Reseller Middle East September 2018 by Reseller Middle East

ISSUE 260 | SEPTEMBER 2018 www.tahawultech.com

PARTNER PROSPECTS IN BLOCKCHAIN FUTURE OF SYSTEMS INTEGRATION DIGITAL LESSONS FOR RETAILERS

NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL AGE How AGC Networks has transformed to succeed in the evolving landscape

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CONTENTS

ISSUE 260 // SEPTEMBER 2018

COVER FEATURE

NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL AGE

Saaed Khan, VP and head, Sales, Middle East, AGC Networks, elaborates on how the firm aims to be a solutions player in the digital era. HIGHLIGHTS

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

OPINION

14 DRIVING VERTICAL EXPERTISE

Frank Basinski from Red Hat examines how partners can enhance business prosperity through vertical specialisms.

REVIEW

16 CHANGING TIDES IN THE CHANNEL

Riverbed’s Elie Dib looks at the new priorities partners must focus on, to excel in the evolving world of technology.

FEATURES

23 THE STRONGEST LINK

Reseller ME examines how systems integrators can remain relevant in a digitaldriven world.

34 DIGITAL GOALS FOR RETAILERS

Raj Mistry from Dimension Data shares digital transformation lessons that retailers can learn from the Tour de France.

Reseller ME speaks to experts to discover the channel opportunities in blockchain technology.

PARTNER WATCH

HOT PRODUCTS

BLACKBERRY KEY 2

30 DIGITAL ADVISORS

CASIO REVEALS UAE LAUNCH OF NEW OUTDOOR SMARTWATCH

40 PARTNER TO PROFIT

GSD’s GM Gareth Hansford discusses company updates and priorities for the next couple of months.

I-LIFE INTRODUCES BACKTO-SCHOOL AND OFF-TOCOLLEGE LAPTOPS

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

EDITORIAL The channel business

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 © 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.

or the past three to four years, we have been talking about declining margins, partners’ sluggishness to adopt emerging technologies, deceleration of channel business in general and other ongoing challenges within the region. However, the annual Channel Forecast study released by 2112 Group reveals that the global market is not so grim anymore. Gauging partner performance, the annual report, discloses that 80 percent of resellers, MSPs and SIs expect a sales growth of at least 6 percent in 2018. According to the study, it depends on how well partners will embrace new areas such as IoT, Big Data and analytics, automation, artificial intelligence and cognitive computing, over the next two years, to ensure significant predictable annual growth rates. Partner organisations that restructure their operations to adopt best practices in cloud and similar recurring revenue models will stand a chance to be market differentiators.

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Michael Jabri-Pickett mjp@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9158 Editor Janees Reghelini janees.reghelini@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9167 Online Editor Adelle Geronimo adelle.geronimo@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9135 DESIGN Head of Design Froilan Cosgafa IV froilan.cosgafa@cpimediagroup.com Senior Designer Analou Balbero analou.balbero@cpimediagroup.com

Another study launched by the same group earlier this year, Channel Chief Outlook, which assesses channel performance from vendors’ standpoint, states that 62 percent of channel managers are certain their indirect revenue generated by partners will grow by at least 20 percent or more. The partner study also answers the chronic thought that passes through our minds, especially during these transformative times, will channel continue to be the route to market? Not only will it remain so for years to come, but the report also reveals that it continues to be a “steady and viable” option for most technology solutions and services. And this will be true even for the regional channel business. However, identifying that there are no regional studies being done, Enabler One in association with Reseller Middle East have taken the initiative to discover the true sentiments of the channel market through a unique vendor agnostic survey – Channel Speak. Look out for the October edition of Reseller ME, which will have excerpts from the survey.

Designer Marlou Delaben marlou.delaben@cpimediagroup.com ADVERTISING Group Sales Director Kausar Syed kausar.syed@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9130 Business Development Manager Youssef Hariz youssef.hariz@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9111 Senior Sales Manager Sabita Miranda sabita.miranda@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9128 Sales Manager Nasir Bazaz nasir.bazaz@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9147

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

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

HIGHLIGHTS

BlackBerry signs up with StarLink for Middle East and Africa

tarLink has signed a distribution agreement with BlackBerry for Middle East and Africa. As per the terms of the agreement, StarLink will offer its reseller community BlackBerry Secure, which is a comprehensive platform of software and services. Market demand for security is shifting from the network of computers to the network of endpoints. “These endpoints represent the Enterprise of Things (EoT), which is a collection of devices, computers, sensors, trackers, equipment and other connected “things” within the enterprise.” BlackBerry said it is addressing EoT with its BlackBerry Secure platform, which is a comprehensive suite of software and services that helps companies manage and secure their devices and connected things, as well as communications for all

messaging and file types. Nidal Othman, managing director, StarLink, said, “BlackBerry’s secure and trusted enterprise software solutions and services are an invaluable addition to our distribution portfolio. It will strengthen our go-to-market strategy and enable us to deliver end-to-end secure communications and collaboration solutions that will help our channel partners grow their businesses.” He also added, “This year at Gitex 2018, we look forward to hosting BlackBerry alongside StarLink and facilitate our partners and customers with an opportunity to meet with the BlackBerry team and know more about their products and solutions.” Florian Bienvenu, SVP EMEA, BlackBerry, said, “Through this partnership we aim to create growth for our partners in the MENA region while giving customers wider access

Nidal Othman, StarLink

to BlackBerry Secure, our leading suite of enterprise solutions with world-class support, helping organizations advance their mobility strategies.”

VAD Technologies and ExaGrid announce ME distribution partnership

yper-converged secondary have to worry about forklift upgrades or storage for backup provider high TCO with ExaGrid’s efficient scaleExaGrid has announced out architecture. partnership with regional “We are excited to partner with distributor VAD ExaGrid in the Middle East region,” said Technologies to strengthen its channel Mario M. Veljovic, general manager, footprint and said it will be providing VAD Technologies. “We are constantly VAD’s resellers with “an exceptional looking for disruptive next-generation backup storage product offering to their data centre technologies to ensure that enterprise customers.” our resellers can offer the latest and According to the vendor, its technology greatest high-performance enterprise for the backup solutions to their storage market customers, and is “revolutionary”. ExaGrid complements Customers can rely our mission perfectly. on ExaGrid solutions We’re proud to work particularly for with such an innovative addressing urgent leader as ExaGrid in customer needs the hyper-converged for faster backups secondary storage and faster ingest market.” rates, restores, ExaGrid will be Jithin Varghese and Mario M. and VM boots. The adding sales offices in Veljovic, VAD Technolgoies with firm added that Dubai, Turkey, India, Mohamed Jaffrey, ExaGrid customers no longer and South Africa.

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

We are constantly looking for disruptive nextgeneration data centre technologies to ensure that our resellers can offer the latest and greatest highperformance enterprise solutions to their customers, and ExaGrid complements our mission perfectly. We’re proud to work with such an innovative leader as ExaGrid in the hyper-converged secondary storage market.”

HIGHLIGHTS

Canon appoints Logicom as new distributor

anon Middle East (CME) has signed a distribution agreement in Jordan with Logicom, a regional distributor of technology solutions and services. As part of the agreement, Logicom Jordan will distribute and promote Canon’s comprehensive consumer product portfolio of photo, video and B2C printing solutions to the entire Jordanian market. Canon is already present in Jordan through its long-standing partner United Electronics Company (UEC), and the recent agreement with Logicom will further expand the vendor’s reach nationwide and position it as the imaging leader in the Jordanian market. “For 80 years, Canon has been at the forefront of new imaging technologies,

Canon’s solutions, cosupported by our selling alongside partners strong research and and creating dedicated development capabilities, marketing campaigns. In which has led us to be addition, dedicated Logicom leaders in the imaging teams will be on hand to industry. Jordan has been provide technical presales an integral part of our support as well as training growth and a strategic programs for customers. market for Canon Middle Murad Mutawi, general East. Through our local manager, Logicom Jordan, partnerships with UEC and Logicom, we aim Venkatasubramanian Hariharan, said, “We are proud to partner with Canon. to become closer to our Canon Middle East With the company’s customers in Jordan and comprehensive product continue strengthening portfolio of photo, video and printing our presence,” said Venkatasubramanian solutions, we are confident that our Hariharan, B2C Business Unit Director at network of committed channel partners Canon Middle East. will play a key role in increasing the The partnership with Logicom will presence of the Canon brand and its help increase channel coverage and solutions in Jordan.” support the vertical integration of

Dimension Data now part of Japan’s largest IT firm

ippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) group is planning to establish a new holding company to run three communications and data subsidiaries, making it Japan’s largest IT provider. As per the statement from the Tokyo-based group, it will transfer shares in subsidiaries NTT Data, NTT Communications and Dimension Data to a new entity, which is expected to be set up by early 2019. The new firm will be called NTT, Inc., and Jun Sawada, current CEO of NTT Corporation, will also serve as its CEO, said the firm. Estimated operating revenue of NTT, Inc. is approximately $38 billion with $20 billion already coming from outside Japan (consolidated figures, based on the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018), as per the statement. According to a report by Nikkei Asian Review, the new holding company will offer customers a host of services, including around cloud storage and data processing. It said, “the group envisions merging the units into a single company later.”

The company also said that this move makes the group more “competitive and profitable.” “Our global governance will also benefit from embracing and integrating our people’s diverse talents, skills, and management experience in global markets. The new structure will leverage their expertise to its maximum potential,” said the company spokesperson. The company will also be creating a new global innovation fund, called

NTT Venture Cappital, L.P (a limited partnership) to help it evolve its “global innovation”. The company also added, “With this new fund, we’ll activate investment in high-growth areas such as digital technology. We’ll also intensify our R&D activities in global markets by using a global network of experts from advanced academic research institutions and venture-capital communities around the world.”

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

HIGHLIGHTS

Palo Alto Networks honours Middle East VAD StarLink

alo Alto Networks’ Middle East distributor StarLink has announced that it has received two prestigious awards – ‘The EMEA Distributor of the Year Award’ and ‘The EMEA Excellence for Training Award’ from the vendor at an esteemed awards ceremony during their Annual Partner Summit in Toronto, Canada. StarLink’s partnership with Palo Alto Networks as its VAD commenced in 2015. With a focused and comprehensive expert sales and presales team across EMEA, the distributor has supported Palo Alto Networks extend their reach on-theground across the region. This alliance has been instrumental in propelling the vendor’s Next-Generation Firewall solutions and in aligning their focus and expertise with StarLink’s vision of a preventative approach to cyber threats. Palo Alto Networks Global Awards reflects recognition of top performing partners in different geographical regions for rising up to the professional challenges, successfully accomplishing their global business objectives, for achieving operational excellence and driving value to enterprises. Mahmoud Nimer, general manager, StarLink accepted the award at the conference. “We are very proud to have received not one, but two awards this year – especially since we were ranked, and chosen from all the distributors at the EMEA level. This is reflective of our commitment and the value Palo Alto Networks have entrusted on us.” He added, “We look forward to investing more into this relationship with StarLink’s extensive channel network and expertise and thank Palo Alto Networks for their continued support and appreciation.”

