they try to move anything back. Only realising these costs at such a late stage can be incredibly damaging, and it’s something all partners working in the public cloud space or considering it need to be aware of. Increased governance Another issue cloud partners face is governance i.e. how to control where all the potentially sensitive data customers trust them with reside in a secure manner. Data can move all around the world in the blink of an eye. The very nature of the public cloud means data and workloads stored in it easily become a part of this process. The channel has

Making the cloud work The public cloud will continue to grow with great opportunities for channel partners. But we’ll see less in the way of ‘all-in’ public cloud strategies, and businesses and partners who have gone down that road continue to come back from it. What we need is hybrid cloud – not as it is known now – but hybrid cloud that really works and creates the right balance between public cloud and modern on-premises solutions like

hyperconverged infrastructure and enterprise cloud. If we can get that right, channel partners will be able to provide the right infrastructure and services to help customers take advantage of all the benefits technology can bring. Technology vendors are starting to play a part in making this a reality – traditional public cloud providers are working with modern on-premises providers to develop hybrid solutions that work for businesses. At Nutanix for example, we’ve announced a partnership with Google to help achieve this and also launched our Calm service, which will help partners across the Middle East easily move apps across different environments. As opportunities in the public cloud space continue to expand, it is important that partners consider its limitations, risks and pain points, and in doing so find a balance that enables them to tailor and make infrastructure work for customers, and help them create digital services that benefit the business at hand.

“The channel has a responsibility to ensure that sensitive data does not end up in jurisdictions that break countries’ or customers’ governance policies, particularly as these policies become more stringent.”

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

COVER STORY // AVAYA

PUBLIC PROMISE As a publicly listed firm Avaya International’s first priorities are to enable partners to maximise the accelerated innovation it aims to bring.

ost a year of restructuring and successful emergence from Chapter 11, Avaya has begun trading as a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) last month. The balance sheet restructuring that took place over the last year resulted in getting rid of billions of dollars of debt, releasing over $300 million in positive cash flows. Ringing the opening bell to mark the first day of trading as a public company in New York on 17th January, Jim Chirico, president and chief executive officer, Avaya, said, “On behalf of our entire team, our customers and partners, it is an honour to mark the day of trading on the NYSE for the new Avaya, which is more focused than ever on leading the industry’s digital transformation.”

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

The company is now looking to invest in innovation through collaboration with partners. “Going public is a major milestone for us because it is a sign of trust by the markets in our future. And that was based on our past performance, current strategies, customer installment base and partners’ commitment to Avaya,” said Fadi Moubarak, vice president, Channels, Avaya International. He added that being listed on the NYSE will also help the firm’s partner community with “accelerated innovation” that it aims to bring. “In the wealth of connectivity that is out there, our customers are looking to create experiences for their customers. They want to be able to automate processes and workflows in an intuitive manner. This is where Avaya has taken the conscious strategy to transform our products into platforms that are easily and smoothly integrated with other

products and solutions to create seamless experiences for customers.” Moubarak explained that the firm will assist partners to address the experience creation opportunity with innovative solutions. “We are enabling partners to integrate Avaya with other technologies and become a key component of any relevant solution for customers. We had started this journey more than a year ago and seen the benefits in the solutions that we have. We are building these solutions together with our partners,” he said. “For our partners, it is no longer about reselling what we produce, but using what we produce to resell what they produce to create comprehensive solutions for customers. This amplifies the opportunity and partners’ relevance to customers.” He added that the value proposition is transformed and becomes more business impacting rather than adding only the value of technology. Moubarak said the communications company is now offering opportunities to its customers and partners to develop their own value proposition using its products as a platform instead of just products that deliver only fixed values. “We play the bridge between business application and communication worlds. Our aim is to enable innovation and create strong customer experiences. In any industry today, the aspects that differentiate a player from competition are around experiences and services.” According to Moubarak, the company has tweaked its Avaya Edge programme

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

COVER STORY // AVAYA

“Going public is a major milestone for us because it is a sign of trust by the markets in our future. And that was based on our past performance, current strategies, customer installment base and partners’ commitment to Avaya.” to reward and encourage partners to invest in this transformation. “We have made the Avaya Edge programme to be modular. Partners can pick and choose the market segments that they are keen on. Different levels of investments will result in different types of rewards. Partners have an option to choose only a CAPEX model or go for a cloud-based one. The more they engage with Avaya, the rewards become more incremental and independent.” The company will double down on its cloud commitment to ensure it achieves a double-digit growth by the year end. “Cloud is an enabler for accelerating technology adoption. As customers consume technology on an OPEX model, they are more likely to use a

technology much earlier as compared on a CAPEX budget. It is therefore important for partners to develop their cloud strategy on products that can be customised and innovated upon,” explained Moubarak. CEO Chirico said that the firm has “unparalleled opportunities” ahead of it. “For example, only about 10 percent of our contact centre customers have migrated to the cloud. We are passionate about providing the flexibility, open architectures, and deployment options that our customers need to exceed expectations, move ahead of the competition, and quickly take advantage of such new technologies as artificial intelligence, blockchain and the Internet of Things,” he said. According to Moubarak, over the course of 2018, what partners will expect

from the company and what its objectives are, will be along the same lines. Over the course of 2018, what partners will expect from Avaya and the company’s objectives are along the same lines, according to Moubarak. “With a dedicated focus on customers, we will grow our business and capture our fair market share through our solutions and value proposition.” He added that the market can expect to see an “aggressive Avaya that is a customer-focused sales machine.” “We cannot meet our objectives without our partners. They have stuck with us for many years today and now we are transforming together, because the joint opportunity in the market is tremendous,” he said.

