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Yarob Sakhnini, regional director, MEMA, Brocade Communications
Employees adopt ITaaS more quickly when clear roles have been established, leaving little room for confusion. However, further down the line, it is also important to review new job responsibilities as people’s skills evolve senior management. Reviewing and refining the ITaaS process and developing a governance framework that supports and fosters ITaaS can also be useful steps to ensure that the move to a subscription model is seen as a positive step for data centre managers.
Variety of best practices required
When adopting ITaaS, a variety of best practices can be useful when tackling the integration process to increase the odds for success. As a starting point, many companies choose to conduct an internal assessment. This assessment helps them to map out what they need from ITaaS and highlights what resources are required to start building the broader strategy. Once these parameters have been outlined, the next step is to establish the new ITaaS strategy, built on the internal assessment, and start socialising it. The socialising process will involve regular feedback from stakeholders, at this stage allowing the strategy to be reviewed and refined as per the needs of those involved. Once the business priorities have been outlined and the strategy has been refined and socialised, the final internal part of the plan involves addressing project ownership and governance. To follow best practice and achieve success, communicating new responsibilities is a must - before and after the adoption process. Employees adopt ITaaS more quickly when clear roles have been established, leaving little room for confusion. However, further down the line, it is also important to review new job responsibilities as people’s skills evolve. Externally, it is a good idea to reach out for assistance from peers or partners that are experts in ITaaS and have undergone an ITaaS transformation before – including vendors, who should be able to offer expert support throughout the journey.
Qatar
THE SUV REFINED With a large portion of Daimler’s research and development budget invested into Mercedes Benz cars, last year was a record year for Mercedes-Benz Cars with sales and production reaching new highs By Shereen D’Souza, Doha
Daimler’s primary strategy is centred on the customer, to provide them with ex-
citing products and customised solutions for need-oriented, safe and sustainable mobility. Their researchers anticipate trends, customer needs and demands and these developments are consistently implemented into their end products and technology portfolios and core competencies are then aligned.
Yarob Sakhnini is the regional director, MEMA at Brocade Communications
JUNE 2014
44 By the end of 2013, Daimler had 21,300 employees working in research and development worldwide with around 13,600 of that number allocated to Mercedes-Benz cars. With last year’s research and development investment figures standing at EUR 5.4 bn, Daimler is actively involved in shaping the future with ground-breaking technology and innovations. “From a global perspective, the focus recently has been on new car models, particularly fuel efficiency of the vehicles, environmentally friendly drives and new security technologies,” says Khalid Abu Shaaban, general manager at Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, the sole distributor of Mercedes Benz in Qatar. According to Daimler Research and Development, the most important projects at Mercedes-Benz Cars were the successor models of the C-, E- and S-Class, the new compact and the new smart models. They are also currently working on new-generation engines and alternative drive systems.
The Spotlight function enables endangered pedestrians across the entire width of the road to be flashed at four times making the pedestrian himself and the driver alert and offering them a chance to react quicker New innovations
At the end of 2013, the patent portfolio of Daimler AG comprised, including its subsidiaries, more than 21,800 (previous year 21,800) patents and patent applications. With a range of new features in the latest models of Mercedes, Mercedes has developed one cutting-edge solution after another to get closer to realising their vision of safe and accident free driving. Innovative technologies such as the Pre-Safe anticipatory occupant protection system and Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control first made it onto the road in a Mercedes-Benz, setting new standards in vehicle safety. “The brand itself has approximately 32,500 worldwide trademark rights to complete their intellectual property portfolio. The recently launched S-Class has a lot of brand new features and innovations,” says Shaaban. “Some of these features include Intelligent Drive, Magic Body Control and some advanced safety features.” Thanks to radar sensors, a stereo camera, powerful processors, technical assistant systems and years of research and development, the vehicle is smart enough to see ahead of you, draw conclusions and react at lightning speed thus preventing accidents. Mercedes has developed
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JUNE 2014
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Roald Windrich
VEHICLE SPECS
MERCEDES 500GL - DEUTSCHE GRÜNDLICHKEIT INDEED When you first see the 500GL it looks like a big SUV; it stands quite tall and
with seven seats on three rows has ample room inside. When you fold down the third row which folds down in two parts, one two-third seat and one-one third seat, by the touch of two buttons mounted in the rear side of the cargo area, the amount of luggage space is huge. My standard set of camping gear was getting lost in the rear. So all the stuff you want to bring for a family of five for a weekend campout will fit without any problem in the rear of this Mercedes and access is easy with the remote operated cargo door. When you stand near the rear cargo door you also notice the push button for the tow hitch, this is a folddown type and sits nicely out of sight under the rear bumper. So hooking up any trailer, either for toys or camping, is made easy. The doors open by keyless entry and once you get seated behind the wheel you immediately notice the German build quality. Everything feels solid and looks good, the only drawback: you have to start the engine with a key - no start button in this Merc. The seats are forced-air cooled, which is quite comfortable for Qatar’s climate - I would almost say it would be a crime without, with all the leather upholstery - and adjustable in many ways, by the door mounted controls as well by the entertainment system that also features a massage function, which comes in handy on long drives or just when you are sitting in traffic after a long day in the office. When you drive off and go over the first few speed bumps you notice how well the suspension is set up; the car goes over smoothly, more comfortable than any other SUV I’ve driven. The GL handles and feels big and is on the heavy side which makes you feel safe. It is not as agile as the Range Rover Sport but the 4.6 V8 is not slow either. You can move with ease, and staying ahead of traffic is not a burden on the car. Playing around with the in-car entertainment system you miss the touchscreen feature but the big navigation knob makes it easy to get through the settings and options. I did miss the side view cameras on the front wings to sneak around the corner but the three, two under the mirrors and one rear view do their job ok. When off-roading, the mirror cameras give