Mahmoud Nimer receiving the Awards at the Palo Alto Networks Partner Conference in Toronto

Honeywell inks new deal to deliver process safety management Honeywell has announced the launch of Process Safety Suite, which centralises and synchronises disparate process safety data to eliminate errors and inconsistencies. The software platform, according to the company, creates a complete, realtime view of safety risk for all levels of an organisation. The new solution integrates aeSolutions’ aeShield process safety software with Honeywell’s Safety Builder, Process Safety Analyser and Trace solutions, enabling large industrial facilities to efficiently monitor process safety while helping to reduce operational costs. Honeywell signed a reseller agreement for aeShield with the software products division of aeSolutions, a consulting, engineering and system integration company that provides industrial process safety, cybersecurity and automation lifecycle solutions and tools. Process Safety Suite is a response to the time-intensive, manual procedures that most large

industrial facilities use to manage process safety today. Process Safety Suite allows safety personnel to monitor process conditions by comparing actual performance from the plant historian with pre-defined hazard conditions from the risk analysis and take immediate action to minimise risk. It also facilitates analyses such as Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA), Safety Requirements Specification (SRS), and Safety Integrity Level (SIL) calculations and classifications.

SPECTRAMI sets up operations in Turkey

MEA-based distributor Spectrami has announced that it has commenced extensive operations in Turkey, as a part of its business objective to achieve $100 million over the next three years. This step is taken in line with their expansion plan to cover the EMEA market and comes closely on the heels of the firm’s expansion into Germany and the UK. The value-added distributor is already working to on-board new vendor partners that will provide the momentum towards this target to achieve 80 percent growth in 2018. The company has appointed Gokhan Bas as its territory manager to lead its operations in Turkey. With experience in IT and cybersecurity product sales, he comes with a history of working in the information technology and services industry. “Turkey, like most developed countries, is forming a cybersecurity strategy in the following key areas: operations and cybercriminal cyber security; cybercrime; intelligence

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

Anand Choudha, Spectrami

activities and cyber-espionage; crisis management; management of Internet and CyberTipline. Cyber awareness in Turkey has also increased dramatically in the past 10 years. SPECTRAMI will help organisations plan and execute an integrated cyber approach to harness the power of information networks to enhance business operations, increase mission performance, and improve customer support, without compromising security or privacy,” said Anand Choudha, CEO, Spectrami. “Turkey also provides us the opportunity to service the Eastern Europe region, which is seeing significant development as well,” he added.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Toshiba rewards top Middle East and Africa partners

oshiba Gulf’s top distributors and channel partners participated in a FIFA World Cup tour to Moscow, which was recently organised by the firm’s storage division of the regional sales and marketing subsidiary. The FIFA tour reward programme was a sequel of the annual Toshiba Stars Award Ceremony held in Dubai couple of months ago, where the company honoured top performing distributors, retailers and resellers in the Middle East and Africa region as part of Toshiba’s annual MEA Conference of Distributors of Hard Disk Drive. Santosh Varghese, general manager, MEA, Toshiba Gulf, who led the delegation to FIFA World Cup, said team members watched the Portugal Vs Morocco match.

“The FIFA tour was indeed a celebration of Toshiba’s outstanding sales performance in FY 2017 as the brand’s storage products had a YoY growth of 47 percent in FY 2017 in the Middle East and Africa region with Saudi Arabia claiming the highest 52 percent share, followed by the UAE at 31 percent.” During the event, Toshiba launched the Ninja Sales Challenge program for 2018. Winners of this challenge will go to Japan during April 2019 and the tour highlights will include visits to Toshiba Science Museum and Toshiba Memory Factory in Yokaichi, Japan. At the May event for Toshiba Start Award ceremony held in Dubai, which was attended by 22 distributors across Middle East and Africa region, Toshiba launched its branding campaign “Think Back Up & Think Toshiba.’’

D-LINK TO HELP PARTNERS OPTIMISE SMB OPPORTUNITIES

-Link Corporation has announced that it is preparing programmes that will assist channel partners to offer the firm’s broad products to the SMB market. According to the vendor, the SMB market is one of the strongest segments in the Middle East and there are many small and medium-sized companies spread throughout the region. Sakkeer Hussain, director, Sales and Marketing, D-Link Middle East and Africa (MEA), said that as the SMB sector is the strongest performing segment for the company, it is encouraging channel partners that serve this market vertical to help their customers to upgrade to new IT infrastructure. “D-Link has one of the broadest product range to cater to the SMB and mid-market sector,” he said. “We have it all to support and provide our channel partners with the breadth of products that help them succeed in this market.” He added that through the umbrella D-Link Partner Programme and the in-country teams that provide ground support to the channel, the company has been able to roll out training programmes, pre- and post-sales

Sakkeer Hussain, D-Link MEA

support and offer a comprehensive array of SMB products. He explained that despite the tough prevailing market conditions in the Middle East IT industry, the SMB networking segment remains one of the fast-growing sectors, offering more opportunities for channel partners to provide products and services to their clients. “D-Link has continued to invest in training, certification, incentive, loyalty and other post-sales initiatives targeted at helping partners that serve the SMB sector,” he said. “We will be sharpening our focus in the SMB segment with new initiatives that are aimed at supporting our partners to serve their customers competently.”

Cisco announces intent to acquire Duo Security Cisco has announced its intent to acquire privately-held Duo Security, headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich. Duo Security is the leading provider David Goeckeler, Cisco of unified access security and multi-factor authentication delivered through the cloud. Duo Security’s solution verifies the identity of users and the health of their devices before granting them access to applications – helping prevent cybersecurity breaches. Integration of Cisco’s network, device and cloud security platforms with Duo Security’s zero-trust authentication and access products will enable Cisco customers to easily and securely connect users to any application on any networked device. Under the terms of the agreement, Cisco will pay $2.35 billion in cash and assumed equity awards for Duo Security’s outstanding shares, warrants and equity incentives on a fully-diluted basis. David Goeckeler, executive vice president and general manager of Cisco’s networking and security business, said, “Duo’s zero-trust authentication and access products integrated with our network, device and cloud security platforms will enable our customers to address the complexity and challenges that stem from multi-and hybrid-cloud environments.” Cisco and Duo Security are closely aligned in the approach of designing infrastructure for the extended enterprise where users, devices and applications are the center of the modern security architecture. The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter of Cisco’s fiscal year 2019, subject to customary closing conditions and required regulatory approvals. Duo Security, which will continue to be led by Song, will join Cisco’s Networking and Security business led by EVP and GM David Goeckeler.

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

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HIGHLIGHTS

Finesse streamlines IACAD network infrastructure

inesse has announced that it will provide its Application and Network Monitoring solutions and services to IACAD, The Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities (IACAD) under the Government of UAE based in Dubai. The IT systems integrator will act as Dubai-based IACAD’s strategic IT partner, driving the Department’s digital transformation agenda by delivering a holistic monitoring solution in partnership with vendor partner Netscout. Mohamad Ahmad Alzaronei, head, Networks and Operating Systems Section in IT DEPT at IACAD, said, “We at IACAD were facing an inadequate time consumption of resources in finding out the bottle neck, which was resulting in loss of productivity and revenue. After a rigorous evaluation process, Finesse

has been selected for demonstrating its capabilities in enabling this transformation and support services. Finesse will play a key role in developing and implementing a comprehensive Monitoring solution and supporting our ongoing business expansion.” Sunil Paul, co-founder and COO, Finesse, said, “Finesse has been a trusted leader in enabling Digital transformation for our enterprise clients. Our solution meets the challenges of IACAD in providing the ability to track, baseline and trend individual application performance of every end user experience, enterprise-wide. We are delighted that IACAD has chosen us to enable their strategic digital transformation programme.” Finesse along with Netscout will be implementing Netscout TruView in their Data Center. TruView, which is

a single appliance that leverages key data sources to present a correlated view of performance in a single, easy to understand dashboard view, will be implemented. These correlated views will help IACAD to quickly see how well the infrastructure is transporting applications, and how well those applications are performing in context of the end user experience.

Dell EMC introduces latest Integrated Data Protection Appliance New Dell EMC IDPA DP4400 delivers innovative capabilities and broad application support in a solution sized and priced right for midmarket customers.

ell EMC has announced its newest Integrated Data Protection Appliance (IDPA), the Dell EMC IDPA DP4400, providing simple and powerful converged data protection to help mid-size organizations transform IT while combatting data sprawl and complexity. Comprehensive data protection has been a challenge for mid-size organizations. Enterprise-class products come with higher cost and complexity, while lower cost products that have traditionally targeted these organizations sacrifice performance, efficiency and application support. Dell EMC built the IDPA DP4400 from the ground up as a simple, yet powerful, solution for mid-size organizations—featuring enterprise-class capabilities for backup, deduplication, replication and recovery. IDPA DP4400 also offers built-in cloud readiness features with disaster recovery and longterm data retention to the cloud. “For mid-size organizations, scaling can get expensive as they try to meet the needs of their ever-growing data,” said Michel Nader, Regional Director,

Michel Nader, Dell EMC

Data Protection Solutions, META, Dell EMC. “With the new Dell EMC IDPA DP4400, we have integrated the best of breed components to offer better time to value and cloud-tiering for long term retention, enabling mid-size organizations to greatly simplify and automatically adapt to the changing needs and requirements of their business, while keeping performance high and costs down.” The IDPA DP4400 blends simplicity and performance for midsize organizations and remote officebranch office (ROBO) environments. The IDPA DP4400 simplifies data protection management via a modern HTML 5 user interface that automates daily tasks including management, monitoring and reporting. The IDPA DP4400 is part of the Dell EMC Future-Proof Loyalty Program, offering a three-year Satisfaction Guarantee, Hardware Investment Protection, up to 55:1 Data Protection Deduplication Guarantee, and Clear Price. www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // SEPTEMBER 2018

APPOINTMENTS

INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS

Dell EMC appoints new META senior director

Murray Irvine, Dell EMC

Dell EMC has announced the appointment of Murray Irvine as senior director, Global Compute and Networking (GCN) across Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) region. With over 22 years of extensive experience in the IT industry and 11 years of tenure at EMC, Irvine transitions from his previous role at Dell EMC where he led Sales Strategy and Planning for the same region. He leveraged his expertise to ensure Dell and EMC became one, unified, customer centric entity and retained and grew its market leadership. Mohammed Amin, senior vice president, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, Dell EMC, said, “Irvine’s achievements speak for themselves

and with his proven track record of leadership and business acumen; we remain confident that this business is helmed by a leader that others can seek inspiration from. I look forward to working with Murray as we bring our vision of driving human progress to the region and map out an exciting future for our customers and partners.” In his new role, Irvine aims to bolster Dell EMC’s capabilities in three key strategic areas, which include helping organisations, irrespective of size, drive IT transformation and accelerate their digital transformation journey; developing regional capabilities and inspire leading talent; and ensuring that the META region is at the forefront of innovation.