“We cannot meet our objectives without our partners. They have stuck with us for many years today and now we are transforming together, because the joint opportunity in the market is tremendous.”

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

PRESENTS

27TH MARCH 2018 AT HABTOOR GRAND RESORT

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FEATURE // SMB OPPORTUNITIES

SMALL Contributing a large chunk to the Middle East economy, small and medium sized businesses (SMB) comprise the vast majority of regional organisations. Reseller ME examines trends and factors driving growth in this segment.

of the market in the Middle East region, contributing significantly to the economy. Khalid Khan, director, Cloud and Midmarket Segment, Avaya International, says, “As part of the region’s economic diversification strategy, we are seeing increasing support for the SMB sector, leading to considerable improvements in the ‘ease-of-doingbusiness’ ranking - especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The increasing trend towards digital transformation and the rise of so-called disruptive technologies is also allowing digitally smart SMBs to overcome traditional hurdles.” Dave Brooke, vice president, Client Solutions, Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Dell EMC, says, “In this digital era, when advanced technologies make for more productive, effective and streamlined businesses, it seems obvious that SMBs, if not all, should adopt and embrace at least some degree of digitisation.” According to the findings of Dell EMC’s Digital Business Study, only 4 percent of organisations in the GCC region have implemented digital transformation initiatives. Brooke adds, “As the needs vary, it is difficult to pinpoint the exact state of the market, but the interest exists. SMBs appear to have a significant appetite for disruption to overcome their business challenges.” He believes the primary reasons behind the growth of the SMB sector includes increasing operational efficiencies to meet new demands, expanding capabilities and introducing new products and services through technology investments and serving new markets and customers.

IS BIG echnology vendors are increasingly creating solutions and building strategies specifically targeting small and medium-sized businesses (SMB). With the advent of cloud and evolving consumption models, vendors are now capitalising on the extensive market potential and opportunities that exist in the SMB segment within all markets globally. An IDC report has estimated SMB purchase of IT products and services to reach $668 billion in 2020 globally. The report said that SMBs would invest significantly in hardware, software and IT services over the next two years with these three categories representing more than 85 percent of the worldwide total. “SMB spending on advanced technology continues to grow across all categories,” said Raymond Boggs, program vice president, Small and Medium Business Markets, IDC. “Spending increases of $25 billion are expected in 2017 and 2018, with much of the growth coming from SMB investment in software and services solutions.” SMBs make up for the majority

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

Hemayun Bazaz, regional manager, Channel Sales, Middle East and Turkey, HPE Aruba, says other reasons why most organisations are focusing on the SMB segment are because the sales cycles are comparatively shorter and more predictable with limited financial constraints. He says, “Customers in this segment also want to stay best in class in terms of connectivity, work force productivity and customer service. Partners keeping up to the technology and ensuring the technical teams are ready and equipped to deliver the right solution will ensure long-term growth here.” The prospects present in this segment extend to every kind of technology today. According to a

“In this digital era, when advanced technologies make for more productive, effective and streamlined businesses, it seems obvious that SMBs, if not all, should adopt and embrace at least some degree of digitisation.” Dave Brooke, Dell EMC

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

15 More Enterprise Customers chose Data TAAG Technologies for their IT Projects in 2017.

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Hemayun Bazaz, HPE Aruba

“Partners keeping up to the technology and ensuring the technical teams are ready and equipped to deliver the right solution will ensure long-term growth here.”

recent research by Gartner, SMBs are driving growth in cloud-based security services. Brooke said, “SMBs are modernising their infrastructure with flashbased, cloud-based and converged technologies, automating operations, creating virtual and software-defined servers, storage and networking to deliver the right services at the speed the business requires.” He added that as future-ready mobility strategies are based on people and data, SMBs are heavily investing in notebooks and desktops designed with the security, flexibility and easy manageability that allows for continued growth. Epicor Software’s senior director for international channels, Hesham El Komy, has seen an increased adoption of various open source solutions such as databases, operating systems and

Sakkeer Hussain, D-Link MEA

analytics tools within the SMB segment. Cloud technologies are also popular among SMB organisations. “This is because they are increasingly looking to benefit from the lower initial investment in terms of both finances and manpower, and the high potential ROI, to grow as quickly and efficiently as possible,” he says. Komy explains that with majority of the market constituting SMB organisations, it gives the partners a critical mass of companies to target and acquire as customers through specialisation in specific industry verticals and technologies. “Specialisation, if done correctly will give them great economies of scale, through focus and repeatability, and in return much higher profitability per transaction. It is an all-round enabler of growth,” he adds.

“Partners should identify their strengths as a good starting point to understand how to deploy products, solutions or services in the SMB sector.”

SMBs are depndant on channel partners to guide them through the myriad of complex technologies that exist and help them choose the ones that are most suited to their needs. Zacky Vaz, regional channel manager, Fortinet, says, “The opportunity for partners lies in being trusted advisors and not simply push products. It’s demonstrating the value that each solution brings to the SMB customer, and what it means for them in the long term.” Vaz urges partners to remember that SMB customers usually have limited budgets and look to invest strategically in solutions that will deliver more for less. “Besides, a lack of dedicated IT resources and security expertise, ease of management, competitive pricing, and after sales support are some of the key points that channel partner should keep in mind when approaching SMB customers,” he adds. “Having the right sales and technical expertise will definitely help SMBs improve bottom line profitability. Also they need to focus on customer retention policy, upgrade IT infrastructure to support customer demands, and improve security of the business.” Agreeing with Vaz, Sakkeer Hussain, sales and marketing director, D-Link MEA, says that partners should first understand each SMB business requirements and develop domain expertise. “This will lead to partners offering the right solutions that help these small businesses to thrive and increase productivity. Businesses are very conscious to price hence it is important to offer solutions that they can afford. Affordability is top of the list of any small business. Partners should identify their strengths as a good starting point to understand how to deploy products, solutions or services in the SMB sector,” he says. Kristian Kerr, head of channel, Alliances and Commercial, EMEA, Juniper Networks believes when targeting SMBs, the channel strategy is just as important as the offering that’s being sold. “Pre-packaged and bundled offerings with simple management is what SMBs are looking to consume, supported by subscription and ‘pay as you grow’ financing models,” he says. “Partners must act as trusted advisors to their

