Smart SMB February 2019 by Business Media International

Published by Business Media International Registered office: Office 10, Sharjah Media City www.bmi-digital.com Editor in Chief Raman Narayan narayan@smartsmb.net Mob: 971-55-7802403 Sales Director Ankit Shukla ankit@smartsmb.net Tel: 971-4-8825706, Mob: 971-552572807 Editor Diksha Vohra editor @smartsmb.net Tel: 971-4-8825706, Mob: 971-506395616 Marketing & Events Manager Smitha Jithesh smitha@smartsmb.net Tel: 971-4-8825706 Circulation manager Bhawana Bhatia bhawana@smartsmb.net Tel: 971-4-8825706 TELE marketing manager Jennefer Mendoza jennefer@smartsmb.net Tel: 971-4-8825706 Finance Akhilesh Pandey akhilesh@bmimea.com Tel: 971-52-6640884 Design Sunil Kumar design@smartsmb.net Tel: 971-4-8825706

And the stories continue It has been an eventful past few months at BMI, from the Smart SMB Summit held in Dubai in September last year, to the Enterprise Transformation held in December and then to the 1st Smart SMB Summit held outside the UAE in Bahrain. Engaging with the industry attendees at these large format events has been a quite an invigorating experience with much rich insights gleaned from multiple conversations. I firmly believe that the experience has been similar for all who have attended these events. The next stopover for Smart SMB Summit & Awards is in Oman, where the event will be held on the 20th of March, a day after COMEX, the leading IT Expo of the country. Do meet us at the Expo, where we are media partners as well. For Smart SMB Summit & Awards Oman edition, we expect a large number of decision makers from the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading mid-market companies to congregate at the summit. It would possibly give them the opportunity to sharpen their understanding of transformations strategies for their respective Businesses. In this issue, one of the highlights we have, is a Round-up compilation of the Bahrain edition of Smart SMB Summit & Awards , also celebrating the winners at the Awards ceremony. Do leaf through some of the other articles that are relevant for SME organizations looking to understand the nuances of how to stay financially secure or know more about the convenience of virtual offices. Inside, you will also get to read about stories on successful digital transformation and pioneering deployments of Blockchain across two different verticals, Education and Logistics. Their stories show why it takes a pioneering attitude to build Business differentiation and leadership.

R. Narayan Editor in Chief Smart SMB Management Chairman S. N. Tiwari

CEO

sn.tiwari@smartsmb.net

Saumyadeep Halder Saumyadeep@bmimea.com

Publisher Raman Narayan

Managing Director Ankit Shukla

narayan@bmimea.com

ankit@bmimea.com

Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to validate the accuracy of all information included in the magazine, the publishers wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be liable for any errors therein Copyright@2018 Business Media International LLC. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS Cover Feature STEADY ON THE GROWTH CURVE

Vertical Watch 18

EXECUTING A BOLD VISION

THE HIGHWAY TO NEW BENCHMARKS

Talkpoint

In depth

FLIGHT INTO FUTURE

TRYST WITH AI

NEWS

TECHWATCH

MARKET MIRROR

SPOTLIGHT Smart SMB Summit & Awards holds successful Bahrain edition

Feature/ Finance ENSURING A HEALTHY FINANCIAL FUTURE

ARE VIRTUAL OFFICES IN UAE A SMART OPTION?

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NEWS

Smartworld and Honeywell enhance Smart Buildings Smartworld, a leading master systems integrator has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Honeywell Building Solutions, a global leader in connected buildings, to implement digitally transformed, sustainable, safe and efficient buildings across the UAE. The MoU is non-exclusive and was signed between key officials during the opening day of Intersec, the largest exhibition and international trade platform for advancements in security and safety. Smart buildings play a fundamental role in developing smarter cities, and the two companies will support the UAE government in reaching its smart city goals. Under the agreement, Smartworld and Honeywell Building Solutions will collaborate to promote joint initiatives enabling building operators, facility managers, consultants and contractors to build greener, safer, more secure buildings. Investing in advanced technology to build smart cities is high on the agenda for regional governments. According to a recent report by KPMG, annual technology spending by smart cities is set to double in the next four years in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. The total spending is anticipated to increase from $1.3bn to $2.7bn.* SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

“By partnering with a technology giant such as Honeywell, Smartworld is able to significantly enhance the capabilities of our buildings by turning them into strategic assets that operate more efficiently. Through advanced technology solutions, we are able to create a positive experience for the citizens of the UAE through smarter and digitally transformed services that meet the demands of today’s consumers,” said Abdulqader Obaid Ali, CEO of Smartworld. “We are looking forward to accelerating the UAE’s smart city offering through this partnership, and as such, supporting the county in meeting its smart city ambitions,” he concluded. Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell Building Solutions will expand its technology base and provide advanced solutions including Building Management Systems (BMS), Enterprise Buildings Integrator (EBI), advanced security solutions, fire safety systems, industrial security systems, and Honeywell’s Command and Control Suite (CCS), all modelled to create safer and more secure buildings and cities across the UAE.

Etihad Airways and Microsoft team up to launch AI academy Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft to launch the first ever in-house AI Academy in the region, which will revolutionise the way the airline serves its customers by upskilling its workforce, optimising operations and creating alternate revenue streams. As part of the AI Academy, all Etihad employees will be given access to an online training programme, and instructor led classes, to drive companywide AI literacy, empowering every employee to deliver more value to the company and its customers. Microsoft specialists will also conduct a series of AI business workshops and hands-on technical lab sessions to help identify business challenges that can be optimised with AI.

NEWS

Etihad is currently embarking on a digital transformation journey in order to enhance the capacity and quality of its services to the almost 20 million passengers it carries each year. “There is a simple reason that we are long-term partners with Microsoft – we think alike,” said, Tony Douglas Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group. “Our people make us who we are. By upskilling them to use technology powered by AI, we are futureproofing our organisation. We believe that human interaction augmented by technology delivers an enhanced experience for our guests which will give us a competitive edge” Etihad has also adopted Office 365 as part of its strategy to become a more efficient organisation. The group’s senior leadership has also spearheaded initiatives for the automation of numerous business processes, to enhance day-to-day operations. The airline plans to provide structured, flexible education programmes for its employees that will allow them to use AI and other smart technologies to ‘supercharge’ their productivity and innovation. The training seminars will be carefully designed around the roles of their attendees, for maximum impact.

Etisalat partners to develop AI and Blockchain solutions Future Now, the innovation programme of Etisalat, has signed agreements with four scaleups to develop Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain solutions following the successful Dubai Future Accelerators programme.

would analyse behavior and predict crime-related patterns, in addition to enhancing transportation issues like congestion and accidents, and take automated decisions with the use of artificial intelligence on existing video surveillance systems.

The signing ceremony also marked the opening of the Future Now scale-up collaborative space for Etisalat Digital’s partners, namely Yitu Technology (China), Com IoT Technologies (UAE), 300cubits (Hong Kong), and Tradefin (USA). They were chosen based on their capability to build and launch their core technology and be able to demonstrate traction and substantial use cases.

The second challenge addresses the use of Blockchain to reduce the transactional costs and complexity in business processes for banks, governments and private organisations, with the goal of reducing the costs and complexity by 40 percent over five years. 300cubits (Hong Kong) was selected for this challenge.