Microsoft announces new GM for MEA MCC Microsoft has announced the appointment of Ibrahim Youssry as regional general manager of its MEA Multi Country Cluster (MCC). This new subsidiary spans the full African continent (except for South Africa and Egypt), the Indian Ocean Islands, as well as Levant and Pakistan. “Emerging Markets are now realising the benefits of digital transformation and its profound impact across every industry,” said Youssry. “Microsoft has been at the forefront of this transformation, and the development of MCC speaks directly to that. I look forward to working closely with governments, organisations and our partners in these markets to harness the power of the digital revolution and contribute towards driving economic growth, fostering innovation and nurturing our youth – for a more sustainable future.”

Youssry brings over 30 years of professional experience and industry knowledge to the role. He joined Microsoft in 2007 in the server and tools business, which he managed across most of Africa and Levant. In 2008, he became the General Manager of Microsoft West Central Africa. During his four-year tenure, he led growth across the region, overseeing every aspect of Microsoft’s business and being awarded the Microsoft global “General Manager of the Year” award in 2009. In 2011, Youssry moved to Microsoft France, leading an extensive government business covering ministries, social and administrative entities and large publicprivate accounts. In November 2013, Youssry moved back to the MEA region and joined Microsoft Gulf as the Public Sector lead. Prior to joining Microsoft, Youssry spent many years working

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

Ibrahim Youssry, Microsoft

in multinational organisations across different sectors including Aramco, GUPCO and Schlumberger in the oil and gas industry, Gemalto and Orascom “Djezzy” in the Telco space.

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

ExaGrid introduces new regional sales director

Rami Nasser, ExaGrid

Hyper-converged secondary storage for backup provider ExaGrid has announced the expansion of its Middle Eastern coverage with the appointment of Rami Nasser as its regional sales director for the Middle East, India, and

Africa. The firm will be adding sales offices in Dubai, Turkey, India, and South Africa. Having previously held numerous management positions at CA and Arcserve over a span of 16 years, Nasser’s extensive sales management, business development, and enterprise storage management expertise are central to the effective execution of ExaGrid’s aggressive expansion strategy. Currently on Nasser’s team are Mohammed Jaffrey and Francois Eid. Jaffrey has over a decade of experience in the MEA market with specific expertise in storage, backup, archival, and technical workflows, having held regional roles Quantum, Nexsan, and LaCie (a division of Seagate). “ExaGrid’s technology for the backup storage market is revolutionary, particularly in addressing urgent customer needs for faster backups and faster ingest rates, restores, and VM boots,” said Jaffrey. “Customers don’t need to worry about forklift upgrades

or high TCO with ExaGrid’s efficient scale-out architecture. I am excited to be part of ExaGrid’s journey.” Eid brings 18 years of experience designing end-to-end solutions in IT infrastructure, storage, data protection/management, and cloud, having worked at Hitachi, Quantum, Commvault, and Fujitsu Siemens.

ExaGrid’s technology for the backup storage market is revolutionary, particularly in addressing urgent customer needs for faster backups and faster ingest rates, restores, and VM boots.”

Nuvias names new GM for Middle East Nuvias, a regional value-added distributor (VAD), has reportedly named Mario Gay as its new regional general manager for the company’s Middle East operations. As part of his new role, Gay will take the reins of Nuvias’ growth strategy for the region by leveraging the group’s value-add proposition to channel partners in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The VAD will focus on delivering ROI oriented services and business value to further enable the growth of its

reseller partners in the Middle East. Gay is a channel industry veteran with an experience of over 11 years in the region. Nuvias Group specialises in IT distribution. Working across EMEA, the company has created a platform to deliver a consistent, high value, service-led and solution-rich proposition across EMEA. This allows partner and vendor communities to provide exceptional business support to customers and enables new standards of channel success.

Mario Gay, Nuvias

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

OPINION // RED HAT

Driving vertical expertise Frank Basinski, director, Partner Programs and Enablement EMEA, Red Hat, examines how channel partners can enhance business prosperity by investing in vertical specialisms.

ncreased vertical focus has been happening for a while at the channelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cutting edge. Channel firms are restructuring to create vertically focused customer-facing sales and solutions organisations. However, is it as black and white as this, and what are the main obstacles partners are facing in creating the crossover between industry and technology? Thanks to the rise in third-platform technology and a dramatically shifting customer landscape, partners are focusing more and more on their vertical offerings and expertise. Research commissioned by Red Hat last year underlines this, with over half of the resellers, VARs, SIs, MSPs, CSPs, ISVs and consultants surveyed in the UK, French and German channels having extended their product and service portfolio towards specific vertical industries in the past 12 months.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fact is that vertical specialisation is happening naturally and digital transformation will only intensify this.â&#x20AC;? The key driver for partners, is that customers are increasingly looking for guidance and solutions from the channel to help facilitate their digital transformation and to achieve a holistic, cross-sector business approach. These new demands are spelling out a clear message for partners, which is, those who sat on the sidelines with digital transformation, those not investing in vertical specialisms will soon find themselves missing out on

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

valuable business opportunities, plus risk exposing their lack of cross-sector services to existing clients. Vendors similarly will prioritise collaboration with vertically driven partners in order to increase profitability and expand their own portfolio; with partner programmes and certifications weighted heavily towards nurturing this level of industry depth. So what can they do to not only weather this, but increase business prosperity and opportunity? Know the industry lingo The challenges associated with creating vertical specialisms very much depend on the starting point of the partner. Systems Integrators are already ahead of the playing field, while others are at varying points in the journey. That being said, most partners have figured out that if they specialise in vertical (or horizontal) solutions they will have a significant

advantage, and avoid a business model only set up to compete on price. A vertical approach allows partners to be more relevant and form stronger relationships with their customers. Speaking the language of the customer shows a deeper understanding tailored to the market their end customers are operating in. Partners immediately step up from being an infrastructure provider to becoming a trusted advisor – a key differentiator at a time when competition is only intensifying. Primarily, we are seeing this trend play out across our partners’ sales infrastructure. This allows partners to build a valuable proposition and unique IP, differentiating themselves from the competition. However, it is important for partners to concentrate on providing a solution focused approach rather than a product one. In its report, IDC also predicts that harmonious to the adoption of vertical specialisms in the channel will be the increased investment in third platform

“To invest in their industry expertise, while carving out a USP against their competitors, repeatable solutions are just one potential strategy partners can look at.” technology, with new ecosystems and alliances emerging around cloud, social, mobile and big data. Take advantage of repeatable solutions To invest in their industry expertise, while carving out a USP against their competitors, repeatable solutions are just one potential strategy partners can look at. Repeatable solutions mean identifying an industry specific issue,

building out a solution to tackle this and recognising that this solution can offer the same value proposition for other customers in that space and can be replicated quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. At Red Hat, we have seen some of our partners utilise this strategy to great effect. The fact is that vertical specialisation is happening naturally and digital transformation will only intensify this. At Red Hat, we continue to encourage all of our partners to invest in building up their industry expertise or to take a close look at what might already exist within their organisation’s and bundle this up into a vertical offering. Ultimately, following a vertical specific approach, supported with tailored expertise and solutions, will ensure that partners fully understand the challenges end-users come up against on a regular basis, which can be the key to unlocking new business opportunities and keeping existing clients satisfied.

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

OPINION // RIVERBED

Changing tides in the channel Elie Dib, regional vice president, METNA, Riverbed, looks at the new priorities partners must focus on, to excel in the rapidly evolving world of technology.

t has been known for some time now that enterprises must accelerate to keep up in the technology stakes. Digital transformation is driving change in technology, innovation, and cloud economics. Customers are leveraging technology to transform their business and compete in new ways — and this means they want to consume IT in different ways, disrupting the IT value chain and requiring both partners and vendors to rapidly adjust their business models. As the technology landscape develops, so do customer expectations. Customers are requiring more support from vendors and channel partners when implementing and supporting their systems and complex infrastructure. This is due to the increased complexity of offerings, be it SaaS, PaaS or network infrastructure, meaning vendors and partners must take a more supportive and consultative approach to the sales process. Ultimately, it’s up to vendors and their partners to redefine and evolve their business models to provide a full solution approach. When looking to the future, it is clear there are new priorities and challenges for the channel in maintaining profitability in the transformed world of IT. Partnering for success The right vendor and partner relationship is critical when it comes

to flexing to meet the ongoing changes in customer demand. To enable partners to thrive in a rapidly changing marketplace, vendors need to provide unique programmes that can be simple, flexible and, of course profitable. It is now in the remit of the channel to provide a full range of services that will allow for the design, architect, installation, integration and operation of the solutions that they are offering — in a way that their approach can be tailored to meet changing demands.

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“Providing solutions that allow partners to have elevated conversations with customers that focus on solving their digital transformation issues, enables them to diversify their product portfolio.”

Providing solutions that allow partners to have elevated conversations with customers that focus on solving their digital transformation issues, enables them to diversify their product portfolio. And having the ability to meet these needs will help to increase profitability as the market shifts. This requires a partner programme that is simple, flexible and profitable, requiring virtually no time for partners to adapt to rapid changes. Giving strategic autonomy back to resellers It is important to recognise that different partner types sell in different ways, just as customers consume IT in myriad ways. Therefore, the next vein of programme needs to reward the multiple ways of selling, be it software licensing, resale, managed services, or recurring revenuebased cloud services. This then allows partners to decide where they want to focus their resources. For distributors, this could be on product delivery, training and enablement, support and marketing tools that drive resale partner success with their customers. Whereas for systems integrators, they may look for a partner that offers customers best-ofbreed solutions that provide rapid ROI on increased application acceleration, IT consolidation, and network and application visibility. This model also allows the path to earning rewards to be clear and easy to understand, enabling them to choose how they earn and spend dividends which means they can maximise transaction velocity. Adopting a strategy, which treats the channel as a business, and tracks the value provided to partners, will ultimately allow vendor and partners to both flex as needed to maintain profits.

CHANNEL SPEAK SURVEY

Make a difference The first-ever vendor agnostic annual channel ecosystem survey, Channel Speak, conducted by Enabler One supported by Reseller Middle East, is set to close responses by 6th September 2018. We speak to some of the survey’s participants to discover how its findings can make a visible impact in day-to-day channel business in the Middle East and North Africa region.

he regional channel business has witnessed several ups and downs over the past years. From diminishing margins and challenging credit terms to evolving business models, the partner community has been constantly addressing new obstacles and reskilling themselves in emerging disruptive technologies. “Transformation is the buzzword today,” says Narendra Talreja, country head, SoftwareONE UAE. “This is not because of the everevolving technologies, but because of the disruption in each industry, which encourages or imposes the customer to look at modern way of consuming technologies. The channel here becomes a key to expedite this revolution.” However, he adds that there is lot of “masking and hedging at the channel level, which is deterrent to the speed of adoption or consumption of these evolving technologies.”