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

FEATURE // SMB OPPORTUNITIES

“The opportunity for partners lies in being trusted advisors and not simply push products. It’s demonstrating the value that each solution brings to the SMB customer, and what it means for them in the long term.” Zacky Vaz, Fortinet

customers, since small businesses seek capabilities that stretch beyond product knowledge and support services.” While the opportunities in the SMB segment are varied and many, partners might also have some challenges to completely optimise them. Vaz says it is not an easy task for channel partners to be that trusted advisor, however focused planning will help. He says, “Partners need to reduce cost of sales by selecting fewer vendors, provide better support services, enjoy competitive pricing by building brand loyalty to secure larger share of an SMB’s IT budget.” HPE Aruba’s Bazaz believes partners also face challenges of cash flows and receivables that impact working capital. He says, “This calls for most effective financial planning and

management and organisations that are able to do so will eventually succeed.” Besides these challenges, declining oil prices also impact the success of channel partners. Hussain adds, “That has naturally put further pressure on margins hence the need for vendors and distributors to step in and help partners to navigate these challenges and emerge much stronger when the market improves.” He also explains that it is difficult for partners to find cost-effective ways to drive sales when they do not have substantial marketing and sales budgets. Vendors need to offer customised marketing solutions and offer training and incentives to help partners become successful in this segment. “As the SMB sector is so fragmented, it presents challenges for those partners who adopt a generalist approach.

Hence, providing tailored offerings to the varying needs of their customers has become a mandatory strategy for partners to follow,” he adds. Credit poses another pressing channel issue, which has concerned both distributors and resellers in how they conduct business with each other. With prolonged sales cycles in some countries across the region, some smaller players are being impacted with cash flows as they are limited with what projects they can tender for. Challenges exist in every vertical but experts believe through appropriate and focused planning partners can overcome and address them to emerge as profitable players. Partners need to embrace the opportunities present in the SMB segment and devise innovative strategies to appeal to the SMB customer.

“Pre-packaged and bundled offerings with simple management is what SMBs are looking to consume, supported by subscription and ‘pay as you grow’ financing models.” Kristian Kerr, Juniper Networks

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com www.tahawultech.com

PRESENTS

Tahawul Tech would like to extend sincere thanks to our fantastic partners for their support at the 4th annual CIO 100 Awards. Your support is just as important to our winnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; innovation as it is to ours.

FEATURE // PARTNERSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ROLE IN AI

INTELLIGENCE BEYOND IMAGINATION 30

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

Artificial intelligence (AI) market is generating immense buzz within the industry, just in its nascent stage. Reseller ME explores if channel partners have a role to play and how they can tap into the prospects successfully.

rtificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that is around 60 years old, the term was coined at a Dartmouth College Conference organised by John McCarthy, an American computer scientist and inventor in 1956. However, even before that, English mathematician Alan Turing had published a paper titled ‘Computing Machinery and Intelligence’ in 1950, which paved the path two the field that would be called AI. Today, we are seeing many more on-ground applications and use-cases of this technology and even though it still remains at an embryonic stage, technology players know they cannot miss a piece of this pie. A PwC study indicated that 72 percent of business leaders termed AI as a “business advantage”. To the firm’s question on which AI-powered solutions digital executives imagine having the largest impact on their business, the majority, 31 percent, said virtual personal assistants. Automated data analysts (29 percent), automated communications like emails and chatbots (28 percent), automated research reports and information aggregation (26 percent), and automated operational and efficiency analysts (26 percent) were among the top five. Shadi Salama, channel leader, East Region, Cisco Middle East, says, “AI

Amit Roy, Paladion

represents a tremendous opportunity to expand the reach and enhance the capabilities of enterprise technology. Automation and AI are already disrupting many industries and causing sweeping economic changes in certain segments. But they are also creating opportunities for people to learn new skills and have more interesting work— perhaps even in job categories that don’t yet exist.” The use-cases we are seeing today are still a long way off from the predicted potential of the technology, and some players tout automation as AI. So, is AI, at the moment, another glorified term for automation? “Not really,” says Mario Veljovic, general manager, VAD Technologies. “AI is used in a wider context with a desired ultimate goal in mind. But most customers would actually need automation to start with.” Amit Roy, executive vice president and regional head, EMEA, Paladion, agrees that automation and AI are used interchangeably often. “This is because the desired outcome for both automation and AI is similar— to develop a machine that can take over a human action. But automation and AI handle very different actions, and solve very different problems,” he says. When it comes to automation, machines that can perform a repetitive simple activity with no variation between each action are created.

“Once you tell an automated system what to do, it keeps doing that one function until you tell it to stop. With AI, you develop a machine that can mimic human behaviour and thinking.”

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

FEATURE // PARTNERS’ ROLE IN AI

Shadi Salama, Cisco Middle East

“AI represents a tremendous opportunity to expand the reach and enhance the capabilities of enterprise technology.”