As part of the fifth cohort of Dubai Future Accelerators, Etisalat Digital launched in July this year three challenges to companies across the world. Etisalat Digital selected two companies, Yitu Technology (China), and Com IoT Technologies (UAE), for the first challenge that sought to leverage artificial intelligence for video surveillance systems and create solutions that would reduce crime rates and road congestion. To support the UAE 2021 vision of making the UAE the safest place in the world, the challenge focused on scaleups that could deliver solutions that

Tradefin (USA) was selected for the last challenge that was focused on the adoption of Blockchain to enable exchange across various loyalty currencies and to transform a loyalty currency into a crypto currency that can be used to perform online and physical transactions. In line with the Future Now’s vision of accelerating innovation, the partnerships will fast track the deployment of latest technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain to avail them to Etisalat’s client base.

SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

NEWS

‘Engage DXB Forum 2019’ held successfully

Philips showcases AI-powered health technologies Royal Philips, a global leader in health technology, showcased its latest innovations at the Arab Health medical exhibition and congress. “The connected technologies will help healthcare providers in the region to achieve better outcomes at lower cost, and help consumers to live healthier lifestyles,” said Ozlem Fidanci, Philips CEO Middle East and Turkey. “Many of our innovations include AI, which has great potential to improve patient outcomes and the efficiency of care delivery.” Among several technologies showcased were the Philips’ Ingenia Ambition 1.5T MR, Philips eICU program and Philips IntelliSpace Enterprise Edition.

The Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai launched three quality initiatives aimed to accelerate future-readiness of the economy and enhance private sector participation in developing a competitive policy framework for achieving sustainable business growth along the sidelines of the third ‘Engage DXB Forum 2019.’ The Forum, held under the theme ‘Engage, Foresight, Collaborate,’ brought together over 300 stakeholders including representatives of business councils and groups in Dubai and government decision-makers, as well as the academia. The new initiatives were designed and developed based on public and private sector feedback and extensive research and benchmarking, with the objective of supporting businesses to keep up with the latest economic trends and prepare for the future in parallel with the government strategy in Dubai. The three initiatives are: an updated version of the EngageDXB app designed to serve as a communication platform for all businesses registered in DED and the free zones in Dubai; a Future Readiness Study, aimed to assess the impact of global mega trends on business in Dubai; and the Future Economy Lab, a partnership platform aimed at developing learning and creative thinking on the future direction of economy within the public and private sectors and academia. His Excellency Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of DED, said: “The Engage DXB Forum is a strategic event through which the Department of Economic Development seeks to add new value by establishing a strategic relationship between the government and private sector to facilitate business processes and enable the two sectors to work closer together towards optimising investments, sustainability, and futurereadiness.”

SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

Philips’ Ingenia Ambition 1.5T MR portfolio comprises fully-digital MRI systems, healthcare informatics and a range of maintenance and life cycle services for integrated solutions that transcend diagnostic boundaries by delivering speed, comfort and confidence, all with the aim to help improve patient care. The Philips eICU program combines predictive analytics, data visualization, and advanced reporting capabilities to deliver vital information to bedside caregivers. By receiving this remote support, the bedside team is empowered to make better informed, more efficient, and more effective value-based care decisions. An end-to-end managed service for healthcare IT, Philips IntelliSpace Enterprise Edition has recently been expanded to include Philips PerformanceBridge. Providing access to real-time departmental performance data in an easy-touse and interactive dashboard, PerformanceBridge offers a flexible suite of solutions to help optimize operational and workflow efficiency as well as patient management.

NEWS

Unify strengthen MEA operations with new VP appointment Unify, the Atos brand for communication and collaboration solutions, has announced the appointment of Mr. Alex Naumov to head the business across the META region. An industry veteran with outstanding credentials of leading Business growth for several Technology companies in the region over many years, Mr. Alex will now be responsible for spearheading the acceleration of Unify’s Business expansion across the META region. He joins the Unify team from his most recent role as VP Sales at Mitel. “It is indeed a very exciting time to be part of Unify, a company that is helping reimagine modern workplace in becoming more collaborative, agile and connected. Unify has a strong value

proposition in facilitating a key part of digital transformation that companies seek with the Circuit platform and OpenScape portfolio of UC & C (Unified Communications and Collaboration solutions) solutions,” says Alex. With the approaching deadline for infrastructure projects related to Expo 2020, Alex reckons 2019 and 2020 should be years of strong growth for the UAE in particular. “Unify has seen strong growth over the latter half of 2018 in the region and we have a very bullish outlook for 2019. We are upbeat about making strong gains in the markets of the region, where we already have a large installed base such as the UAE and also expand into new markets such as in West Africa.

The focus would be on key verticals of growth across the region including Government, healthcare, hospitality etc and additionally, we will also look to tapping into opportunities in the UC cloud segment,” says Alex.

Epicor holds discussion with Bahrain manufacturers manufacturing companies across sectors in Bahrain.

Smart SMB organized a Round Table on behalf of Epicor in Bahrain at the Gulf Hotel on ‘Digital Transformation for Manufacturing ’. The discussion was chaired by Hesham El Komy, Regional VP, Epicor. The participants included spokespeople from leading SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

Hesham said, “The purpose of the industry discussion was to look at how digital transformation is being received in the manufacturing sector; where industry 4.0 is taking us and how it will change manufacturing industry. Historically, the change has been slow but in the past 25 to 30 years, there have been some major shifts in technologies.” Several interesting viewpoints came up during the highly engaging discussion with each participant throwing in their insights on how their

organization is currently weighing the possibilities of new deployments and the associated challenges they are facing. One of the participants, Havelock One, an Epicor customer revealed as to their successful implementation of Epicor ERP, the resulting ease of using Epicor and how it is supporting Big data analytics, especially in light of IoT deployment. A concern shared was in terms of resistance within the top management at manufacturing companies to cloud adoption. Manufacturing sector still seems to show a proclivity towards on-premise systems. Hesham concluded that each company needs to look at the journey of digital transformation differently based on their needs.

IN DEPTH

Retail Industry needs to overhaul backend systems and deliver new experiences: Aruba report The ‘Road to Digitalization in Retailing’, a new study by Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, explains why, after years of reticence, it’s now or never for the retail industry to embrace technology. That means making long-term investments within the workplace to achieve the vital goals of a better customer experience and a stronger bottom line. The report features the results of a study carried out with over 900 managers and non-managers in global retailers, and interviews with two industry experts: digital commerce strategy consultant Gabrielle Hase and founder of ASOS Ventures, Daniel Bobroff. The study highlights five key trends that have emerged:

1. Lagging in workplace technology: Compared to other

industries, retail has been slow to implement workplace technology. Almost two-thirds (63%) of managers and employees surveyed said that their organization is at risk of falling behind competitors if new technology is not implemented.

2. Employees must be empowered with technology: To

thrive, the brick-and-mortar retailer of the near future needs to provide its staff with the connected digital tools that allow them to deliver more personalized services to every customer. At present, less than two-fifths (39%) of those surveyed have access to cloud computing applications, which can bring both better collaboration and productivity in the retail environment.

3. A need for deeper insights into stock and inventory:

Customers expect retailers to provide the items they want, when they want and where they want them. Only by improving their data systems – and potentially making better use of RFID scanning and electronic shelf labeling technology – can retailers solve the age-old problem of knowing exactly what they have in stock at any given time and where it is located.

4. The old silos need to be broken down: Bridging the physical with digital will require the divisions and structures that currently exist within retail organizations to be broken down, so internal systems blend seamlessly and work together to deliver the rich, personalized experiences that customers now expect.