“Channel partners need to play their expected role in the new context besides their legacy and traditional business engagements,” he adds. Talreja believes that the Channel Speak survey is a step towards the right direction. He says, “I am optimistic of Channel Speak to be a strong link between stakeholders to help understand each other’s business objectives. This is especially more relevant in current scenarios where almost all vendors have transformed their legacy products and services to map with the disruptive technologies.” He explains that the rewards and incentives for most of the vendors are now being realigned towards pushing their sales force to go all out. “With the unbiased platform that Channel Speak provides in the form of this survey across the regional channel community, there seems to be that ray of hope for the much needed and desired speed of adoption.” Agreeing that Channel Speak survey will have a positive impact, Aliasgar Dohadwala, CEO, Visiontech Systems, says, “The survey is ideal for getting conversations around major issues started. This will lead to more open and direct dialogues, resulting in success stories and secured business processes among channel partners and their stakeholders.”

“The survey is ideal for getting conversations around major issues started. This will lead to more open and direct dialogues, resulting in success stories and secured business processes among channel partners and their stakeholders.”

He adds, “Like every matured economy, it is time that businesses here adopted a more optimistic approach rather than the one-time sell approach, which is the biggest reason why the communication gap is so large within the fraternity.” According to Dohadwala, the challenges the channels are facing are massive and cannot be addressed on their own. “Vendors and customers often see a win-win opportunity, however, the channel doesn’t, even though they are a large contributor to meeting the ecosystem as well,” he says. The Channel Speak survey results attempts to bridge this communication gap within the industry. Enabler One co-founder Nehul Goradia, says, “Channel Speak survey will help the eco-system understand each other better by clearly highlighting their views on various areas such as customer demands, support required and margin management, among other aspects.” Goradia adds that it is critical, especially in the current market scenario, for each stakeholder in the channel ecosystem to be open and share their views on how they believe the ecosystem could engage better. “This dialogue can help them not just achieve their individual objectives but also assist certain stakeholders, such as vendors and distributors, to be able to better design their channel engagement strategies,” he adds. “We believe that the Channel Speak report will help facilitate such a dialogue.”

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

COVER FEATURE // AGC NETWORKS

NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL AGE Saaed Khan, vice president and head, Sales, Middle East, AGC Networks, elaborates on the firm’s revamped business divisions and how it aims to be a solutions player in the digital era.

s operating successfully in a digital era becomes a top priority and concern for customers, regional systems integrators are compelled to evolve their businesses to meet these growing market demands. In line with this, systems integrator AGC Networks has recently undergone a major restructuring in terms of products and services that it offers to customers, both, globally and locally. Saaed Khan, vice president and head, Sales, Middle East, AGC Networks, says, “Reacting to opportunities in the market, we have restructured our offerings into four broad categories – unified communications (UC), data centre and networking, cybersecurity and professional services.” Established in 1986 and headquartered out of India, AGC Networks is a global technology solutions integrator with an objective to enable customers to focus on their core competencies to guarantee growth. Over the past few months, the company has been working on increasing its brand awareness among its enterprise customers. Khan says, “One of our biggest milestones include winning a huge contract from a leading regional customer. Our awareness in the market has grown extensively over the last six months.” Khan believes that the market is slowly becoming well-versed with AGC and its valueadded offerings. “Customers appreciate that AGC focuses on services, which are more value-driven rather than just implementing a product. We have now

evolved into a solutions-oriented organisation determined to cater to customers’ business demands.” Within the unified communications category, customers can expect end-to-end UC solutions based on the Avaya platform while in the data centre and networking area, the systems integrator works primarily with HP as its partner. Having rekindled its relationship with Cisco and Fortinet, Khan says that the firm now provides well-structured solutions based on these products. He adds, “When we go and talk to customers, it is not from the perspective that we are a HP or Cisco reseller, instead our aim is to consult and understand what drives their business. Then, we break it down to how IT would facilitate that growth or management of business, post which, we come back and do the due diligence and finally design the customised solution.” Close to a year ago, the cybersecurity division was a separate one within the firm. Globally, the company decided to merge it into one single entity. “Globally, all our account managers are now selling cybersecurity. However, we are focusing only in three areas – DLP with Forcepoint, email phishing solutions with Cofense and SIEM solutions with LogRhythm “When we go and speak to customers about cybersecurity, we have to ensure that

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

“Customers appreciate that AGC focuses on services, which are more value-driven rather than just implementing a product. We have now evolved into a solutionsoriented organisation determined to cater to customers’ business demands.”

we play on our strengths. We look at these niche offerings because we have identified that these are the three areas where customers demand world-class security services. To provide quality comprehensive solutions, we have gone ahead and partnered with these three security vendors.” Within its professional services business, the systems integrator’s major focus is on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. He explains that over the last four months, the firm has been able to create a niche for itself and now competes only with the likes of IBM and Accenture, in this area. “As of today, there is no other organisation, who can boast the whole offering as far as AI and robotics are concerned,” Khan adds. “We have already completed three successful POCs, won a small project from a major telecom provider in the region, currently working close to around 15 opportunities out of which seven have been shortlisted for RFP (request for proposals). And among those RFPs, only firms like IBM and Accenture are competition as there are no local companies in this space.” Regional customers have shown immense interest in AI and robotics,

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

COVER FEATURE // AGC NETWORKS

As Oracle’s first MSP partner, the firm is ready to cater to customers as soon as the vendor’s data centre is launched in Abu Dhabi.

according to the VP. He emphasises that it is important to understand that AI and robotics are two separate offerings. “At the moment, robotics essentially is Robotic Process Automation (RPA). The current challenge here is the lack of skilled talent and the high cost of resources. Organisations need to

invest in an army of people and figure how to reduce costs by half, if they invest into services. “Automation increases your services to end customers. If one looks at AGC and what offering we are doing, it will be apparent that it is different from that of many

organisations as they typically focus inwards. They look at internal servers and other processes, nobody focuses on end customers. Today, it is a competitive environment. If I’m struggling to retain customers then they are also finding it difficult to hold on to their patrons,” he explains.

“Automation increases your services to end customers. If one looks at AGC and what offering we are doing, it will be apparent that it is different from that of many organisations as they typically focus inwards.”

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

Within cybersecurity, AGC Networks is focusing on solutions such as DLP with Forcepoint, email phishing solutions with Cofense and SIEM solutions with LogRhythm.

“WE TAKE EVERY DECISION KEEPING IN MIND HOW IT IMPACTS OUR CUSTOMERS.”

This is why, at AGC, the attention is centred around customers and addressing their challenges. “We take every decision keeping in mind how it impacts our customers.” Khan says that the company has witnessed growth across all its divisions over the last few months. “Our customers believe in what we

offer as it is all about providing them value-add.” However, he also admits that what has worked to their advantage is the fact that they are not spreading themselves too thin. “We are only going to select customers where our relationships are strong,” he adds. Another area of focus for the SI is around cloud services. As Oracle’s first managed service provider (MSP) partner, the firm is ready to cater to

customers as soon as the vendor’s data centre is launched in Abu Dhabi. “Understanding clients want comprehensive services, we are ready, having completed the trainings and the required certifications, to help customers with their end-to-end cloud needs.” Khan says that the focus for the next six months will continue to be growing these areas. “We have been receiving a good response from our customers and will work on catering to their demands.” He also adds that there is no doubt that the next phase for a systems integrator is to be a “solutions provider” and this is what AGC is aspiring to do. “We are looking to close our financial year in March with a 100 percent growth. We have seen results coming in and we are building up the momentum. We already have a strong pipeline and a young team that is being mentored by seasoned players. We look forward to a high-growth year,” he says.

“We are looking to close our financial year in March with a 100 percent growth. We have seen results coming in and we are building up the momentum. We already have a strong pipeline and a young team that is being mentored by seasoned players. We look forward to a high-growth year.”

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

FEATURE // BLOCKCHAIN

Heimdal™ and Sariya growing through combined efforts Heimdal™ entered the ME market in 2015 and has continuously expanded its position to grow into the technology leading endpoint security vendor in the Middle East. To support this growth Heimdal™ has been working with Sariya to expand market reach since the start of 2018.

The ME security market is growing. Sariya is a strong Middle East distributor and Heimdal™ is one of Europe’s fastest growing IT Security brands, offering Next-Gen Threat Prevention with it’s Thor Foresight product and Next-Gen threat remediation with EDR in Thor Vigilance. The ambition of both Sariya and Heimdal™ is to grow aggressively and the ﬁrst months of the partnership have been fruitful with several partners being interested in the advanced product offering. As the IT Security landscape is changing, the dynamics of technology grows ever more important, but the ability to bring that technology to market equally so. Sariya has brought forward the Heimdal Thor product messaging to all of its partners, with strong interest from the market in return. The market is eager to learn more about how to prevent attacks before they start and taking their IT Security to the next level especially with the problems of Ransomware, APT’s and advanced attacks constantly changing and evolving. Also this change about the threatscape has been an important part of the relationship, between Sariya and Heimdal™. Not only are the Heimdal™ Thor Endpoint security products well suited to the dynamics of threats, but also the Heimdal Security blog is recognized as a strong source for free tips and advice for Middle East IT Managers and has been awarded the best IT Security blog by Infosecurity. This helps drive forward brand knowledge and recognition as product distribution increases.

With the IT Security market set for more staggering growth, with Gartner predicting 22% growth in endpoint security spending in 2018 Heimdal™ and Sariya are set for a tremendous year, with expectations soaring high, as a result of a fruitful start to the relationship. Heimdal and Sariya will be very interesting to follow this year.

FEATURE // BLOCKCHAIN

The strongest link Reseller ME speaks to experts to discover the channel opportunities in blockchain technology and how vendors can play a key role in supporting its adoption.

y allowing information to be decentralised, distributed and stored in a public digital ledger across several computers, blockchain technology is a transparent system that prevents the data from being copied or modified without first altering all ensuing blocks and the network’s complete consensus. It works in such a manner that each transaction recorded is like

a digital ‘block’, which must be verified by all other users before it’s allowed to enter the system. Originally created for digital currency Bitcoin, the industry is now discovering potential uses across verticals such as banking, healthcare, real estate, transportation, government and retail. Earlier this year, research firm IDC said that the worldwide spending on blockchain solutions is expected to reach

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

$11.7 billion in 2022, according to a new update to its Worldwide Semiannual Blockchain Spending Guide. Predicting blockchain spending to grow at a robust pace throughout the 2017-2022 forecast period, the firm also stated that the worldwide blockchain spending is expected to be $1.5 billion in 2018, double the amount spent in 2017. Zakaria Haltout, head, Global Channels and General Business,

“Blockchain is steadily moving from concepts to reality, especially with the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021 and Dubai Blockchain Strategy.” Zakaria Haltout, SAP

MENA, SAP, says even in the region, the technology is seeing a strong interest. “It is steadily moving from concepts to reality, especially with the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021 and Dubai Blockchain Strategy.” He adds that a global survey of SAP’s blockchain community revealed that only three percent have active blockchain projects, however, 84 percent have started a blockchain journey. Although the technology continues to be in its early stages, it could offer opportunities for channel partners who are keen to invest in different areas to ensure future growth. Agreeing, Jude Pereira, MD, Nanjgel Solutions, says, “The channel definitely has an opportunity here as Blockchain technology is not going to replace the work a systems integrator would do but instead would help them to improve the level of confidence clients would have on the technology’s solutions.