Roy explains, “Once you tell an automated system what to do, it keeps doing that one function until you tell it to stop. With AI, you develop a machine that can mimic human behaviour and thinking. “You don’t tell AI what to do, you point AI in a direction and ask it questions. From there, AI turns to the direction you pointed, looks for patterns, learns from what it sees, and provides answers to your question. AI is set to get even more advanced in the coming future.” He adds that automation solves simple ‘mechanical’ problems while AI solves complex ‘cognitive’ issues. “Under cognitive is where most modern cybersecurity problems fall under,” he says.

Mario Veljovic, VAD Technologies

Salama says, “It’s important to realise that AI does not stand alone. It must be developed, deployed, and utilised in the context of other disruptive technologies, especially Internet of Things and cybersecurity.” Considering that AI is at its infancy, do channel partners have a role to play? “Definitely,” says Veljovic. He believes channel partners can play a significant role is this area. He says, “They can help their customers’ digital transformation journey. Partners hold the required know-how to bring together IT infrastructure, data and automation, to build the foundation for any successful digital transformation and ultimately the effective use of AI in the long run.”

However to add value on how to automate and optimise processes, partners need to first understand their customers’ business comprehensively. Veljovic adds, “There is still not enough industry specialisation of channel partners. Also, partners must acknowledge and truly understand that such opportunities are not shortterm engagements with customers, but a long one. This could be even over a number of years. Identifying an opportunity is then actually easy, as every customer is an opportunity.” According to Cisco’s Salama, the industry is gradually moving from being reactive and proactive to being predictive. He says, “The key here is moving to that domain where we can predict problems and resolve them before it happens. Although the market is competitive, by identifying those vendors who will work collaboratively and support partners’ journey, the sky is the limit. Borders are disappearing and customers are globalising. There’s never been a better time to implement change, not just from a technology perspective but also social as new technologies create opportunities for people.” Partners should take the time and initiative to understand the potential of this field. They must devise strategies as to how they can develop their existing expertise to complement a completely AI-enabled business environment, a future that is closer than we think.

“Partners hold the required know-how to bring together IT infrastructure, data and automation, to build the foundation for any successful digital transformation and ultimately the effective use of AI in the long run.”

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

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FEATURE // SAAS PROSPECTS

DEPLOYING SOFTWARE-AS-ASERVICE Reseller ME examines how partners can profit from opportunities and remain relevant in the Software-asa-Service (SaaS) applications space.

n the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model, third-party providers host applications and ensures it is accessible to customers. As one of the main categories of cloud computing, SaaS along with Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) performance have been driving growth over the course of last year. Gartner defines SaaS as software that is owned, delivered and managed remotely by one or more providers. The provider delivers software based on one set of common code and data definitions that is consumed in a one-tomany model by all contracted customers at any time on a pay-for-use basis or as a subscription based on use metrics. A Gartner report said SaaS revenue is predicted to grow from $58.6 billion in 2017 to $99.7 billion in 2020. The firm suggested that the acceleration in SaaS adoption can be explained by providers delivering nearly all application functional extensions and add-ons as a service. The report explained that this appeals to users as SaaS solutions are made to be more purpose-built and deliver better business outcomes than traditional software. Meanwhile, research firm IDC’s program vice president for enterprise applications and digital commerce Mickey North Rizza, said, “The SaaS and cloud-enabled midmarket ERP market has a mix of competitors from small and medium-sized to large technology vendors. Selecting the right vendor partner is critical to your long-term strategy as a business. Most

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com www.tahawultech.com

importantly, SaaS and cloud-enabled ERP is a disrupter as businesses of all sizes want to purchase it because it is easily configured, updated as needed for all customers, and readily available anywhere for most business types.” While cloud computing use cases are taking off in a more advanced manner only recently in the region, it continues to be an area filled with opportunities for partners. Channel partners’ biggest grievance has been around declining margins. With SaaS, they have a unique services opportunity, which only few partners are optimising to the full potential currently. Vendors can play a pivotal role here to enable partners to understand the exact opportunities present in this space and how they can glide to the next level. Hesham El Komy, senior director, Epicor, says, “Relevance comes through knowledge and flexibility. Knowledge must be acquired primarily from the vendor who must provide partners with the technical, sales, and marketing tools to be successful. In parallel partners need to change their business model from a ‘transact and sell’ model to an ‘advise and sell’ model.” Agreeing that the service opportunity is vast, he adds, “Services can translate to an increase in overall billable days. For that though, the partner must be in a position to play the role of credible business adviser and provide insights to the prospective customer on how their expertise will help the customer grow their business through the implementation of technology.”

There are several challenges when it comes to selling cloud solutions, especially when it is through services. Partners are still uncertain about how they can offer these services efficiently and what is the potential present. They need to be in a position where they are knowledgeable on the features and benefits of deploying a SaaS solution. They need to know how to identify unique features and package it in such a manner that it adds value to a customer’s business. Partners need to focus on moving away from the product itself and become experts on the solution as a whole. They need to also understand the buying process thoroughly.

Hesham El Komy, Epicor

El Komy says, “The biggest challenge is the concept of actually selling ‘something’ as a service. Although the concept is not new, the reality is that it has yet to achieve mass adoption, potentially making it harder to convince prospects that it is the right solution or model for them.” El Komy says the way to overcome this is through knowledge sharing and becoming a trusted adviser. He adds, “Once that chasm is crossed, it becomes exponentially easier to penetrate the market.” Sid Nag, research director, Gartner, says, “While some organisations are still figuring out where cloud actually fits in their overall IT strategy, an effort to cost optimise and bring forth the path to

transformation holds strong promise and results for IT outsourcing (ITO) buyers. Gartner predicts that through 2020, cloud adoption strategies will influence more than 50 percent of IT outsourcing deals.” The way forward for cloud is positive according to industry experts. El Komy says when it comes to cloud services in the Middle East region, it hinges on “clear guidance around data usage.” He adds, “Currently this is a grey area with much speculation and rules that seem to change. Until this is addressed, adoption will be slower than expected.” That being said, it is up to channel partners to take the initiative and understand the opportunities present in this space and optimise them.