5. An opportunity to think longer-term: Retailers need

to accept the necessity of major investment in both systems and people, and to find new ways of measuring success that value both short and long-term results. NEW MEASUREMENT AND THE RIGHT TALENT IN A DIGITAL ERA When looking at transformation projects, retailers should look at new ways of measuring success and think longer-term on ROI, Daniel Bobroff believes. “We are talking about continuous innovation, and ROI tends to limit the horizon: you either hit the target, or you kill the project. There need to be other metrics that help us

move towards success.” Retailers, he believes, must also accept that the talent they need for digital transformation cannot all be recruited into traditional, in-house roles. HAPPY EMPLOYEES, HAPPY CUSTOMERS Successful retailers will go where their customer wants them to be. That means breaking down internal silos and using technology at every stage of the business to ensure a seamless, integrated experience for employees and customers alike. Gerri Hinkel, director of solutions marketing for Aruba, concludes, “The future of retail is all about experiences – for shoppers, associates, and IT. Shoppers are driven not only by product, but are making choices on where they shop by how easy that retailer makes their life. The retailers who will succeed will make those experiences simple, smart and personalized, but to get there, they must be bold in making technology investments and fearless as they innovative their store of the future.” SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

SPOTLIGHT

SMART

SUMMIT

Smart SMB Summit & Awards 2019

holds successful Bahrain edition

he inaugural Bahrain edition of Smart SMB Summit & Awards held on 23rd January at the Gulf Hotel, saw an impressive turnout of attendees, many among them senior decision makers at mid-market companies. The event’s outstanding success was a vindication of ‘Smart SMB Summit’ as an ideal platform, which is helping bring to the fore discussion on subjects of great relevance to the mid-market such as digital and business transformation as well as impact of VAT as in the context of Bahrain.

SMART SMB | JANUARY 2019

A stellar lineup of speakers, that included subject experts in their respective domains from tax to technology ensured, that the day’s keynotes and panel discussions provided many insights on the topics of VAT readiness to using right approaches for digital transformation. The day’s opening address was presented by the chief editor and publisher of Smart SMB, R. Narayan. He highlighted that holding the Bahrain edition of the summit following the earlier success of Smart SMB Summit in Dubai, emphasized

SPOTLIGHT

the commitment of the organizers, Business Media International, to expand the platform across the region. The Chief Guest for the summit was Dr. Abdulla Y. Al-Hawaj, Founder & Chairman of the Board, Ahlia University, who emphasized that the summit indeed served the need of the hour, offering a platform that disseminated information on Digital & Business transformation.

Dr. Abdulla Y. Al-Hawaj Founder & Chairman of the Board, Ahlia University

Samer Semaan, Distribution Manager, Gulf & UAE, Dell EMC presented the first keynote of the day and he spoke on ‘Realize Your Transformation; Simplify The Four Transformations’. Following him, Mansoor Sarwar, Director Technical Services & Pre-Sales, Sage Middle East presented his keynote on ‘Choosing the right software for digital transformation and VAT compliance’ A panel discussion on ‘Best strategic practices for

SMART SMB | JANUARY 2019

SPOTLIGHT

streamlining growth in the VAT era’ saw some extensive insights shared by experts on stage including Gaurav Khurana, Executive Director, WTS Dhruva Consultants, Mubeen Khadir, Head of Tax, Senior Director, Trust Services, Keypoint, Philippe Norre, Partner and Head of Indirect Tax, KPMG Bahrain and Mansoor Sarwar, Director Technical Services & Pre-Sales, Sage Middle East. Khalid Rashid Moh’d Jalal, Senior Group ICT Manager, GARMCO and the Vice President of the AI society of Bahrain, gave a brief address about the role of the AI society in driving AI awareness and initiatives to spearhead Bahrain’s growth as a hub for AI solutions development.

Samer Semaan Distribution Manager, Gulf & UAE, Dell EMC

Maheshkumar Narayan, CFO, Manara Development Co presented his keynote on ‘Implications of VAT for the mid-market growth story’, giving insightful details of how VAT works. Veer Arjun Passi, CEO – Kalaam Telecom spoke about why the Cloud is a game changer for the SMB segment, mentioning the numerous advantages the transition to a cloud based IT consumption offers and he also highlighted the evolution of Kalaam Telecom as a provider of managed IT services from traditional telecom services. The last keynote of the day was was presented by Logan Simpson, Manager, Cyber Security Management Consulting, KPMG Fakhro who spoke on ‘Digital Security Roadmaps Which strategic cyber investments reduce your digital risk’. The Summit concluded with a panel discussion on how digital transformation can enable Businesses and organizations to enhance products and services. The panelists included Dr. Jassim Haji, President, Artificial Intelligence Society, Samer Semaan, Distribution Manager, Gulf & UAE, Dell EMC, Hesham El Komy, Regional Vice President, Epic-or, Khalid Rashid Moh’d Jalal, Senior Group ICT Manager, GARMCO, Arpan Stephen, E-Learning ExpertMedical Education, Arabian Gulf University and Srinivasan SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

Maheshkumar Narayan CFO, Manara Development Co

SPOTLIGHT

Mansoor Sarwar, Director Technical Services & Pre-Sales, Sage ME.

Logan Simpson Manager, Cyber Security, KPMG Fakhro

Veer Arjun Passi CEO – Kalaam Telecom

Arumugam, Director of Commercial, Kalaam Telecom. Ankit Shukla, MD of Business Media International, said, “We are quite pleased to see that the Summit has been received so well here in Bahrain. We are hopeful that the platform will continue to play a key role in driving awareness of technologies that enhance competencies of businesses to compete better.” Saumyadeep Halder, CEO of Business Media International said, “The Smart SMB Summit & Awards is a pioneering platform for engaging mid-market companies. We are thankful to the companies who collaborated with us in making it a reality.” The sponsors for the event included Platinum sponsors- Dell EMC and Arrow, and Gold partner Sage. The Silver sponsors included Epicor and Cork Information Technology. The Exhibition partners were Kalaam telecom, Urbansoft Technologies and Wannago. AI Society of Bahrain was also a partner for the event. The Smart SMB Awards for digital transformation were presented following the Summit.

SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

SPOTLIGHT

WINNER: Al Salam Specialist Hospital Best Digital Transformation Deployment in Healthcare

WINNER: Elite Hospitality Group Best Digital Transformation Deployment in Hospitality

WINNER: Arabian Gulf University (AGU) Best Digital Transformation Deployment in Education

WINNER: Garmco Best Digital Transformation Deployment in Manufacturing

WINNER: Urbansoft Technologies Innovative Software Solutions Provider of the Year

WINNER: ARROW ECS VAD of the Year with Best Digital Transformation Initiatives

WINNER: Havelock One Interiors Best Digital Transformation in Turnkey Fitouts SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

WINNER: S.M.HUSSAINI CEO Almoayyed Computers CEO of the Year

WINNER: Maheshkumar Narayan CFO, Manara Development Co. CFO of the Year

SPOTLIGHT

WINNER: Kalaam Telecom Telecom Solutions Provider of the Year

WINNER: AI Society Best Initiatives in AI Deployment

WINNER: Wannago Cloud Computing Solutions Provider of the Year

WINNER: SAGE Best Accounting SaaS Vendor of the Year

WINNER: UAE Exchange Best Digital Transformation in Financial Services

WINNER: Dell EMC Cloud Computing Solutions Vendor of the Year

WINNER: Kanoo IT Digital Innovations in Client Service

WINNER: Dr. Yousif Almas CDO, Bank ABC Neobank CDO of the Year

WINNER: Hasan Isam Naser Muhi Unit Head, Information Security, Kuwait Finance House Bahrain CISO of the Year SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

COVER FEATURE

STEADY ON THE GROWTH CURVE Urbansoft is accelerating its growth as an innovative software solutions provider for the SME segment in Bahrain and across other markets of focus â&#x20AC;&#x201D; By R. Narayan SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