THE BLOCKCHAIN MARKET IS EXPECTED TO BE MORE THAN $3 TRILLION BY 2024 SOURCE: VALUECODERS

As once blockchain solutions have been implemented, the dependency of accuracy, predicting and providing

the correct information at the right time would be at its peak.” To be successful, he adds that systems integrators must have the necessary skills and certified engineers to be able to deliver such solutions with least errors of failure. Currently, partners are not yet embracing the opportunities in this technology. Mario M Veljovic, general manager, VAD Technologies, says, “With only a very few exceptions, channel partners are still not seriously exploring blockchain technology.” Veljovic believes this will be a huge regret for partners at a later stage. In order to sustain profitable long-term businesses, partners must invest and diversify into newer technologies. “Having a discussion around blockchain with your customers will lead to many digital transformation opportunities, which will show

“Early adopters will have first-mover advantages and those partners who don’t want to feel alienated or left out, should do their research today.” Jude Pereira, Nanjgel Solutions

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FEATURE // BLOCKCHAIN

BANKS COULD SAVE ESTIMATED $8-12 BILLION IF THEY USED BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY SOURCE: VALUECODERS

immediate results,” he adds. Pereira adds, “At the moment, the technology is still too nascent for partners to adopt. However, everyone is surely jumping on to this bandwagon. Early adopters will have first-mover advantages and those partners who don’t want to feel alienated or left out, should do their research today.” One of the reasons why Pereira believes the technology is in an embryonic stage in the region is because vendors themselves are not completely ready to “meet client expectations and provide the desired level of assurance.” Vendors can support their partner ecosystem in a number of ways. “With the right knowledge transfer, the go-to-market strategy, which would typically focus on certain verticals markets, could directly find value in deploying blockchain solutions. Also, vendors can help by providing demo platforms for internal lab purposes where SIs can create different environments as per customer demands, in order to get a hands-on experience, before going for live implementations.” According to Haltout, channel partners need both technical expertise and practical experience in deploying blockchain projects. “This can be accomplished by aligning training with leading blockchain vendors. One of the most important aspects of an effective channel partner is identifying the right business cases for blockchain and tying these into wider digital transformation agendas,” he explains. “It can be tempting for CIOs to

Mario M Veljovic, VAD Technologies

“Having a discussion around blockchain with your customers will lead to many digital transformation opportunities, which will show immediate results.”

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deploy blockchain projects simply to be on the cutting-edge of technology. But if blockchain does not meet business use cases, it will fail. Channel partners are also vital in guiding CIOs in having blockchain projects that can start small to show fast ROI or if they fail, then can start over quickly.” There is no question that blockchain is a definite avenue for channel partners to explore. Value added resellers and systems integrators also have a huge opportunity around consulting with this technology. As it is an emerging technology, customers too will need help in zeroing down on appropriate use cases for blockchain in their businesses. Partners have to elevate themselves to a position where their customers can depend on them for advice on this technology. This means partners have to go above and beyond in understanding all the best possible applications of blockchain and ensuring they have adequate expertise. Although tangible opportunities might be a distance away, partners should do everything today when it comes to the groundwork involved around the technology. Pereira believes as the industry matures, the demands and requirements are going to be disruptive. “It would really need much more complex and complicated architectures to handle such blockchain requirements, so hopefully by then there would be something easier to grasp and quicker to deploy solutions that will give birth to optimised pricing with the highest level of ROI,” he adds.

Make the Connection:

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• Real-time comprehensive network visibility • Automation and speeding of network tasks • Insights to optimize structured workﬂow The time is now for a modern campus architecture from the edge to the core. Learn more at www.arubanetworks.com/digitalworkplace

FEATURE // SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

Digital advisors

Reseller ME examines how systems integrators’ roles have evolved beyond the traditional definition and how they can remain relevant in an increasingly digital-driven world.

isruptive technologies and trends characteristic to the fourth industrial revolution such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, virtual reality, robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) are transforming the way we do business. Accelerated emphasis on digitalisation within most organisations are compelling regional systems integrators to alter traditional business models. Savitha Bhaskar, COO, Condo Protego, says that Middle East systems integrators can no longer limit themselves to only implementing hardware, software, and services in the digital era. “Systems integrators should move beyond basic integration and logistical support towards working with customers on the entire solution lifecycle.” TransSys Solutions’ executive director Prabu Balasubramanyan is also of a similar opinion. He

believes for systems integrators to be successful, they need to move away from being perceived as just a technology expert to strategic advisors. In this role, they should be able to guide customers in effectively, leveraging the digital technologies to positively impact business. He says, “The role of system integrators has become even more critical as a resourceful systems integrator can help bridge the gap between strategy and execution. With emerging technologies including AI, blockchain, chatbots and machine learning; enterprises need help from their external partners to put together a profitable roadmap. Systems integrators who are experts in digitisation can empower organisations to manipulate and change the business trends to stay relevant and ahead of their competitions.” So, how can systems integrators become experts in digitisation? They

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will have to rethink their existing strategies. Balasubramanyan urges systems integrators to move swiftly to be ahead of digital trends to retain clients and protect revenues. “Irrespective of how systems integrators decide to play out in the digital transformation journey, they still need to understand the changes and quickly transform themselves to adapt to the new era.” One of the first things, they will have to do is realign their internal teams and solutions to present themselves as a single entity. The next step would be to embrace new age partners to offer differentiation to cover niche areas of comprehensive customer solutions, adds Balasubramanyan. “They will have to then look at partnering with companies that are also growing at the same pace, to help them accelerate their own growth. This kind of growth can only come from new-age technology partners,” he explains.

Systems integrators should also note another crucial aspect. “As today the trend is everything being available as-a-service (XaaS), the revenue and possibly the margins that systems integrators could have derived from

hardware or software license resell is bound to significantly diminish. Being agile and adaptive to the changes becomes extremely important to systems integrators,” points out Balasubramanyan.

Stephan Berner, CEO, Help AG, says that one common issue that the IT industry, particularly the cybersecurity segment, is facing is the lack of skilled resources. “The shortage of skilled resources is

“Systems integrators should move beyond basic integration and logistical support towards working with customers on the entire solution lifecycle.” Savitha Bhaskar, Condo Protego

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

FEATURE // SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

“Systems integrators who are experts in digitisation can empower organisations to manipulate and change the business trends to stay relevant and ahead of their competitions.” Prabu Balasubramanyan, TransSys Solutions

the biggest challenge for everybodywhether it is the customers, vendor partners, distributors or systems integrators,” he notes. “The channel in particular will need to be wary of their best personnel being poached by vendors in this landscape. This is why at Help AG, we work closely with vendors with a clear agreement in place stating that they cannot poach skilled staff from partners.” Condo Protego’s Bhaskar adds that another challenge regional systems integrators need to be conscious

of is future-proofing their business operations and learning to become more agile. She explains that this can be done by moving beyond the cloud to consider validity and longevity of emerging technologies. “AI and machine learning, IoT and blockchain all present strong opportunities to transform customer experiences and enable new digital business models,” she adds. She also believes that systems integrators are better placed if they can transform their sales force from

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being “in fulfillment mode to being in consultative engagement with customers.” “Staff should be aware of changing business trends and be able to have conversations with customers that focus on exchanging global best practices. This can allow them to help customers to drive innovation that can increase revenue and profit and better meet end-user needs.” Balasubramanyan says to remain relevant for the future and grow operations today, systems integrators

Stephan Berner, Help AG

“The channel must move higher up the value chain. This means establishing deep strategic ties not just with the IT decisionmakers but throughout the organisation.”

simply have to be proactive in embracing new age partnerships and invest appropriately. “They should build partnerships and develop technologies and POCs in-house to prove to their customers that they have the necessary expertise and that they know how to make it work. It is better for them to have this discussion with their customers and chart out a plan as soon as possible to take the digital transformation journey ahead instead of letting the competition get the upper hand,” he says. Additionally, they should decide on a specialisation and develop deep technical expertise for technologies in that niche, says Berner. “This is the formula for success. Systems integration alone is no longer enough, it must be bolstered with strategic consulting, value-add services and expert support,” he adds. Although, channel organisations have

always owned customer relationships, vertical market expertise and managed services savviness to power innovative technology solutions in the Middle East, Berner says, “Now, the channel must move higher up the value chain. This means establishing deep strategic ties not just with the IT decision-makers but throughout the organisation, starting with CEOs, CIOs and other C-level

executives, running through each and every critical line of business.” Balasubramanyan says, “Organisations now must consider that the world today is driven by IoT, big data, omnichannel marketing and cloud computing. Integrators should aspire to be strategic partners to enterprises to offer great customer experience and provide advanced automation.”

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

INSIGHT // E-COMMERCE

DIGITAL GOALS FOR RETAILERS Raj Mistry, group director, Retail, Dimension Data, shares, critical digital transformation lessons that retailers can learn from the Tour de France, which took place earlier this year.

he Tour de France is the biggest cycling race in the world, attracting 12 million TV viewers for each of its 21 stages, and 6.5 million digital fans from across 190 countries. It is a testament to the benefits of digital transformation that a sporting event more than 100 years old can keep innovating and pushing the boundaries of the digital fan experience. This unwavering obsession to continually improve products and services is very relevant and timely for a hard-hit retail

sector struggling to grow – especially for the bricks and mortar stores. Data is the key to unlocking new audiences Data collection is an area many retailers overlook, especially when concerning bricks and mortar outlets. Pre-2015, data collection during the Tour de France was also an extremely manual and labour-intensive process – with time checks and cyclist position often communicated by radio during the race. The Tour de France technical solution

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

places GPS trackers on each bicycle to collect the real-time positioning of every single rider, relaying this data to a big data analytics platform, which then combines different variables such as speed, gradient and altitude for predictive analysis. Stores are beginning to follow this lead by collecting data that generates real-time, actionable insights, such as how and when customers and inventory move around the store’s space. Combine this with how each shopper interaction impacts measurable business outcomes;

“Ultimately, it all comes down to owning the customer relationship, whether that’s digital or physical, which in turn, drives a consistent experience. And security and trust play a fundamental role in this relationship.”

For example, if a customer finds a product in-store, are they able to scan it using the brand’s mobile app, to then purchase via their laptop later that evening at home? These are the fundamental solutions retailers should be serving seamlessly in order to for their physical assets to keep pace with online offerings.

like foot traffic, popular merchandise areas and overall sales, and the result is a valuable tool that will enable the personalisation of the shopping experience. Retailers still have a way to go before they are realising the potential of data in their businesses. Take an omnichannel approach Retailers that fail to marry all of their respective channels into a cohesive experience risk sending capricious customers scurrying to the nearest competitor. When used correctly,

omnichannel is much more than a buzzword used by desperate executives looking to impress their managers at monthly meetings. At the Tour de France, the data and information collected bleeds across all channels. Social, mobile, website, TV broadcast: the data visualisations that brought the race to life are across every platform – delivering an unparalleled viewing experience. A true omnichannel retail experience needs to take into account every customer interaction, regardless of channel.