“The biggest challenge is the concept of actually selling ‘something’ as a service. Although the concept is not new, the reality is that it has yet to achieve mass adoption, potentially making it harder to convince prospects that it is the right solution or model for them.”

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

VENDOR FOCUS // WD

Digital goals

Khwaja Saifuddin, senior sales director, Western Digital India, Middle East and Africa, explains the firm’s priorities around channel education and training in 2018.

s the creation of digital data gets amplified with customers making the move towards digital transformation, security becomes a crucial element in this journey. Identifying the gaps in the market, data storage vendor Western Digital believes it is well-equipped to cater to the rising demand in the digital environment today. Khwaja Saifuddin, senior sales director, Western Digital India, Middle East and Africa, says, “We have the best data storage solutions for every appliance creating digital data in any environment. This includes right from flash-based storage and hard drives to high-end solutions for enterprises.” Saifuddin says that being the only storage company in the top ten patent holders of IEEE, just behind Google and Apple, gives the firm a bigger responsibility to ensure its ecosystem is trained and knows how to face the current trends and market developments. “It clearly demarcates and differentiates us. Today automatic and self-driven cars are gaining prominence, which also uses our NAND and flashbased embedded solutions.” At the security trade show Intersec, last month, WD was showcasing its Purple range of surveillance hard drives along with other key solutions for enterprises. According to Saifuddin, from a storage security perspective, the rapid growth in resolutions is fuelling the need for more and more terabytes of storage. “The biggest challenge today is educating partners and customers on the importance of security within data storage solutions. Another challenge is the resistance on the implementers’ side in understanding the differentiators between purpose-built hard drives, which are built for security and

Khwaja Saifuddin, Western Digital

surveillance environments, and hard drives meant for a conventional desktop.” Saifuddin adds that this is an ongoing challenge. “Our biggest investment in marketing is towards education. With intensive training and education, our partners are not only knowledgeable about handling our products but the entire ecosystem. We feel it is our responsibility to enhance their skills to understand how technology trends are moving and to ensure they don’t get left behind.” WD enables partners to see how the firm’s offerings can be a part of a bigger solution for their customers. He adds, “We also have specific partner programmes, which are around security and surveillance.” While the company has a channel partner programme called myWD, it also has a security surveillance programme aimed at the security implementers in this segment. “This includes the people who install the cameras at customer premises. We train these installers on how to handle the drive and install it. We teach them

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

“Partners are bogged down with their transactional activities that they do not give the due importance to these quality building backbones.”

the dos and don’ts, unlike any other vendor,” Saifuddin adds. While many vendors’ relationship with the reseller ends after the transaction, he says, “At WD, we take it one level further and urge those installers directly to enrol, get trained and certified. This gives them immense confidence because now they have the brand behind them.” “Education,” says Saifuddin, “will be the primary objective for the firm’s channel strategy in 2018.” The priority will be to get more people trained, which will create a wider acceptance on the product side, according to the senior sales director. “Partners are bogged down with their transactional activities that they do not give the due importance to these quality building backbones. That’s where our whole efforts come into the picture – we want to get them from moving boxes to selling a solution.” Over the course of this year, we can expect to see WD widening its product range and strengthening its market penetration.

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REVIEW

SURFACE PRO 2017

RATING

Adelle Geronimo takes Microsoft’s latest 2-in-1 for a spin and found out why there’s more beneath the “surface.”

urface Pro 2017 is the fifth iteration of Microsoft’s convertible tablet-comelaptop offering. The device doesn’t look significantly different from its predecessors, however, it packs impressive power under the hood. It maintains its slim metallic case, which is still pretty attractive and sophisticated. This time it has slightly rounded device’s edges making it more comfortable to hold. Surface Pro’s i7 model weighs around 784g, which is a bit hefty for a tablet. But notably, the i5 version is a bit lighter with its fanless design. The iconic kickstand remains as a key feature for the Surface Pro, and now it can be lowered even further to 165 degrees. Microsoft calls this orientation “studio mode,” as it’s ideal for digital artists to use for sketching and designing. This makes the device compatible with Microsoft’s Surface Dial, which was previously an exclusive feature for the Surface Studio. It comes with an Alcantara fabric coated snap-on keyboard component, which has enough key travel to type comfortably and a smooth, wide touchpad. The Surface Pro packs in vibrant 12.3-inch PixelSense display with a sharp 2736-by-1834-pixel resolution, which translates to a pixel density of 267 ppi. It is ideal for viewing highresolution images and watching high-definition videos. However, the 3:2 aspect ratio is a bit passé in a world of widescreen laptops. Aesthetically the Surface Pro 2017 is simple yet satisfying but under the hood is where all the good stuff are.