COVER FEATURE

The focus on new technologies coupled with the expertise it has built in its team is helping the company carve out a growing pie in the segment it focuses on. Jai Krishnan, Chief Strategist at Urbansoft says, “Though Urbansoft is run by an American management, our focus is more on bringing the latest of technologies to the Middle East, especially Bahrain Operations. Urbansoft has invested in a R&D team focusing on Data Science/ Blockchain/ OutSystems, and have a long-term regional digitalisation plan, which eventually helps companies on digital transformation starting from Enterprise Applications to Mobile and much more.” Essentially, a Multi-national Software Consulting and Development Firm, Urbansoft works with the primary focus of assisting customers in complete digitalization of their businesses. It specializes in a host of technologies including Enterprise Application Consulting & Development focusing Oracle, Microsoft Platform (SharePoint, CRM, Dynamics and AX) with Dot.Net Development. The company has a substantial focus in developing Mobile Apps. Their innovativeness is highlighted by their GIG-GO mobile app, that offers digital transformation for the Insurance Industry and comes with a creative, theme based and simplified design. The app scales as an end-end Insurance solution covering the Policy purchase, Renewal and Claims management and perform seamless interaction across Web and Mobile platform. Jai adds, “We are also the leaders in Bahrain for Mobile App Development where 30+ Mobile App projects are delivered and several are under the process of development. We also focus on delivering secured enterprise websites using Dot. Net or PHP frameworks.” The focus in innovation has also been endorsed by its recent win as the Innovative Solutions Provider of the Year at the recently concluded Smart SMB Summit & Awards Bahrain in Bahrain. The company has enriched its focus on emerging technologies with some pioneering deployments for clients. Jai says, “We have worked with several clients in the United States on challenging projects that focus

more on wearable technologies, artificial intelligence projects and other enterprise platforms. Serving the US market has always been an exciting challenge and we are proud to have some of the top industry professionals who manage Urbansoft with a strong vision of adapting, implementing and delivering the latest technologies used globally.” Urbansoft has also made strides in the ERP solutions market within Bahrain, with its offering uERP, that caters to SME organizations. Cloud based with several modules, uERP is built to be user friendly, flexible, customizable, scalable, affordable, and easy to implement and it can also be delivered as mobile enabled. The product’s success has comes from some of the key verticals. Jai elaborates, “uERP was developed with industry best coding standards which is highly secured and customizable. Our ERPs are designed to meet basic customer needs and most parts of the modules could meet any basic requirement of an industry. The aspect of

Jai Krishnan, Chief Strategist, Urbansoft

eyond the cliche, innovation in the domains of focus truly helps a company stand apart and the key to winning a market is to bring in a high percentage of customization. That is essentially what is helping accelerate the growth of Urbansoft, an SME focused software solutions provider and systems integrator, who has based its Middle East operations out of its office in Bahrain.

COVER FEATURE

customization would come into play when the product is employed in various industries, such as warehousing, health, and textile and so on. Needs and customization varies based on the industry involved. At the moment we have several deployments in Bahrain and we are growing steadily with customers, across several industries such as Architecture, Construction etc who claim to find us the most cost-effective and efficient at the job.”

end-to-end solutions for turnkey projects.

As a leading Microsoft SharePoint development company in Kingdom of Bahrain, Urbansoft offer endto-end SharePoint Solutions starting from consultation, installation, implementation, customization and version migration in both desktop and cloud solutions for SharePoint versions up to 2016.

Urbansoft has in addition deployed teams of highly skilled IT resources in Infrastructure, Security, Support and Development, for several ministries, manufacturing & BFSI sector clients. The company has seen a growing demand based on strong customer referrals.

“SharePoint is one of our core strengths where we have dozens of customers. We started SharePoint a decade ago, and now have experience from the 2007 version until the latest version. We excel in end-to-end SharePoint Customisations, Performance Enhancements, version upgrades, implementations, administration and updates. We are work towards the goal of becoming leaders in SharePoint by the year 2020, by increasing our customer base and adding to our skilled resources. Further, as we have an extensive set of technical skills to fall back on, we do not restrict ourselves to specific customizations. We could provide any customer with end-to-end customization,” adds Jai.

“From architecting a AWS cloud solution that is custom tailored to client’s requirements, or building a datacenter, an Oracle Solution, a HIS System; Urbansoft positions itself as a System Integrator by involving skilled consultants to provide industry best solutions around the world. The solutions we provide from global leaders in the market is a key differentiator.”

“We believe in providing the right resource as per the client requirement, at a competitive cost which is key to our win. Understanding the importance of the hiring process, our HR Head applies a tight screening process, right from understanding client’s requirements, internal & external resource screening, interview process, verifying resource credibility, behavioural checks, technical skills check, etc. This tedious hiring process has claimed positive attention for us in the Market and the success ratio with IT staffing has got us a lot of referral business, ” says Jai. Working around its multiple product strategies, Urbansoft has seen a substantial growth over the past few years.

“From the time we started in Bahrain, we have been good In the mid-market, the ability to empathize with the cost enough to achieve our milestones. In the year 2018, we consciousness of the customer almost doubled the team from 18 to segment and the capability to 30 members with a bottom sale of 1.8 deliver solutions that match those Million USD. This year 2019, we have expectations in terms of ROI is helping a better team with complete support SHAREPOINT IS ONE OF the company stand apart. from the top management. Our goal is OUR CORE STRENGTHS to provide quality service on time and to WHERE WE HAVE DOZENS Jai opines “When it comes to Midincrease the team to 45 by mid-2019.” OF CUSTOMERS. WE Market segments, most of the customers are price conscious and With several projects in the pipeline, STARTED SHAREPOINT A look for a cost effective business Urbansoft exudes confidence for growth DECADE AGO, AND NOW applications that fit their needs. in the years ahead. HAVE EXPERIENCE FROM Urbansoft understands businesses THE 2007 VERSION UNTIL very well and provides solutions that “When it comes to delivery, the THE LATEST VERSION. defines best system and processes whole team is highly committed which has no or lesser number of towards the same vision of WE EXCEL IN ENDcustomisations for an affordable delivering the project on time. We TO-END SHAREPOINT cost. While architecting uERP, our would like to follow the late Steve CUSTOMISATIONS, solution was designed to cater to Jobs’s credo and say, – Stay Hungry, PERFORMANCE the Mid-Market segment with our top Stay Foolish,” says Jai. ENHANCEMENTS, consultants globally.” VERSION UPGRADES, With the portfolio of solutions it Urbansoft also sees a huge play it offers and with the team that has IMPLEMENTATIONS, could play as an enabler for part of the focus and expertise to deliver ADMINISTRATION AND the customer’s digital transformation on the vision, there is every reason UPDATES. journey. This has seen the company to believe, Urbansoft will continue assisting many customers by providing to stay steady on the growth curve.

“

”

SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

vertical watch/Logistics

Executing a bold vision Adam Lalani, Group Head of IT at Tristar, a leading Logistics Solutions provider catering to the needs of the petroleum and chemical industries, speaks about the pioneering deployment of Blockchain and other new technologies, enhancing the group’s operations

Please elaborate on Tristars operations and focus?

Who was your solution provider?

Tristar is a fully integrated liquid logistics company servicing the downstream oil and gas industry with onestop fuel logistic solutions offering surface transport, ocean shipping, dangerous goods warehousing, fuel farm management, Aviation, Petroleum Retail, Chemicals, and turnkey fuel supply operations. The company has a presence in 18 countries spread across the GCC, Africa, Asia, Pacific and Central America and employs more than 1,800 people.

We used Dubai’s leading Blockchain provider – Block Gemini.