Don’t overlook data security The retail sector continues to be one of the most targeted industries for cyberattacks. Since January 2017, at least 15 retailers have been victims of a cyberattacks, including high-profile names such as Adidas and Dixons Carphone, according to reports. The global exposure of a sporting event like the Tour de France puts everyone involved at risk from any number of cyber attackers looking to share, trade, or manipulate data. Its critical information is protected from these various threats, but without compromising the flow of real-time data that makes the event so compelling. The Tour de France employs a next-generation security platform that exclusively operates in the cloud,

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

INSIGHT // E-COMMERCE

allowing an almost instant response time to security threats. Another secret to this success is the level of collaboration across the race, with partners and sponsors working closely together to ensure protection is airtight. Responsibility is collective. And this ethos extends across all industries, in particular retail, where the omnichannel approach is so critical. After all, if a customer doesn’t trust your e-commerce website to keep their details safe, why would they feel inclined to visit your physical store? A retailer cannot abdicate accountability for data security – it’s the entire business that needs to own this responsibility, not just the IT department. Ultimately, it all comes down to owning the customer relationship, whether that’s digital or physical, which in turn, drives a consistent experience. And security and trust play a fundamental role in this relationship. Departmental alignment Within retail, there’s often a big disconnect between the IT function and the rest of the business: all things technical are dealt with in silos by the IT function, which makes it impossible for the wider business to support omnichannel. Over the course of a year, a professional cycling team relies on much more than the riders in the saddles. The logistical operations involved in a race

“Retailers that fail to marry all of their respective channels into a cohesive experience risk sending capricious customers scurrying to the nearest competitor.”

“RETAILERS NEED TO STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN THE HUMAN ELEMENT OF A CUSTOMER INTERACTION, AND THE TECHNOLOGY ITS STAFF ARE USING TO FACILITATE THAT INTERACTION.” like the Tour de France means everyone has to be working from the same rulebook, whether it’s the drivers ferrying the team around France, the physios dealing with the aches and pains of riders cycling for up to six hours per day, or the caterers keeping everyone fully fuelled during the 21-day tour. This level of collaboration means a professional cycling team is governed much like a business. For many companies, its e-commerce presence sits separate to the main retail function, and all too often, a retailer’s website is not treated and managed as a shop, but as a piece of technology – an area invariably dealt with by IT. How can you foster a true omnichannel approach when there’s no incentive internally to do so? Focus on creating experiences by empowering your employees Telling stories and creating experiences are the ingredients that will ensure the survival and eventual blossoming of our bricks and mortars retail stores. We

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

all know about the big players like Apple, Victoria’s Secret and Ikea, who mix meaningful with immersion, make personalisation accessible and intuitive for everyone, and underpin it all with a resonant human touch. In a similar vein, one of the main reasons the Tour de France attracts such a large and varied audience is down to its ability to tell compelling stories. The vast amount of data collected every second means even the most fleeting and subtle tales won’t go untold. The secret to achieving these benchmarks lies with the employees. Retailers need to strike the right balance between the human element of a customer interaction, and the technology its staff are using to facilitate that interaction. Technology is meant to be an enabler and a supporting element in the customer relationship, however, it’s starting to become the primary point of delivering information to the customer, often at the loss of that all-important human element.

SPONSORED

ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS DELIVERS TRIUMPHANT PERFORMANCE BY INTRODUCING THE HOME PROGRAM

nterprise Systems, as a valueadded distributor has been providing comprehensive end to end solutions, offering services ranging from technical, sales, renewals, marketing, logistics, procurement and finance for the last decade. With a vision of simplicity in solutions and services, their mission is dedicated to the quality of service. Enterprise Systems has trained over 100+ partners over the years. As the Channel Training Distributor (CTD) in the region for Ruckus Networks, an ARRIS company, they have been working endlessly with System Integrators in the market to provide best-in-class training to their employees and end users too. Having delivered countless trainings to some widely known System Integrators and many UAE based end user entities in the first half of the year. The trainings are not only theoretical but as a value-added distributor, Enterprise Systems also provides hands on experience training, with state-of-the-art technology at its Training Center to the individual undertaking the training and in return, apply the valuable knowledge in their environment. For those not able to come to the Training Center, Enterprise Systems offers onsite, offsite and even virtual trainings to fit the demanding schedules of its partners. Kiarash Azali, the Chief Operating Officer has a saying he sticks by “If you Fail to Plan, you Plan to Fail.” His staff follows

this saying and is always planning, to be steps ahead of competition. His team consists of highly trained instructors with high partner and vendor satisfaction score. The tutors have over 15 years of experience working with networks and partners, and can transfer hands on experience to its partners. Enterprise Systems offers various courses. The distinctive enablement programs are flexible, focused and custom tailored to the System Integrators technical and commercial capabilities. Each training is carried out with hands on sessions and project simulations to enable the individual towards getting certified. They run workshops regularly for all its partners throughout the year. Courses are offered by area of focus and for different skill levels.

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

Enterprise Systems

As part of this year’s ongoing strategy till end of the year, Ruckus Networks, an ARRIS company has planned some brilliant half day technical sessions called the ‘Dog Father Days’ which will be held to educate and inform the partners on the latest technologies and practices of Ruckus Networks. Thanks to incredible growth and demand of the Ruckus Networks portfolio, Enterprise Systems will deliver these sessions and will delve into what makes the Ruckus Networks technology so simple, beneficial and yet so powerful in many different verticals. Enterprise Systems has always been dedicated to supporting the technical staff of our channel partners and have launched the HOME Program (Hound of the Middle East), which is a technical competition that has countless benefits. Starting business with Enterprise Systems begins with training, promotions and special pricings on deals, all of which is combined in a package just tailored for you. There are multiple Ruckus technical training sessions taking place till end of November which the engineer can attend and get certified. The first ever significant HOME program competition will take place tentatively in December. Get trained, take part in this wonderful competition and show your capabilities. Interested in getting Certified? Get in touch today. Direct your training queries to training@esystems.com.

PARTNER WATCH // EXCLUSIVE NETWORKS

Exclusive Networks to debut Cyber and Cloud super centre

Nathan Clements, MD, Exclusive Networks, elaborates on how the firm has sustained high growths and shares GITEX plans.

lobal cloud and cybersecurity value-added distributor, Exclusive Networks is geared up to participate at GITEX Technology Week, taking place from 14th to 18th next month. Headquartered in Europe, the distributor aims to accelerate market entry and growth for innovative cybersecurity and cloud technologies in the Middle East region. Nathan Clements, MD, Exclusive Networks, says, “This makes us the go-to-choice for vendors and reseller partners. Our business model of a single touch and multiple markets specialist distributor, is unique and effective. We combine specialist value-added technical and marketing support, with the volume and reach of a global distributor. Reseller partners around the world rely upon us to boost their business opportunities and achieve new revenues from the changing technology landscape. “Exclusive Networks continually challenges traditional distribution models, redefining value and creating differentiation.” As the regional channel business strives to keep up with the evolving trends in the market, Exclusive Networks has been able to maintain a sustainable growth. Clements adds, “It’s easy to say this growth has come from our existing vendors and also the addition of new vendors and services. But in parallel to this, we also have a strong and highly

motivated team, which has allowed us to consistently deliver good growth. “We have worked hard and have been successful in making Exclusive Networks a place where people aspire to work, and once here all of our team are constantly trained, and developed

“Exclusive Networks continually challenges traditional distribution models, redefining value and creating differentiation.” so they can be the best in their fields. Our vendors and our channel partners appreciate and understand the value of our team and enjoy working with them.” According to the MD, GITEX is one of the most important platforms for the firm as it enables them to showcase cloud and cybersecurity solutions to a massive audience across five days. “The past two years has seen Exclusive Networks Middle East rapidly evolve and adapt so we can remain relevant to our vendors and our customer base. We have been focused on adding new vendors and setting up a new, highly passionate and energetic team, to work towards the group’s growth objectives,” Clements adds.

This year the distributor will be officially launching Exclusive Group’s first Cyber and Cloud super centre. The MD explains that the firm’s ideology revolves around conveying the message that it is a “proven and specialised distributor not just in the security realm but also cloud.” He adds, “In the past few months, we have been training our partners on cloud technologies, in addition to the usual security workshops we host. We will also be launching our Cloud Training Centre, which enables us to deliver authorised and approved cloud training to technical and sales teams across the region.” Over the last few quarters, we have seen the regional distributor diversifying and growing its portfolio, which will be a major highlight for this year’s technology exhibition. “There are around 15 vendors we are actively working with as of today. Some of our new relationships with vendors will be formally launched at GITEX 2018,” Clements says. Currently, Exclusive Networks boasts vendors such as Nutanix, Rubrik, Fortinet, F5, SentinelOne, Gigamon, Gemalto, Infoblox, Skybox, Ivanti, FireEye, Exabeam, Cloudian, Pure Storage and Mellanox in its portfolio. He adds, “We’re never complacent, we live by the saying – if you do the same things, you get the same results - so we meet regularly with our vendors and our partners and always look for ways to challenge ourselves, so we are constantly improving and evolving.”

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

PARTNER WATCH // GSD

Partner to profit

Gareth Hansford, general manager, Gulf Software Distribution (GSD), discusses company updates and priorities for the next couple of months.

aving defined clear areas for focus and investment at the beginning of the year, regional value-added distributor Gulf Software Distribution (GSD) has successfully grown its top priorities - people, partners and products. Gareth Hansford, general manager, GSD, says that the company has doubled the size of its team and substantially developed its partner network over the past six months. “We have significantly grown the number of value-added resellers and systems integrators we are working with,” he says. “We have also signed up two new vendors – Cloud Flare and STEALTHbits, which are complementary to our existing IBM portfolio.” From day one of its regional operations, set up in 2016, the distributor has focused on developing a niche around IBM Software in the GCC. While that continues to be a focus, it is now looking at creating a strong security and analytics offerings. Cloud Flare is focused on delivering web performance and web security. Hansford says, “Customers can look forward to improving the performance

of their web presence and protecting their Internet applications against web attacks with Cloud Flare technologies. We are excited about this partnership as we believe it will create immense opportunities.”