The device runs Windows 10 and for obvious reasons it is powered by Microsoft’s OS. In addition to all the usual interface tools – start menu, home screen, taskbar, Cortana, there’s also tight integration with the Surface Pen. Click the back of the pen to fire up a creator bar on the right. This gives you access to an on-screen Post-it note of sorts, a page to doodle on or other customisable pen-centric shortcuts. The 2-in-1 is equipped with Intel’s seventh-generation CPUs, which, in addition to being faster than the last model, also add new features like hardware 4K video decoding Surface Pro 2017 comes in several configurations including from Intel Core m3 processor, Intel Core i5 processor to the higherend Core i7 version. The new Surface Pro performs as good as expected in everything- from browsing the web with several tabs open while word processing, and downloading media in the background. Not to mention it also works seamlessly for basic photo editing through Lightroom. When it comes to ports, it

houses a single USB 3.0 jack, MiniDisplayport, a microSD card slot tucked underneath the kickstand, a headphone jack and the power connection. The biggest and most welcome improvement in the new Surface Pro is the battery life. Although it fell short of Microsoft’s promise of 13.5 hours of power, it still lasted up to about 9 hours of a normal-day use, which is quite impressive. With all of its improvements, the Surface Pro is undeniably among the top of hybrid laptops in the market. If you’re looking to get a new convertible device for work and play, and have at least AED 4,499 to spare then this device is for you!

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

HOT PRODUCTS

DELL FLAUNTS XPS 15 2-IN-1

Dell has announced the launch of a new laptop – the new Dell XPS 15 2-in-1. As with other 2-in-1 devices on the market, users can either use the device as a laptop or flip the screen over and use it as a tablet depending on their needs. The new model is equipped with Intel’s new 8th Gen Intel Core mobile processor with Radeon RX Vega M graphics and 4GB of dedicated High Bandwidth Memory for graphics. It will be one of the first laptops on the market to sport the new processor tech. The XPS 15 2-in-1 also sports a next-generation InfinityEdge 4K Ultra HD display with vivid colour and cinematic immersion in an impossibly slim 16mm form. The XPS 15 2-in-1 will only come with USB-C ports, rather than standard USB, and rather than an SD Card will make the move to microSD instead. According to Dell, the new device promises a battery life of 15 hours on a single charge. One of the ways it is looking to help deliver that battery promise is with a tech called: GORE Thermal Insulation. The technology, which has been made in collaboration with the company behind Goretex, provides thermal conductivity levels lower than air in a thin, flexible format. The new model will go on sale in the UK and US in spring starting at $1,299.

D-LINK, MCAFEE ANNOUNCE AC2600 WI-FI ROUTER D-Link and McAfee have announced the D-Link AC2600 Wi-Fi router powered by McAfee (DIR-2680), an all-in-one solution that automatically increases security for devices on the home network and delivers on both companies’ vision to address the pressing need for online security as people’s lives become increasingly connected. The comprehensive solution includes D-Link’s high-performance dual-band 802.11ac router with MU-MIMO technology that enhances network capacity and efficiency for users, McAfee Secure Home Platform that automatically protects all devices connected to the network, and the Intel Home Wi-Fi Chipset WAV500 Series to deliver robust Wi-Fi connectivity to numerous connected devices at the same time, running a range of highbandwidth applications. The new D-Link AC2600 Wi-Fi router powered by McAfee immediately and automatically helps secure all connected devices at the network level in a home, including non-display IoT devices, providing an additional layer of protection from potential hackers and for members of

the home using devices and accessing online content, said the firm. Designed for families and smart homeowners looking for the ultimate home networking without sacrificing privacy and security, the DIR2680 keeps connected devices safer from unwanted intrusions and thefts. Additionally, comprehensive parental control features provide customized protection for children in the household. The DIR-2680 is easily set up with the D-Link Wi-Fi app and can be managed from anywhere with the McAfee Secure Home Platform app. The DIR-2680 AC2600 Wi-Fi router powered by McAfee will be available for purchase in Q2 2018.

INTEL RELEASES 8TH GEN INTEL CORE PROCESSORS WITH RADEON RX VEGA M GRAPHICS Intel has launched the 8th Gen Intel Core processor with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics. The firm said it is packed with features and performance crafted for gamers, content creators and fans of virtual and mixed reality, and expands the company’s portfolio thanks to its optimisation for small form factors like 2-in-1s, thin and light notebooks, and mini PCs. The devices launching with this processor include the new thin and lightweight 2-in-1s from Dell and HP as well as the most powerful NUC Intel has ever introduced. The new 8th Gen Intel Core processor will come in two configurations: 8th Gen Intel Core

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

processor with Radeon RX Vega M GL Graphics (65W total package power) and 8th Gen Intel Core processor with Radeon RX Vega M GH Graphics (100W total package power), which features an unlocked configuration. The new 8th Gen Intel Core processor with Radeon RX Vega M graphics delivers a top-of-theline experience to gamers and VR enthusiasts, according to Intel. This includes up to three times 2,5,6 the frames per second on thinner, lighter and smaller devices compared with similar systems from three years ago and up to 40 percent 3,5,6 compared with current discrete graphics.

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A10 NETWORKS LAUNCHES THUNDER 1040 TPS WITH DDOS PROTECTION

A10 Thunder 1040 TPS appliance features the A10 DDoS Protection Cloud powered by Verisign. According to the firm the new appliance combines surgical precision on-premise protection with orchestrated cloud scrubbing, delivered in form factors and subscription models that are cost effective. A10 DDoS Protection Cloud, powered by Verisign’s cloud-based DDoS Protection Service, is based on legitimate traffic, so enterprises do not pay for the amount of traffic that attacks apply against their network. Thunder TPS ensures service availability by automatically spotting anomalies across the traffic spectrum

and mitigating multi-vector DDoS attacks. It also offloads common attack vectors to specialised hardware, allowing its powerful, multicore CPUs to distinguish legitimate users from attacking botnets and complex application-layer attacks that require resource-intensive deep packet inspection (DPI) Moreover, select Thunder TPS hardware models is equipped with A10’s our Security and Policy Engine (SPE) hardware acceleration, which leverages FPGA-based FTA technology and other hardware-optimised packet-processing for highly scalable flow distribution and hardware DDoS protection capabilities.