Discuss some of Tristar’s digital transformation initiatives? Our Group CEO, Mr Eugene Mayne entrusted us with embarking upon a digital transformation plan at the start of 2017. Our instructions were to leave no stone unturned when looking for improvement opportunities, and to mmake our way through any obstacles. As a result, without going into too much detail - our initiatives include, but are not limited to deployments of drones, robotics, Blockchain, analytics and IOT sensors.

Are all phases completed or is this work in progress? Our initial targets have been met, and the production environment has been operating from early 2018. As we onboard new customers and stakeholders, adjustments to the platform have been made to accommodate different processes and KPIs. Like with all good technology implementations, we should always be looking to make improvements as we learn. Have the deployments been cloud based? What were the benefits of this? Yes they are cloud based. As we were building something completely new – it made absolute sense to leverage AWS. The added bonus of scalability made it also more attractive for us to leverage the cloud.

Since Blockchain deployments are in early phases, what made the group go ahead on this?

Would you say, transformation is therefore a necessity in verticals like Logistics?

For us it was clear that this is a game changing technology. I had written papers at university when I was doing my Masters degree a few years ago on Blockchain, and when our Group CEO also brought up the technology during our regular steering committee meetings it was clear that we had a supportive management if we had the right projects to apply the technology to. I only believe in new development if there is a problem to solve. For us, one of our many business verticals includes 3PL and as there are many complex interactions between us and our customers it became clear that this would be the optimum use case for us.

Absolutely. Historically, the logistics industry has always been slow to adapt to change, and many organizations suffer from inertia and are slow to take on new ways of doing things. At Tristar, by embracing and investing in cutting edge technology we are one of the organizations at the vanguard of technology in our industry. For us, it all stems from the commitment of C-level management. Those in the logistics space that fail to adapt face the very real danger of being left behind.

SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

TALK POINT

Geet Bhalla - co-founder and CEO of HolidayMe, a Dubai-based online travel portal which offers customization of holiday packages, talks about his journey, the making of the brand and his belief in revolutionising online travel in conversation with Smart SMB’s Diksha Vohra.

From a small room in a row house to a successful SMB firm today, HolidayMe has come a long way. But it wouldn’t have been easy, right? We’re in a tech-driven world, where everyone is driven by the pursuit of reforms and unique ideas. However, most budding entrepreneurs fail to envision potential challenges. It’s true that initially, before we saw some success, HolidayMe was also inflicted by constant trials. First and foremost, hiring and retaining the right set of people was an issue for us. Professional individuals were a bit cynical to join us initially as we were relatively unknown in the industry. However, we knew that if we want to scale up, we need to build a team of trailblazing individuals. Thus, we left no stone unturned in convincing potential recruits and putting across our vision to them. Once your base team is ready, it paves the way to attract more talented individuals, and that’s when we grew faster. Broadly, funding, or lack thereof, was also an issue.SMBs, by and large, struggle with the lack of appropriate funds. We weren’t any different! There was a lot to do — from building the brand to hiring eminent professionals to marketing the product. Finding the right set of investors whose vision aligns with ours was also a tedious process. SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

Furthermore, it takes time to iron out the big clogs and carve your authority and find your footing amid a strenuous competition. Our agility and penchant for exploring new opportunities, too, has been good for the company in the last couple of years. Your team saw a transition from just three employees to a workforce of 300 people today. How do you organize your growth team? We primarily focused on nurturing our startup team. Your startup team is going to be your A-team, so it works in your favour when you take things slowly and steadily. As is the norm for any startup, for us also, the initial days were all about everyone doing everything. Each employee was focused on thinking about how to grow the business. We had a small, but a dedicated and cross-functional team, where we all were doing collaborative work that supported our rapid-growth mode. Gradually, our growth team got organized into various groups and departments including marketing, product, tech and call centre. These were led by the pillars (our key players). As we grew further, the need for further specialization arose - marketing got divided into digital, content and so on. What’s important is to keep finding the right leaders in the process.

TALK POINT

To achieve this success you must have used some shortcuts or growth hacks, would you like to touch upon them? One of the most common mistakes I witness new entrepreneurs make is trying to market their product on their own without collaborating with other brands. Our initial approach was to get people to trust the brand and build up awareness so we could partner with them. We had to piggyback on other, better-known brands, get into partnerships and increase our visibility. We played our cards well and partnered with brands whose customer base we could utilize. Is HolidayMe looking at a strong foothold outside UAE? HolidayMe certainly is in a good position to expand its foothold globally. We have now started to expand our market to Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. What advice would you give to the new entrepreneurs who are trying to achieve a similar growth trajectory? It is no secret that a lot of brainstorming and planning goes behind building a new business. The thought and intent always is to build a business that is stable and strong. But you won’t find any major success unless you plan every major task beforehand. Put everything down on an excel sheet, then work with analytics to track your plan and growth. From what I have witnessed in my long career graph, many small and medium-sized businesses languish due to a lack of research and market understanding. Therefore, you must research everything about the audience you are targeting. Remember that perseverance and patience are your biggest friends. You must invest in the long-term health of your business if you’re looking for solid dividends. One must also understand the importance of an exemplary team, for one can’t do this alone. Go that extra mile to invest in a good, reliable team that shares your vision and passion! And there is a special kind of joy when you get to share your success. How do you envision the growth of the online travel industry in the future? Change is the name of the game. In order to stay relevant, change is necessary. We are now in the middle of the 4th industrial revolution – which is being led by the internet. And to no one’s surprise, the internet is the fulcrum of the rise in the online travel industry. Now the world has become one, and people worldwide are open to a more inclusive society. As a result, people are demanding the influx of technology in the travel industry. The online travel industry is at the helm of triggering transformative changes. Thanks to Machine Learning, Big Data, Cloud Computing, etc. sellers are now empowered to

GEET BHALLA Co-Founder & CEO, HolidayMe

push personalized offers to customers, ensuring not just better service but also higher revenue generation. What excites us most is that we can harness the power of tech to provide better service to our customers. How long do you think it will take for people to switch completely from offline consulting to smart and customizable booking via online travel portals? It is happening at a greater pace than ever, and we would know for we’re witnessing it daily!People’s predilection towards the comfort and ease of buying a holiday package online is coming out in full swing today. We add layers of benefits to the customers including great experiences at fantastic prices. As long as we offer real value, this transition will remain in an upward swing. What is the target for HolidayMe in the next five years? We want to grow from strength to strength and become the leading player in the holiday industry in the region. We have also launched Umrah packages with a visa which has global appeal. A really big topic in our aim of becoming the leading player, like for every other company, is technology. We’re constantly working on ironing out the kinks and making our product better, day by day!

SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

Feature/Finance

Ensuring A Healthy Financial Future Even two years after the introduction of the Federal Bankruptcy Law, UAE is still witnessing some entrepreneurs exit the country to avoid debt repayment. Smart SMB interviews some experts to find out what can SMEs do to avoid such situations and secure themselves financially. — By Diksha Vohra

September 2016, when the UAE Federal Bankruptcy Law was introduced, it came as a breath of fresh air because those were the days when entrepreneurs would leave the country abruptly to avoid debt repayments. The law led a new step forward in providing a legal framework to help distressed companies in the UAE avoid bankruptcy and liquidation. The law was, thus, being looked upon as a huge step forward in enhancing the nation’s economic and administrative condition. The new law did a lot to improve the credit elements of the UAE economy. It encouraged greater consistency and empower a legal framework to restructure or liquidate troubled organizations. This increases investors’ confidence and be of incredible value to SMEs who have for some time needed a legal body that offers them more noteworthy stability. However, two-years down the line too the country is still witnessing quite a few skips (a term used for entrepreneurs who leave the country abruptly to avoid being jailed for not clearing their debts). “As of now, we believe that some business owners still prefer leaving the country out of the fear of being SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

arrested,” says Dr Michael Krämer, Senior Lawyer at Meyer-Reumann & Partners, Dubai. “(However)…it is probably still too early to really judge the effectiveness of the new bankruptcy law.” According to him, while two years may sound like a very long time, in legal terms it isn’t as it takes time for judges, practitioners and the general audience to get used to the new law and apply it in practice. And even when it is applied, insolvency procedures tend to be quite time consuming. While it cannot be said for certain if, and to which extent, has the law been effective, the fact that

businessmen are still considering leaving the country as an option to avoid repayment is not a healthy indication. Carla de Silvo, associate executive at Finsbury Associates, a financial advisory and wealth management firm, says that firms are still facing the issues of late/ no-payments due to inadequate cash flow on the other side. Carla attributes it to the lack of awareness of the businesses’ financial liabilities. “Many businesses are unaware of the full extent of their financial liabilities, particularly if an unforeseen circumstance or event

Feature/Finance

factors within their financial plan: planning for gratuity liabilities, ensuring business loans are protected and ensuring adequate cash flow reserves are maintained. While often being overlooked, these will help businesses understand their true financial situation and if managed well can help them survive during various market fluctuations.

Carla de Silvo Associate Executive, Finsbury Associates occurs.” According to a report, the average consumer debt in the UAE alone stands at $95,000 which would total up to $114 million, a huge sum to repay. In such a situation, financial education and planning become even more important. Another reason behind this is the liquidity crunch that SMEs in particular face because of supporting larger firms and industries. “As most SMEs support bigger Industries, nowadays they face liquidity problems more than ever before,” says Manasi Correa, associate sales manager, Nexus Insurance Brokers, Dubai. “I always hear that due to liquidity crunch they cannot take future projects which can yield them better profitability and higher return on their investment.” While she recommends most of her business clients to keep at least 15-20% of their funds in liquid investments which can yield safe and secure returns, most businesses are unable to do even that much because of the debt cycle they get into, which often keeps the money caught up in too many places. How can SMEs make their way to a healthy financial future? According to Carla, firms should first consider including the following

As far as cash flows are concerned, every business owner should review their monthly cash flow and also have clear future projections of quarterly, half-yearly and annual cash flows. Also, whatever the profitability may be, every business should keep at least 15-20% of their funds in liquid investments which can be used for unplanned and important business needs in the future. For late/no-payments, there are insurance solutions in the market which can protect against them. “We are tied up many International and highly rated companies who can provide SME owners with ‘Business Protection Key Man Insurance Plans’”, says Manasi. A key man insurance policy is one that protects the company in the event of a key person in the business falling sick with a critical illness or even death. “The lump sum amount given to the company allows for enough time to recruit a new person to fill the vacancy and to avoid the loss of profits,” says Carla. Manasi adds: “Depending on their business valuation or yearly business transactions they can have themselves insured from AED 10 million to AED 500 million.” This way entrepreneurs can protect themselves, their families and business assets which they have created with much hard work and toil over the years. Another really important thing to consider, which is also overlooked because of the lack of time most SME business owners have, is in-depth background check of the vendor they are liaising with. A good background

Dr Michael Krämer Senior Lawyer, Meyer-Reumann & Partners, Dubai check about their payment history, the kind of transactions which have been delayed and how often, and their current payout pattern, would help entrepreneurs understand the third party better and protect themselves from financial risks. Choose only those vendors who have a timely payout system, is quite a necessity in today’s competitive world. Ensuring VAT returns are completed on time is also very important. Returns submitted after the deadlines can lead to unnecessary fines and expenses, the amount of which can largely vary. And finally, as Michael says: “Be careful when exposing yourself to debt. If, however, a trader finds himself in a situation where he or she is unable to repay his or her debt, the first thing that the trader should do is immediately stop incurring even more debt since this could, in a worst case scenario, even be a criminal offense.” A healthy financial future is not created in a day. It requires rigorous financial planning and assistance from experienced consultants. Hence, a regular review of your financial situation is the key to ensuring a sustainable financial future. SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

Talk Point

tryst with AI Dr. Jassim Haji, President of the Artificial Intelligence Society of Bahrain speaks about the key focus for the society in its journey towards facilitating the rise of Bahrain as a hub for developing AI solutions

and Robotics to attract investors. It will encourage and educate business community on how to improve efficiency and enhance customer satisfaction, while reducing the operating cost through adoption of AI alternative solutions. The society will also build affiliations and strategic partnerships with government decision making bodies, to adopt AI and make it as one of their strategic objectives in transforming Bahrain into AI Hub. Who are the members and affiliates for the society? We have over 45 members, consisting of CIOs, Entrepreneurs, University academies and AI expertise. The society is affiliated with many technology and AI organizations in Bahrain and GCC.

DR. JASSIM HAJI President, Artificial Intelligence Society of Bahrain

Please discuss the objectives of AI society as an organization? The AI Society has been formed to support several objectives and the key focus is to support Bahrainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2030 vision through implementation of specific AI applications and technologies. The society aims at making Bahrain a regional center of Artificial Intelligence Research & Development. The society is committed to help build a pool of AI expertise from executives and technical resources within the society to promote AI in the Kingdom and region. There is also the intent to collaborate and build GCC wide society for AI. We are focusing on creating intensive activities from local and global expertise in presenting AI solutions in various vertical sectors and mainly in areas of: Banking, Insurance, Government, Oil & Gas, Aviation and Manufacturing. The society will ensure global AI initiatives are collaborated with local demand to create short term plan for implementation of AI, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

What have been the kind of activities the society has executed or been part of in 2018? The society has organized over 8 conferences, workshops and seminars since its inception last July and is expected to conducted 10 more by end of 2019. The aim of these activities is to disseminate awareness of AI conceptually within the community plus across both public and private sectors. Discuss the role of AI in digital transformation? It is predicted that AI will add $15.7 trillion to global GDP annually by the year 2030. Artificial Intelligence is already a key driver of digital transformation across a wide range of sectors, from insurance to manufacturing and the automotive industry. The potential of this technology to shift business strategy to a truly customer-centric model remain largely untapped. How Bahrain can play a key role as the AI society proposes /envisages? Bahrain has been a pioneer in technology since 1970s and first technology exhibition in GCC was held in Manama in 1981. Bahrain has rich Human capital and high literacy, especially in the Information Technology and Computer science. With a few thousand graduates emerging every year, Bahrain is an excellent candidate to enforce itself as a centre of Research & Development for Artificial Intelligence in the Middle-East.

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or over 40 years, AMSI, a collaboration of academicians and educators who bring together a wealth of experience and international expertise, has been dedicated to raising the standards of education in its community and building a foundation for the future of its children and young people through the provision of a complete and comprehensive educational solution. Today, AMSI manages the Al Mawakeb schools and The International School of Arts and Sciences - ISAS in Dubai, in addition to a number of schools in the UAE and the region providing high quality education to over 200,000 students. True to its policies with pioneering new benchmarks in Education, AMSI has relied on brining in new technologies that enhance the processes of instruction, learning and certifications in Education. “In our alliance, we have learnt to value creativity and the active pursuit of excellence.We have a passion for our industry and for what we do. We utilize our skills to search for and apply new technologies, approaches, and business solutions, which will contribute to the betterment of the educational industry. The organization’s widely heralded successes in the field of ICT integration into the mainstream educational processes is a testament of this fusion,” says George Akhras , Chief Information Officer at AMSI. The ICT integration process at AMSI includes a comprehensive software and hardware synergy that binds multiple solutions together at academic, operational and managerial capacities. “Starting with a student enrolling into a school, through the procurement processes and the creation of inventory tracking and asset management, and ultimately the implementation of E-learning curricula in a classroom and the linking of the required databases, our ICT integration aspects allow for the seamless flow of operations and diligent supervision SMART SMB | february 2019

The highway to new benchmarks Kokila Alagh, Founder and Akshata Namjoshi, Senior Associate at Karm Legal Consultants discuss legality and enforceability of smart contracts in UAE and application of E-Commerce law to the smart contracts.

