Being Digital-First and Cloud-First is Key

Praj Calthorpe, Deputy General Manager, Condo Pro- tego, speaks about his company's plans to weather the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic

During this COVID-19 crisis, what measures have you undertaken to continue your own business without disruption?

Condo Protego has always been a digital-first and cloud-first organization. Even before the lockdown, our workforce has accessed business data and applications remotely from mobile devices, especially as our sales and technology consultants have been in the field to meet with customers. Since coronavirus, the main changes have been in hosting virtual internal and customer meetings. Nothing can replace face-toface meetings, even when these are held through platforms such as Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom. As coronavirus develops, we also need to keep our customers constantly updated on sudden changes in travel and supply chain for product deliveries.

Which top industry verticals and markets have you seen the maximum traction? How has COVID-19 impacted business with existing customers in those verticals and markets?

Only a few weeks ago, about one-third of GCC firms planned to shift to remote work. That figure is surely higher now. Middle East organizations should turn to knowledgeable and experienced channel partners to align strategic business goals with information management tactics in hardware acquisition, IT infrastructure, and business software. The UAE’s banking, financial, and insurance (BFSI), education, and retail sectors are taking the lead in delivering digital innovations. BFSI firms have had to purchase hardware and adopt collaboration platforms to move desk-bound employees to remote working. Educators now teach about 1.1 million students with e-learning platforms. With malls closed, retailers and restaurants are using Big Data, geo-location services, and targeted marketing to personalize customer shopping offers and develop plans to launch virtual malls.

Have you put in place any contingency plans if this crisis persists or gets escalated?

Across the region, many companies view coronavirus as a shortterm challenge, though it’s likely that this push towards remote working will be a long-term business strategy. Remote working can help to support happier, more engaged, and more productive employees, especially Millennials and Generation Z. Secure access to business apps and data is key for remote work. We are seeing strong UAE demand for Dell Technologies’ secure mobile workforce solutions for working on the go, and RSA SecurID identity and access management suite with two-factor authentication. Long-term remote working can use VMware’s virtual desktop infrastructure to host cloudbased desktop environments and business apps. At the same time, we are continuing to focus on daily enablement for our employees, including meetings, workshops, and skills development courses across Dell Technologies, Forcepoint, Veritas, and VMware.