HTC ENHANCES VR EXPERIENCE WITH NEW VIVE PRO Vive Pro is a new HMD upgrade from Vive, built for VR enthusiasts and enterprise users. The new device includes dual-OLED displays for a crisp picture resolution of 2880 x 1600 combined, a 78 percent increase in resolution over the current Vive HMD. According to HTC, Vive Pro enhances immersion for VR enthusiasts, and the improved clarity means text, graphics and overall experience all come into sharper view. Vive Pro also features built-in, highperformance headphones with an in-line amplifier to offer a heightened sense of presence and an overall richer sound. Vive Pro’s new headstrap

was built with enhanced ergonomics and comfort, including a sizing dial for a more balanced headset that decreases weight on the front of the headset. Additional improvements include dual microphones with active noise cancellation and dual frontfacing cameras designed to empower developer creativity.

HP UNVEILS T310 G2 AIO HP announced its first narrow bezel HP t310 G2 All-in-One Zero Client, which according to the firm, offers seamless visuals, improved ergonomics and maximum data security. Powered by Teradici1 and compatible with VMware2 and Amazon3 virtual workspace environments, the HP t310 G2 AiO Zero Client allows customers to take their work to new heights with the design and performance they want, and the security they need, said HP. HP t310 G2 AiO Zero Client comes with a comfort designed stand that can be adjusted up, down, tilted, swiveled or rotated to support landscape and portrait mode, so customers can customise their workspace to meet their unique needs. The device has a 23.8-inch diagonal Full HD (1920x1080) IPS display with a wide-viewing angle. It enables seamless multi-display with the DisplayPort feature, which makes attaching a second display simple and fast. It also reduces noise distractions with a focus-friendly fanless design and thermal controls. The high-performing Tera2 PCoIP zero client processor delivers full frame rate 3D graphics and highdefinition media even over highlatency networks. The HP t310 G2 All-in-One Zero Client is available now in EMEA starting at EUR 529 Including VAT.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

HOT PRODUCTS

SONY’S FAST HYBRID AF CAMCORDERS LAUNCH IN MIDDLE EAST

Sony has announced the launch of two new 4K HDR camcorders featuring its Fast Hybrid AF system: the XDCAM PXW-Z90 and the NXCAM HXR-NX80. Both palm camcorders combine a “fast and reliable” autofocus (AF) function adapted for shooting with a 1.0-type stacked Exmor RS CMOS image sensor, delivering enhanced image clarity alongside a range of versatile shooting features. The Fast Hybrid AF system ensures highly-accurate focusing and tracking during shooting, delivered by 273 phase-detection AF points that cover approximately 84 percent of the shooting area, high-density placement of autofocus points and a newlydeveloped AF algorithm. This reduces the burden of focusing especially when highly accurate focusing is required for shooting 4K films. In movie recording mode, the appearance of phase-detection AF frames indicates the focused area and allows users to monitor a subject that is in focus. The new camcorders feature a high-resolution OLED viewfinder and advanced touch screen operation to allow users to quickly switch focus from one subject to another, while the AF Drive Speed, Tracking Depth Range and Subject Switching Sensitivity can all be configured as required for different subjects and content styles. The new camcorders support 4K HDR recording with HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) offering an instant HDR workflow. This enables users to produce HDR content whilst reducing the post-production work and produce high-quality HDR content smoothly, without necessity of a grading process, which usually requires a highly skilled technique and special knowledge.

LEVITON ANNOUNCES CAT 6A UNIVERSAL TOOL-FREE PLUG Leviton announced its first fully toolfree, field-terminable plug, the Cat 6A Universal Tool-Free Plug. According to the firm, the new plug is easy and fast to install, and is built with a rugged metal body that provides superior alien crosstalk and EMI/RFI (electromagnetic interference/ radio frequency interference) suppression while supporting 10GBASE-T networks and 100W Power over Ethernet (PoE) applications. The Cat 6A Universal Tool-Free Plug accommodates a variety of network applications, including the ability to connect directly to Ethernet devices in fixed locations with a fieldterminated solution. The Cat 6A Universal Tool-Free Plug is designed with full compatibility for

shielded and unshielded cabling. It also has backwards compatibility to Cat 5e and Cat 6 cabling. It accommodates 22- to 26-gauge solid or stranded conductors, allowing it to be used with a wide variety of cable types The Cat 6A Universal Tool-Free Plug fulfills a key need for field terminable plugs with rapid termination, without proprietary tools.

HUAWEI TOUTS ITS WIFI Q2 WHOLE HOME WI-FI SOLUTION Huawei Consumer Business Grouphas unveiled its hybrid whole home Wi-Fi system – the Huawei WiFi Q2. The device, according to the firm, features a dynamic interplay of advanced hardware and software to boost speed, reliability, and range; delivers full-coverage wireless connectivity that’s simple to set up; and guarantees a stable signal throughout the entire home. Huawei WiFi Q2 addresses typical home connectivity setbacks through a mesh Wi-Fi with a unique G.hn gigabit PLC module, which can easily traverse walls and break physical barriers. The device also features an easily installation and configuration process, able to set up the main unit in five steps and enjoying plug-and-play connectivity for all sub-units. The solution can provide a hybrid connection of up to 1867Mbps by bonding the speed of PLC and mesh Wi-Fi. In addition, the Huawei WiFi Q2 covers the same area with less units, and can easily support up to 192

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

connected devices simultaneously with a complete system. By having a single Wi-Fi network in the entire home, the WiFi solution is able to offer 100ms switching time (with 802.11v protocol), meaning the system automatically connects users to the fastest hot spots and frequency for the smoothest connected experience, even when on the go. Huawei WiFi Q2 is also equipped with an anti-brute force algorithm to prevent outside and unwanted access to the network to complement Wi-Fi encryption and password protection.