AMSI is creating new benchmarks in introducing new technology solutions including Blockchain in schools it manages — By R. Narayan

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This enabled complete control without compromising on flexibility for the user; cutting costs associated with stockpiling and upholding the integrity and security of the printed material. Their pioneering efforts at digital transformation initiatives have been duly recognized over the years. As early as 2004, the group deployed an Award winning project ‘Notebooks for Books (N4B)’. This solution transforms the traditional learning environment into a state-of-the-art, interactive, multimedia learning center that is conducive for creativity and innovation.

of these processes, while adhering to the highest codes of quality implementation,” adds George.

CONSISTENT MILESTONES As early as 1999, AMSI uveiiled the first school portal and the e-communication age was kickstarted. Students and parents were able to check homework, classwork, daily schedules, exam requirements, grade report cards, perform pre-registration tasks, book appointments with teachers and administrators, and much more. Then in 2000, the document center solution was introduced; a comprehensive one-stop shop that allows a school the ability to efficiently print and archive, while maintaining a high level of quality.

“At the high school level, students carry notebook computers that are loaded with a digitized curriculum connected to a centralized network. The classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards that capture and transmit real-time data to the students’ laptops, a wireless network that allows students and teachers to share information dynamically during the lesson, group control software that allows the teachers to monitor their students’ work in the classroom, and an online data library with ample resources that is available for teachers and students to access and use. Such an advanced environment helps make the learning experience more thrilling and captivating and heightens the students’ academic performance,” elaborates George. Three years later, in 2007, the group introduced another Award winning project ‘Self-Paced Learning’. This was on the pedagogical aspect of teaching ICT at the high school level where AMSI developed an innovative solution that remedies the imbalance in student knowledge attainment in computer subjects. “By dividing each unit into smaller lessons to allow learning in small ‘chunks’, students of different achievement levels can co-work in the same courses without affecting each other’s performance. This project evolved through the years and currently all the subjects benefit

from the dynamic of this platform that provides the student with the ability to learn anywhere, at any time and with the proper rhythm of his skills, knowledge and tendencies,” says George. In addition, AMSI and its schools have been working on reducing the number of paper used across all its schools through various ICT integrated solutions. In 2015, the school app was launched allowing parents and students to stay in touch with just a click on an icon, keeping them informed and up to date on important tasks & events with push notifications.

BLOCKCHAIN IMPLEMENTATION AMSI’s credentials as a pioneer in Education processes is further endorsed by its deployment of Blockchain in its certifications for students. “At AMSI, we share a passion to give and our belief in technology integration into the mainstream classrooms sparked the drive for all the solutions we implemented. It was and continues to be about trust and commitment. Our story has grown with Dubai over the last five decades; and with the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum of making Dubai the first city fully powered by Blockchain by 2020 (Dubai Blockchain Strategy 2020) and the UAE Blockchain Strategy 2021; we endeavored in the ambitious project to digitize the academic credentials of our graduating students of Al Mawakeb schools and the International School of Arts & Sciences, and to apply Blockchain to the issuance, management, and exchange of those credentials, such as certificates and diplomas.” AMSI’s graduating class of 2019 will be the first class to have their school diplomas issued digitally on the Blockchain – in addition to the traditional ones. “We wanted to empower our graduates to be fully in control of the academic records they request and receive; while decreasing the complexity of the SMART SMB | february 2019

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Being the first k-12 school in the world to digitize the academic credentials of its graduating students and to apply Blockchain to the issuance, management, and exchange of those credentials, we did not have any previous practices to rely on or benefit from.”

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administrative processes. Credentials will be requested online, released in real time, and shared as deemed necessary instantly without any third party’s involvement. Recipients from other schools or universities will be able to verify the authenticity of those credentials on our dedicated verification portal,” says George. This system will reduce the processing time and cost, and significantly increase authenticity and trust. He adds, “The new system is at its early stages and involves many stakeholders around the globe. While entities in the UAE may be ready to take this leap to the future, other international bodies may not be as ready to embrace this technology yet. Having said that, the current traditional issuance of the academic records cannot be replaced with the new technology. Both methods will have to co-exist for a few years, before digital takes over and becomes recognized worldwide” To support the process, AMSI schools have implement Academic-Integrated ICT Solutions, and partnered with a global leader to deploy a publishing server, a secured storage server, and an online verification & authentication portal. SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

In terms of digital transformation, the Group has gone further than its peers in the field of education and has to plough its own path ahead without extant models to emulate, truly marking it as a leader in Education. George says, “Being the first k-12 school in the world to digitize the academic credentials of its graduating students and to apply Blockchain to the issuance, management, and exchange of those credentials, we did not have any previous practices to rely on or benefit from. However, with the support of our partner, the project deployment went as planned. The pilot started in December 2017 and included the staff training workshops and technical implementation. The first digital diploma was published and shared in May 2018. The testing phase was completed in September 2018 and the system is now completed and is deployed.” This solution encompasses a series of tools that enables AMSI schools in Dubai to securely issue digital academic credentials, students to store and share them, and recipients to instantly verify them. While the school issues and shares digital diploma with student, the student keeps copy of digital diploma and shares it with other schools or universities and the University

GEORGE AKHRAS Chief Informations Officer, AMSI

verifies the authenticity of diploma on the school portal. This process significantly reduces the processing time, costs, and provides value to all stakeholders. AMSI intends to extend this digital transformation to other departments within its network. George says, “As education becomes more diversified and decentralized, there is an increase in digital academic records. Our HR and Finance departments will be next to use this technology to share documents securely and transparently and save a huge amount of effort and time. The new deployments will give a better understanding of our core values that drive our teams and increase the sense of commitment to wellbeing and happiness of our parents, students and alumni. Restructuring the administrative processes to a massive open, online and secure database will enhance the services we are providing to our schools.” A strong vision and ambition is fueling the group’s constant endeavor to push the envelope as far as enhancing its processes across departments goes. That is taking AMSI further ahead in empowering the student community it serves and creating new benchmarks.

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was nearly 6pm in Singapore when Mr Roman Konovalov returned to the hotel after a day of sightseeing with his family. Just then, he received an email from a client based in Saudi Arabia asking him to sign the attached contract and email it back at the earliest.