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Make/model: Mercedes-Benz GL 500 Type: SUV Seats: 7 seats with ISO fix for child-seats Engine: 4.6L turbo V8 4x4: 4MATIC on/off road package BHP: 435 Torque: 700 Fuel economy: 0-100 kph (sec) in 5.4 seconds Top speed (limited): 250 km/hr Suspension: AIRMATIC Suspension Clearance: • Fording depth max 600mm • Ground clearance can be increased by 30, 60 or 90% Main features: • Lane Keeping Assist • Collision Prevention Assist • Blind Spot Assist • Attention Assist • Active Parking System • Parking package with 360° camera Dealer in Qatar: Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles
a good view of the side of the car so navigating a difficult terrain is made easy and, yes, this big SUV comes with full-time 4WD and transfer case for high/low range. I did not try it on the dunes but was told by the sales representative that the GL does just fine in the inland sea. The down side is the big rims so airing down to negotiate soft sand should be kept to a minimum due to the low profile tyres. I normally don’t go below 20 psi to save the tyres from blowing, whereas with smaller rims i.e. 16 or 17 inch with higher ratio tyres you can go down as low as 12psi which gives a significant bigger foot print on the ground for more traction on loose ground. The air suspension, as in the Range Rover, can be set at different heights to negotiate the terrain you are driving on. And when I drove over gravel to the old police station close to Salwa road I just dialled in ruts and tracks with the off-road selecting knob and the GL raised the suspension. When you drive off you notice that the gearbox and engine react differently to the accelerator pedal. You can select off-road mode on the entertainment screen which gives you info about slope angles and suspension among other features. The sunroof is full-length divided over three windows and closed off by an electrically operated rolling curtain. Under full glare of the sun you do notice the heat but the AC system can cope with it easily. Overall, if you are looking for a comfortable, spacious 7-seater SUV with off-road capability this would be one of the best choices available on the Qatari market today! About Roald Windrich For as long as he has had a driving licence, this 44-year old Dutch national has either driven or owned 4x4s. For years he was an active member of the Dutch 4x4 club and has organised several 4x4 trial and off-road events. He competed all over Europe in RTVs (Road Tax Vehicle) at club level and did pretty well. Back home in the Netherlands, he owns a 4x4 truck parts company where he modifies and overhauls 4x4s with a friend. “I’m pretty much a 4x4 gearhead so to speak. And like to try how far I can get with any 4x4 without breaking or damaging it.”
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Positives:
Very spacious boot Forced-air cooled seats with massage function Adjustable air suspension Fold down type push button for tow hitch
Negatives:
No push start button No side view cameras on the front wings
Verdict:
Great option if you're looking for something that's spacious and comfortable with off road capability
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technologies that allow the vehicle to keep an eye on everything around it and see things coming that we can at best can only guess – for instance – by calculating where moving objects will move to and when by using the stereo camera system that can view things three-dimensionally, or spatially. Just like a human. The intelligent drive computes data quickly and analyses it in real time. For example, forecasting the future position of a cyclist on the road. Magic Body Control is yet another revolutionary invention – a newly developed chassis technology sets itself up in advance to deal with the road conditions ahead – as good as relieving the road of its imperfections. This dynamically oriented suspension systems adjusts for undulations or bumps in the road. This view of the immediate future is achieved through the stereo camera, positioned behind the windscreen, which observes the road from two perspectives. Huge amounts of data created are transferred to and processed by the control unit for the chassis, in real time with an accuracy of one to two millimetres at 120 km/h and 25 images per second. The chassis accordingly regulates the amount of oil needed in each of the separately controlled spring struts. So the bumps in the road can be almost completely absorbed even at a speed of 130 km/h. Also, when cornering, the system always knows what lies ahead.
Safety comes first
As part of one of their core focuses, Driving Assistance package plus and Night View Assist Plus are some of the features of their integral safety concepts. The Brake Assist Bas Plus with Cross-Traffic Assist and Pre-Safe Brake can reduce the risk of accidents at junctions, rearend collisions and collisions with pedestrians, particularly in an urban set-up. The night view assist feature makes it possible for the driver to spot people or animals sooner in the dark as
they are clearly displayed in the multifunction display in the instrument cluster. Here the combination of two infrared cameras that provide a very high-resolution image and thermal image signature is unique in the world. The Spotlight function enables endangered pedestrians across the entire width of the road to be flashed at four times making the pedestrian himself and the driver alert and offering them a chance to react quicker.
Class of its own
With new engines and more fuel-efficient models, the company was able to average CO2 emissions of cars sold in the European Union in the year under appreciably from 140 g / km to 134 g / km decrease. The new models in the compact class have contributed to this. As stated in a Daimler report: “By 2016, we want to reduce the average CO 2 emissions of our new fleet in the European Union to 125 g / km.” The B-Class electric drive is a step towards environmental efficiency. The five seater B-Class is a roomy, energetic and versatile alternative to regular EVs with a top speed of 160 km/h, 300 NM of torque and goes from 0-100 in 7.9 seconds. According to Daimler AG, in view of the rapid technological change in the automotive industry and with the need to constantly bring new technologies to the market as quickly as possible, a close integration with suppliers is vital. Mercedes-Benz has a large share of the luxury car market in Doha. Vehicles like the A45 AMG are hugely popular in this region, in fact even driving up manufacturing numbers to satisfy the local demand. With the consistently escalating demand for luxury cars in the region, growing consumer wants are keeping the Mercedes-Benz Cars research and development teams on their toes and will continue to do so, for a long time to come.
JUNE 2014