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WESTERN DIGITAL TOUTS “WORLD’S SMALLEST” 1TB USB DEVICE Sold under the SanDisk and WD brands, Western Digital highlighted its latest offerings aimed at ensuring that personal experiences and memories can thrive for years to come. The company showcases its My Cloud Home device, which now works with popular devices that support Amazon Alexa services so people can access their stored music collection via voice commands. The My Cloud Home app now also works with Google Chromecast technology to allow people to stream their home videos, TV shows and movies on the big screen using Chromecast-enabled Smart TVs. It also demonstrated it latest product and what it calls as “the world’s smallest” 1TB USB device, a powerful USB Type-C flash solution capable of preserving an enormous amount of content in one tiny form factor; and the world’s smallest 256GB USB flash

drive. The new 256GB SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive, a low-profile USB drive for people who want to add more photos, videos, games and audio files to their notebooks, tablets, TVs, gaming consoles and car audio systems. According to Western Digital, its 256GB device enables users to have the flexibility to keep more content at their fingertips – approximately, 14,000 photos, 10 hours of full HD video and 16,000 songs, with 64GB still available for files.

XPERIA INTRODUCES XA2 ULTRA Sony Mobile added a new mid-range smartphone to its portfolio at CES 2018 last month. The Xperia XA2 Ultra combines a 5.2-inch HD display with a 3,300mAh battery, and a 23-megapixel camera capable of 4K video capture. Sony’s Smart Amplifier technology, backed up by ClearAudio+ and Clear Bass fine-tunes, is also integrated into the smartphone. A fingerprint scanner sits on the rear, plus there’s a USB-C port on the bottom and headphone jack on the top. Xperia XA2 Ultra features the same 23-megapixel main camera as Xperia XA2, but additionally comes with a “dual selfie” front camera consisting of a 16-megapixel camera with Optical Image Stabilisation, and an 8-megapixel 120-degree super wideangle selfie camera.

The device is available in single SIM and dual SIM in select markets, in four contemporary colours: Silver, Black, Blue and Gold. Xperia XA2 Ultra is priced at AED 1,549 and will be available in select stores from February 2018.

ALCATEL RELEASES A7 SERIES IN THE UAE Alcatel extended its A7 Series of affordable premium smartphones with two new models: the A7 XL dual-camera smartphone with a 6-inch display and the A7 smartphone with a highresolution camera. The A7 XL sports a pure metal design with a brushed effect and is complemented by the 6-inch FHD IPS full lamination display, with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution, and 2.5D arc glass to deliver a sleek curved edge for better grip and feel in the hand. The smartphone has a slim 8.65 mm body and weighs just 175 grams. A key feature of the A7 XL is its dual-camera technology. With two rear cameras, a 12MP autofocus camera and a 2MP full frame camera, the A7 XL delivers amazing image quality and stunning detail in vivid colour. It features an octa-core MediaTek processor and supporting Cat4 4G LTE connectivity, the A7 XL delivers a stunning entertainment experience on its generous FHD display. It also offers fingerprint recognition technology to provide shortcuts to up to five different functions, including a private mode where users can protect sensitive photos and applications The A7 XL comes with Google Assistant. It comes with a 4000mAh battery with 9V1.67A fast charging support.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // FEBRUARY 2018

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

Adelle Geronimo, Online Editor, Technology Division

Two sides of the coin

itcoin tumbled 31 percent at the beginning of 2018 trading at $9,817 making January the most dismal month for the cryptocurrency since December 2013. This follows months of significant rallies in 2017, when the digital currency even almost hit the $20,000 mark toward the end of December. While, everything in the Bitcoin world is touch and go, developments in the industry clearly shows that the concept has caught the attention of investors. Cryptocurrency emerged after the financial crisis and is not under any central bank. It allows people to forgo traditional payment methods as well as banking and financial institutions for goods and services. Bitcoin blockchain technology, akin to an anonymous digital ledger, is not regulated by any government or financial institution. Even with the recent fluctuations in the digital asset, reports from Goldman Sachs note that investors are finding it more

challenging to ignore the technology. However, despite Bitcoinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popularity, there are some who remain skeptic of the digital technology and sees as a bubble waiting to burst any time. Many have been comparing it with the Dot-com bubble between 1997 to 2000 where everyone wanted tech stocks at any cost with no regard for the underlying value. Come the year 2000, many of the companies that rose all-too-rapidly eventually failed. Although there are strong and increasing interests in Bitcoin, many people are still unaware or misinformed about its usage and are treating less like a currency and more like stocks. Nevertheless, investors betting on Bitcoin, said the technology has more room. Earlier this year, Thomas Lee, managing partner and the head of research, Fundstrat Global Advisors said Bitcoin could reach $25,000 by 2022 and earn widespread acceptance in the global financial community. This will primarily be driven by various

FEBRUARY 2018 // Reseller Middle East // www.tahawultech.com

countriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; move toward a cashless society as electronic payment services, such as debit and credit cards, mobile payments and mobile money become more prevalent. A trend that has been an increasing across multiple markets all over the world. In the Middle East, several organisations have started to replicate Bitcoin in the region by introducing blockchain-based technologies that can be used for different kinds of transactions. I believe in a potential cashless society, bitcoin fits nicely into the equation as it can be used to make payments and international money transfers anywhere in the globe. Also, with blockchain technology, it ensures the security and transparency of transactions. Bitcoinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story may or may not be a bubble, only time will tell. Nevertheless, the blockchain technology which the digital currency relies on holds a huge potential to be as disruptive as the Internet.

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