“We will train our partners and ensure we are choosing them for the right reasons and because we are convinced we can add value to their businesses. We will stay true to our focus.” STEALTHbits develops software aimed at protecting credentials and data from insider threats, audits changes, and automates tasks for security and compliance across a

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

customer’s infrastructure. The GM points out that new vendors are onboarded through criteria, such as, if they fill a gap within the company’s current capabilities or if the new technology can build on existing technologies that partners have been already working with, to create profitable solutions. “Both these vendors are extremely complementary with IBM’s portfolio. For example, STEALTHbits match well with the IBM Guardian products that we have, which are focused around structured data, while they are largely for unstructured data, thus, allowing us to provide a comprehensive solution for customers.” The distributor also has plans to partner with another new vendor before the end of year. Hansford says, “This one is around deception technology. All three new vendors are focused on security.” According to Hansford, the number one priority for the firm are partner relationships and this is a huge driver for the distributor’s overall business growth. “Our continued focus will be on understanding our partners’ businesses and making sure we can add value

by delivering the right technology, by either taking them to other parts of IBM technology portfolio or extending it to new propositions. Our focus is on growing their business and therefore growing their profits.” Going forward, we will see the distributor developing its proficiencies into three broad areas – security, analytics and customer engagement. GSD plans to double down on its security offerings through its IBM portfolio and recent new vendors. “We are going to have our prime focus on analytics tools, which is very much about visualisation, and then will explore further into predictive analytics

and finally into artificial intelligence. That’s the journey we are endeavouring to take our partners through.” Hansford adds that customer engagement is a specialised area, where the company has selected a few new partners. “IBM has great tools in this area with Watson Customer engagement portfolio. We are working with them to find opportunities around this space. We have picked this segment as a niche because we believe we can stand out, especially as it’s an untapped market.” The GM is also cautious of not spreading the firm too thin by venturing into different areas. He emphasises that

the focus on partners will be a priority. “We will train our partners and ensure we are choosing them for the right reasons and because we are convinced we can add value to their businesses. We will stay true to our focus,” he says. Instead of a standalone stand, this year the distributor will be showcasing its complete vendor portfolio to partners and customers through dedicated meetings, enablement sessions and demonstrations during the upcoming GITEX Technology Week, taking place next month in Dubai.

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

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BLACKBERRY KEY 2: A MODERN THROWBACK

RATING

It’s not old school, it’s iconic. Adelle Geronimo takes the BlackBerry KEY 2 for a spin and shares why the device is ideal for professionals who want to prioritise security without sacrificing productivity.

hysical keyboards may be a thing of the past when it comes to smartphones, but that hasn’t stopped TCL Communications, which now builds phones for BlackBerry, from continuing their legacy. BlackBerry KEY 2 is the latest iteration in TCL’s Androidbased phone with a physical keyboard. It’s predecessor, the KEY One, was met with a lot of success last year, showing that physical keyboards still hold a place not only in our hearts, but also in the 2018 smartphone market. Aesthetically, the KEY 2 won’t turn any heads, but has a modest and lightweight design. The device has a slightly curved aluminium chassis with sharp lines and corners. The flat sides host the volume rocker keys, power key and a customisable speed key on the right, while the left has an ejectable dual SIM slot. The KEY 2 has a grippy, leather-like back that feels rugged. The KEY 2 sports a 4.5-inch (1620 x 1080) touch-screen LCD display made of the Corning Gorilla Glass 3. On the screen, you can find a row of capacitive navigation buttons, which pops up when being used, and hides away when the phone is asleep. Below the screen of the KEY 2, you’ll find the QWERTY keyboard, which has matte keys. The plate surrounding the keyboard has a matte silver finish. The keyboard is soft yet tactile, evenly backlit and well contoured. But it might take time for you to get used to typing with the physical keys. The keyboard also doubles as a trackpad with the fingerprint scanner residing in the Space key. The phone has a 3.5mm audio output jack and secondary microphone, and the bottom features a USB type-C charging-cum-data transfer port surrounded by 12-hole grilles on either side with a speaker and a primary microphone. Under the hood, the BlackBerry KEY 2 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 processor with 6GB of RAM and comes with either 64GB or 128GB of storage. It launches apps quickly and switches between them smoothly, making it good for multitasking. However, its curtailed screen length isn’t ideal for it. Its software is one-part BlackBerry, one-part Android. It ships with Android 8.1 Oreo, which means you can download all the productivity and social apps and games you want from Google Play.

In true BlackBerry fashion, security is one of the main features of the KEY 2. It is integrated with a few noteworthy security-focused features starting with DTEK, which allows you to customise the overall security of your device by setting specific permissions for various apps. With this device, TCL and BlackBerry also prioritised user privacy with BlackBerry Shade. This feature which allows you to set a custom view of visible information on-screen while leaving the rest greyedout, making it nearly impossible for nosey neighbours to see what’s on your screen. Jumping on the dual camera trend, BlackBerry KEY 2 has a 12MP camera on the rear. It has all of the modern specs and features you’d expect in 2018: a 2x optical zoom as well as a Portrait Mode. It also supports Google Lens image search and 4K video recording. The camera app allows for full manual control, so you can have a bit more fun fiddling with the camera settings. On the front, it also has an 8MP facing camera. Last but not the least, the BlackBerry KEY 2 has a 3,500mAh battery, which can last up to a full day of normal to heavy usage. It also supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0, so it’s quick on the recharge. The KEY 2 isn’t for everyone. You need to be willing to spend time re-learning how to operate on a physical keyboard with your thumbs. Nevertheless, KEY 2’s security features make it an appealing choice for professionals who want to find that perfect balance of personal and business productivity. Price: AED 2,399 (64 GB) and AED 2,699 (128 GB) Colours: Black and Silver

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

PRODUCTS

CANON REFRESHES PIXMA G SERIES REFILLABLE INK TANK PRINTERS Canon has announced the refresh of its PIXMA G Series refillable ink tank printers. The printers will now be shipped with inks that allow users to print up to 12,000 pages from 2 black ink bottles or 7,000 pages from a set of colour inks. Designed to boost productivity and keep running costs down, the latest upgrade means users can print at high volume without changing inks, said the firm. Binoj Nair, senior manager, B2C Marketing and Direct Sales, Canon Middle East, “With the customer at the centre of everything we do, the latest refresh of the Pixma G series allows users to conveniently preserve their memories and encourages them to print more without compromising on time or quality. With every new innovation, we are committed to helping our customers ‘Live for the story’ and tell their stories through a connected ecosystem of storytelling products and services.” Offering convenience and efficiency, the high yield, easy to use and compact PIXMA G Series printers are designed

for those requiring productive printers for home, home office and small office environments. In addition, all models within the series can produce borderless photos up to A4 and the new Auto Power ON/OFF setting helps save energy when the printer is not in use. The refreshed Canon PIXMA G series collection includes PIXMA G1411, PIXMA G241, PIXMA G3411 and PIXMA G4411. PIXMA G4411 and PIXMA G3411 both feature Wi-Fi technology. Customers can use the Canon PRINT app for printing, copying and scanning and printer maintenance.

TRANSCEND INTRODUCES A1 RATED MEMORY CARD Transcend Information has introduced the 128GB 300S microSD cards optimised to deliver a faster mobile application performance. Compliant with the latest speed class, the 128GB 300S microSD cards boast “excellent random read/ write speed, perfect for retrieving small pieces of data from random locations and speeding app launch time,” said the company. The Application Performance Class 1 (A1) was introduced to realise comfortable application manipulation such as compilation of data, which is stored in an SD memory card. With the A1 rating, Transcend’s 128GB 300S microSD cards allow smartphones and tables to run apps much faster

and directly from the microSD card, saving additional space on device’s internal storage, according to the firm. The firm’s 128GB 300S microSD cards meet both the UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) and the UHS Video Speed Class 30 (V30) standards. U3 rated is ideal for high resolution pictures and digital content and V30 performance is ideal for 4K Ultra HD video recording, with read/write speeds of up to 95MB/s and 45MB/s respectively. The company also offers exclusive RecoveRx software, a free data recovery utility that allows users to search deep within a storage device for traces of erased files including digital photos, documents, music and videos.

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

CASIO REVEALS UAE LAUNCH OF NEW OUTDOOR SMARTWATCH CASIO has announced the UAE launch of the Pro Trek WSDF20A, a new smartwatch built specifically for the outdoors. The new model is being offered exclusively by Sharaf DG for a limited time period only and can be pre-ordered starting August 16, 2018 with an expected delivery date of August 30, 2018, said the firm. According to the company’s senior executives, the Pro Trek WSDF20A, is CASIO’s second Wear OS (Android) smartwatch model, which has been carefully designed and developed to meet the demands of more serious outdoor applications. The new unit also offers a built-in GPS (which you can access even when in offline mode) and a compasstested to meet military specifications with water resistance of up to 50 metres. The Pro Trek WSD-F20A is lightweight and is made of highly durable resin parts and designed with a simple button layout that is easy to operate. The smartwatch can also connect to any Android compatible device, which allows users to utilize applications like an exercise timer, Equilab, Ski Tracks and even fun games like Zombie Run and Fishbrain. The new Pro Trek WSD-F20A can be pre-ordered online via the Sharaf DG webpage and will also be made available at Sharaf DG outlets located at Abu Dhabi Mall, Abu Dhabi Duty Free, Al Ain Mall, Ibn Battuta Mall, Deira City Centre, Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Sharjah Megamall, Mirdiff City Centre and Times Square Mall. The smartwatch is priced at AED 1,499.

PRODUCTS

I-LIFE INTRODUCES BACK-TO-SCHOOL AND OFF-TO-COLLEGE LAPTOPS i-Life Digital Technology has announced the launch of its latest notebooks for students in the UAE. With schools moving towards e-learning; digital devices are the most essential and a must-have for students today. I-Life has launched three new devices, Zednote Prime- Convertible, Zedair-Ultra slim and Zedair-Lite Ultra slim notebook. i-Life’s latest products feature a stylish, slim, light-weight design with sufficient storage and a prolonged battery-life - all at competitive price to fit every student’s budget, backpack or desk. The new range is also powered by Intel and equipped with Microsoft Windows 10 Home. Parents always looking at affordable supplies and can save up to 20 percent, when purchased before 30th September 2018. Deepak Bhatia, MD, i-LIFE Digital Technology said, “We are excited to offer parents incredible back-to-school and off-tocollege deals to help them give their

kids the best. The new five laptop/ tablets performance can handle all the things today’s students need and want from their technology – including long battery life, light weight and stylish design that is powered with Microsoft applications and Intel processor for an ultimate computing experience.”

NEW LOGITECH G PRO WIRELESS GAMING MOUSE ANNOUNCED Logitech G, a brand of Logitech has announced the Logitech G PRO Wireless Gaming Mouse, the first lightspeed wireless gaming mouse designed with and for professional esports athletes. The new mouse was built for the highest levels of professional play and features the firm’s next-generation HERO (High Efficiency Rated Optical) 16K sensor for the ultimate in sensor speed, accuracy and responsiveness. The PRO Wireless mouse also features the company’s exclusive lightspeed wireless technology, the only wireless solution that provides pro grade performance and is actively used in tournament play by top professionals, said the firm. The PRO Wireless mouse was designed to be ultra-lightweight at 80g and yet incredibly strong. A feat of engineering, this strong lightweight build is thanks to an advanced 1mm

thin wall construction and unique endoskeleton design. The PRO Wireless is also compatible with the Logitech G POWERPLAY Wireless Charging System, for infinite charging and play. The Logitech G PRO Wireless Gaming Mouse is expected to be available at retailers in August 2018 for suggested retail prices of €149.

NVIDIA DGX POWERS NETAPP ONTAP AI ARCHITECTURE NetApp has introduced NetApp ONTAP AI proven architecture, powered by NVIDIA DGX supercomputers and NetApp AFF A800 cloudconnected all-flash storage to simplify, accelerate, and scale the data pipeline across edge, core and cloud for deep learning deployments and to help customers achieve real business impact with AI. By leveraging the NetApp Data Fabric, ONTAP AI enables enterprises to create a seamless data pipeline that spans from the edge to the core to the cloud. This pipeline integrates diverse, dynamic, and distributed data sources, with complete control and protection. With massive processing power and capacity, ONTAP AI removes performance bottlenecks and enables secure, nondisruptive access to data from multiple sources and data formats. ONTAP AI is a joint NetApp and NVIDIA proven architecture offering that combines the world’s most powerful GPU solutions with the world’s fastest and most cloudconnected flash systems and software, according to the firms. There are a number features included, for example, it can now be easily deployed, it is scalable without limits and can operate with confidence. ONTAP AI is available through channel partners.

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

PRODUCTS

PANASONIC UNVEILS LATEST PREMIUM TRAVEL CAMERA

Panasonic has introduced the latest flagship model of the popular “Travel Zoom” TZ Series the LUMIX DMCTZ220. The company has enhanced the device’s zoom power to 15x, the LUMIX TZ220 with 1-inch large High Sensitivity MOS Sensor offers more versatile uses and high picture quality, including ultra-high resolution 4K video. The LUMIX TZ220 features new 24mm ultra-wide angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with 15x optical zoom (35mm camera equivalent: 24-360mm) and 5-Axis HYBRID O.I.S.+ (Optical Image Stabilizer Plus) to provide a versatile angle of view while suppressing hand-shake in both photo and video recording. It also enables stunning macro shots as close as 3cm, said Panasonic. The camera integrates a new L.Monochrome mode in Photo Style, to create a monochrome image with rich gradation like that of black-andwhite film. Kunihiro Tanikura, general manager, PMMAF, said, “Among the many standout features of the TZ220 is its 15x power zoom, which is a dramatic extension of an already mighty 10x optical zoom on the predecessor TZ100.” Furthermore, with the LUMIX TZ220, 4K video recording is every bit as stunning with high-resolution QFHD 4K video in 3840×2160 at 30p or 24p in MP4. The camera’s 4K Live Cropping also provides flexible cropping to create smooth, slow zooms or stable pans, outputting Full HD picture quality in the final footage.

LG BRINGS GOOGLE CONVENIENCE TO WEARABLE WIRELESS AUDIO PRODUCT TONE SERIES The latest wearable wireless audio products from LG Electronics (LG) will be unveiled at IFA 2018, highlighted by LG TONE Platinum SE (model HBS-1120) with a dedicated Google Assistant button and LG TONE Ultra SE (model HBS-835S) featuring an external speaker, said the company. The LG TONE Platinum SE is the first TONE model to offer Google Assistant and real time translation at the press of a button with Google Translate. Users can activate Google Assistant without having to first say “OK Google” for access to faster, more responsive AI. This benefit become apparent when using services such as Google Translate. Without the need to always invoke a trigger phrase, communicating in another language is

faster and more natural. The balanced armature unit generates clear high-frequency sound while the dynamic drivers deliver robust bass. LG’s newest earphones are available in black, blue and gold. Another new device, LG TONE Ultra SE, features an external mono speaker in addition to earbuds. With the external speaker, users can make calls and listen to music without blocking out ambient sounds, ideal when one needs to be aware of the surroundings. Both the LG TONE Platinum SE and LG TONE Ultra SE feature dual MEMS microphone for “superb call clarity and support for the Tone & Talk smartphone app.” Details around pricing and purchase locations will be announced locally at the time of availability.

HMD GLOBAL COMPLETES NOKIA ANDROID SMARTPHONE PORTFOLIO HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has announced the arrival Nokia 2.1 in UAE. According to the firm, this addition completes the portfolio of new Nokia Android smartphones that have been launched in the previous month. Together with Nokia 5.1 and Nokia 3.1, Nokia 2 also offers access to the latest Google services, such as the Google Assistant. Nokia 2.1 comes with a 2-day battery life, a large 5.5-inch HD screen and dual front-facing stereo speakers. The Nokia 2.1’s huge 4,000mAh battery now charges even faster so you can get back up and running even more quickly than before. With its HD display almost 20 percent bigger than the original, you can enjoy HD videos on the go while the dual speakers with bespoke 3D formed stainless steel detail gives you an amazing stereo sound. Nokia 2.1 has a nordic design and metallic accents. Customers

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

can capture the action wherever you are with the Nokia 2.1’s 5MP front-facing and 8MP rear camera with auto focus. Nokia 2.1 comes with Android Oreo (Go edition), designed for smartphones with 1GB RAM or less, giving you a smooth Android experience, more storage out of the box and consuming less data. All three phones are ready for Android P. The new Nokia 2.1 will come in three metallic colours: Blue/Copper, Blue/Silver and Grey/Silver and is now available at a price of AED 389.

PRODUCTS

HUAWEI TALKBAND B5 NOW AVAILABLE IN THE UAE

Huawei Consumer Business Group (CBG) has announced its latest wearable device, Huawei TalkBand B5, the fourth generation of Huawei’s TalkBand products and the successor to Huawei TalkBand B3 launched in 2016. Equipped with a 1.13-inch AMOLED touchscreen display with 2.5D curved glass and 160 × 300 pixels resolution, the Huawei TalkBand B5’s display is 2.4 times bigger than the previous one. Like its predecessors, Huawei TalkBand B5 is a 2-in-1 hybrid device, functioning as a smart Bluetooth headset and smarter health tracker. The wearable comes with stylish and premium straps offered in sport and business editions, said the firm. Powered by Huawei TruSeen heart rate technology, TalkBand B5 offers 24/7 continuous heart tracking and monitoring when running, treadmill running, walking and riding. Huawei Trusleep tracking technology can precisely monitor different stages of sleep including light and deep sleep, REM sleep stage, and wakefulness to provide users with an intimate sleep care. The TalkBand B5 will be available at the Huawei Experience Store located at The Dubai Mall and across select retailers in the UAE from 20th August 2018 at price of AED 699 for Sports Black Silicon Strap version and AED 799 AED for Business Mocha Brown Leather Strap version.

ACER DISCLOSES SWIFT 5 NOTEBOOK’S PRICING AND AVAILABILITY Acer has announced the pricing and availability of the Swift 5 (SF515-51T) notebook, the world’s lightest notebook PC with a 15-inch display, said the firm. Acer said, “The Swift 5 delivers exceptional performance in an elegant chassis that weighs less than one kilogram (990 g/2.2 pounds).” The Swift 5 (SF515-51T) is powered by the latest 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8565U and Core i5-8265U processors to deliver responsive performance and up to 10 hours of battery life for day-tonight productivity. Running Windows 10, the new Swift 5 is a large-screen productivity powerhouse. The Swift 5’s design features top and bottom covers that are constructed from magnesium-lithium alloy for a thinner design while ensuring durability without bending or twisting. The magnesium-aluminum alloy palm rest provides an extra sturdy base when using the keyboard and trackpad. The slim chassis measures only 15.9 mm (0.63 inches) thin, yet

makes room for a fingerprint reader that supports Windows Hello so customers can log in to their accounts faster and keep their device more secure. Complementing the fast Intel Core processors, the Acer Swift 5 boasts up to 16 GB of DDR4 SDRAM and up to a 1 TB NVMe PCIe SSD for speedy boot times and file access. Customers can make the most of the system’s performance and long battery life even into evening hours with the LED backlit keyboard. The Swift 5’s Full HD 1920x1080 IPS touchscreen features ultra-narrow bezels measuring just 5.87 mm (0.23 inches).

HONOR DEBUTS MID-RANGE GAMING SMARTPHONE Honor, the smartphone e-brand under the Huawei Group, has launched Honor Play, the first of a game changing new product series, delivering a revolutionary fast gaming and entertainment experience, said the firm. The firm said, “Honor Play is designed for the groundbreaking graphics processing technology GPU Turbo, touted as the ‘Gaming Monster’.” With the GPU Turbo, Honor Play guarantees fast speeds and addresses the common performance issues that plague the mobile gamer’s user experience. The device is one of the smartest mid-range phones on the market, said the firm, putting professional photography in the palm of your hand with AI-enabled front and rear cameras. With AI-enabled smart real-time recognition of 22 objects and more than 500+ scenarios, the Honor Play 16MP+2MP rear dual cameras act as your own professional photographer

to auto-identify scene types and adjust the exposure and colour for the perfect image. With AI motion detection and intelligent recognition, snapshots using the 16MP front camera are now easier than ever before, said the firm. The device delivers a good quality performance, thanks to the huge 3,750 mAh battery. The Honor Play will be available at SAR 1,199 for purchase at Jarir, Extra, Lulu and other markets in KSA, and at AED1,199 at retail stores from August 1 in UAE.

www.tahawultech.com // Reseller Middle East // SEPTEMBER 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

A bright future

CMY

n today’s technology-driven world, it’s important now more than ever to prepare students for the future. The UAE is increasingly gaining momentum in its ambition towards building a city powered by artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual reality among others. Today, numerous emerging technologies are also making their way to the classrooms and are becoming an integral part of learning. As an example, the newly-appointed Ministry of Artificial Intelligence has been placing special focus introducing AI camps to students. There has been a collaboration with the Ministry of Education to deploy teams to various events to share their expertise on Big Data management, AI in transportation and other new technologies. Last month, the Ministry of Education handpicked 38 Emirati students to

participate in the two-week Future Ambassadors programme at Harvard University in Boston, where they were taught how to build their own computer, programme and code it. As a new school year begins this month, various educational institutions have revealed courses and programmes that are focused on technology. Several schools have introduced subjects on space studies and digital citizenship. At the tertiary level, institutions such as British University in Dubai have already launched the first Bachelor Degree in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the country, to educate the young generation to implement technologies across all sectors of life. Startup companies are also doing their part in igniting the innovative and techie side of young minds. Dubaibased startup Junkbot provides a simple do-it-yourself education-kit containing

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

electronic components and sensors that can attach to practically anything. It enables children to make robots out of used household items, such as toilet paper rolls and even old shoes. The company’s aim is to get children interested in robotics and in the critically important area of STEM education. According to a recent industry study, 75 percent of future jobs require STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) skills, making it more important than ever to expand the knowledge of the youth in these fields. However, given the rapid pace of technology development around us, we can’t entirely predict what skills are required in the future. Nonetheless, it is very encouraging to know that everyone is all handson-deck when it comes to preparing and shaping the future generation for what’s coming ahead.

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