With an increase in the number of small businesses and overhead costs of running a physical office, many entrepreneurs are taking up a ‘Virtual Office’. But are they really benefitting? — By Diksha Vohra SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

“It was a very important contract, something I had been waiting for a long time so it had to be signed and emailed urgently,” said Roman Konovalov, Founder and Managing Director of Greenrain Healthcare Intelligence, Dubai. “I immediately rushed to the Servcorp office in Singapore, asked them to print out the document, signed it and emailed it back. I also asked them to call him up on my behalf to let him know that the email has been sent.” Like Roman, many other entrepreneurs are now able to attend to their client needs while traveling and without having a physical office space - famously called Virtual Office. The concept is gaining popularity worldwide with over 27% of businesses worldwide going virtual. According to a latest survey, more than 60% of corporates are in-fact encouraging their employees to work remotely. But why are they doing so? There are many reasons to it. Richa Bhagnari, co-founder and Managing Director of You First, Dubai attributes it to the flexibility and the cost-effectiveness of virtual offices. “The office space is ready to use with wifi, electricity and water covered, which translates into no hidden cost for a new startup. It is ideal for new companies who want to

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SMART OPTION? keep their cost low in the first year.” She also states that while Government licensing fees is almost the same for any physical office, having a virtual office/ flexidesk solution allows entrepreneurs to pay for only what they use, in-turn allowing them to invest their finances judiciously. Moreover, with the onset of technology, face-to-face meetings have significantly reduced. Today, people working in the same office also choose to communicate via email instead of personally visiting their colleagues and getting work done. In such a scenario, a virtual office space comes as a breath of fresh air. It is, however, interesting to know that this concept is not recent. “The virtual office concept was established in 1986 and has been a fantastic offering for companies who do not need a full-time, full-fledged office,” says Rachel Hobin, Manager - Business Package at Servcorp. Servcorp, in-fact, has been offering these services since 1978 when they first established in Sydney. They’re now located in over 160 locations worldwide. Apart from providing a flexible office space, they also offer communication services including a secretary to answer business calls on behalf of their client, and address services. “It (virtual offices) provides our clients the ability to work from a prime, central location and utilize our professional team and IT infrastructure without the overheads of establishing their own office space,” Rachel adds.

Roman too notes in his experience that finding fluent English speaking administration staff is especially very difficult and expensive to hire. Having an eloquent secretary taking calls on your behalf leaves a lasting impression on clients who’re based overseas. Virtual offices, thus, become a practical option for those who want to save on the costs of hiring full-time admins. Under You First, Richa too offers similar office spaces and administration services to her clients. “…it gives them the option to use conference rooms for meetings with an assistant to take down messages when they are away.” She, however, feels that a virtual office space isn’t meant for everybody. “Individuals holding an industrial or trading license are better suited to having a shared office space or an individual office,” Richa adds. Industrial offices need a lot of machinery, equipment and warehouse facility, so working remotely is often not an option for them. For others, however, in the IT or service industry, a virtual office can be a groundbreaking move. Benny Rahman, founder of B Creative, an upcoming online fashion portal, too has opted for a virtual office setting. “There is flexibility in my day to day operations as what I do is not a nine-to-five job. I am out most of the time procuring material or meeting with potential designers and a physical office is not an ideal requirement especially SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

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Rachel Hobin

Richa BhagnarI

Manager - Business Package, Servcorp

Co-Founder & Managing Director, You First

if I am never there. B Creative will also be positioned as an online portal making it convenient and accessible for shoppers where being online is ‘fashionable’ in itself in this current day and age.”

There has also been an increase in the number of collaborative applications developed for such spaces like Google Drive, Dropbox and more where you can share your documents and work in real time. Moreover, task scheduling and monitoring applications like Trello make it a lot easier for employees to work and monitor each other’s progress especially when a process is to be followed.

B Creative’s online portal will be showcasing designs of Benny along with others who’re looking for a platform to promote and sell their designs. Considering the kind of industry she is in, she feels that such a setting allows her to be more productive as her activity is not reduced to fixed TRADITIONALLY, office timings. Many other employers worldwide share the same thought process. Traditionally, productivity was measured by the hours one puts into work which has changed to the quality of work today. Besides, more and more businesses are striving for better work-life balance and businesses see the benefit in remote workers. “My team is spread across the globe,” says Roman. “We’re a team of 10-people and we all work at different hours. Our business model is based on completion of tasks more than the hours you’re physically working. If you can finish a task in two-hours, why should I pay for eight?” SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

PRODUCTIVITY WAS MEASURED BY THE HOURS ONE PUTS INTO WORK WHICH HAS CHANGED TO THE QUALITY OF WORK TODAY. BESIDES, MORE AND MORE BUSINESSES ARE STRIVING FOR BETTER WORKLIFE BALANCE AND BUSINESSES SEE THE BENEFIT IN REMOTE WORKERS.

Experts also point out the environmental benefits of a virtual office. Companies no longer need to print out documents or spend extra on stationery. Eliminating the need to drive to the workspace also reduces unnecessary stress and gains back hours during the day. As we can see, productive and progressive thinking can take place anywhere so if you’re a startup or a medium-sized business wanting to focus on deliverables and save on costs, virtual offices can be worth a try. As Roman says: “If I were to launch another business, I would also do it virtually. If I can make money sitting in my comfort zone with less financial stress, why shouldn’t I? For those who aren’t trying it, I guess it is high time we think smart.”

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TECH WATCH

DGS-3130 Series Lite Layer 3 Stackable Managed Switches

-Link’s new generation of Lite Layer 3 Managed Gigabit Switchesthe DGS-3130 series, are available in 24 or 48 10/100/1000BASE-T Mbps or SFP Gigabit Ethernet port models, including two models with full PoE support to provide a complete 10G managed switch portfolio. The series is the first on the market with six built-in 10G stacking/uplink ports providing high physical stacking bandwidth (up to 9 switches with 80G bandwidth) and flexibility with a variety of port combinations. Three software images are combined into a single, unified software image to provide powerful Layer 2 and Layer 3 features necessary to fulfill a wide range of different application requirements. The DGS-3130 series offers reliability and complete management options. RJ-45 console/management ports provide out-of-band Web UI access. A dedicated management port that is separate from data ports continues to function even during traffic congestion, equipment malfunction, or network attacks. All models in the series also feature built-in, highcapacity 6kV surge protection, which effectively protects the switches against damage from electrical surges and lightning strikes. SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

HIGHLIGHTS: • Advanced L3 feature IGMP filtering provides the capability to manage IGMP snooping, which in turn controls the forwarding of multicast traffic. • Advanced L3 feature IPv6 Neighbor Discovery supports more traffic through IP address scalability. • Supports OSPF L3 routing protocol using link-state routing for increased efficiency and scalability and maximized bandwidth usage in large enterprise networks. • Comprehensive security features such as ACL, Storm Control, and IPMAC-Port Binding (IMPB) with DHCP Snooping ensure your network safety as your business grows. • Compatible with OAM standards for Carrier Ethernet to enable the highest level of service assurance. • ERPS (Ethernet Ring Protection Switching) provides higher reliability by enabling service provider to build scalable layer 2 aggregation networks.

Gemalto’s Cinterion IoT Modules To meet booming global demand for Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) IoT connectivity, Gemalto announces a platform of innovative Cinterion IoT Modules based on the latest Qualcomm 9205 LTE IoT modem from Qualcomm Technologies. The new solution is designed to support global LTE‑M and NB‑IoT connectivity with optional 2G fallback from a single, ultra-small IoT module. Ready for the latest 3GPP specifications (Rel 14), the platform will be loaded with Gemalto security and value-added features specifically designed for compact, power-efficient IoT applications including smart meters, asset trackers, healthcare, wearable and smart city solutions. Available in the second half of 2019, the first Cinterion products based on Qualcomm Technologies’ nextgen IoT LTE chipset will include the multimode Cinterion EXS62 IoT Module and Cinterion EXS82 IoT Module with 2G fallback. The miniaturized solutions are designed to deliver global connectivity and extended coverage range with support of power class 5. This can enable up to 70% reduced power consumption helping to preserve the battery for applications in remote locations. HIGHLIGHTS: • The platform will leverage Gemalto’s innovative incremental FOTA technology with Lightweight M2M (LwM2M) to tackle the critical challenge of balancing bandwidth and power efficiency with software and security updates necessary over the long life of IoT devices.

TECH WATCH

Océ ColorWave 3000 series large format printers

• Built on Gemalto’s expertise in securely managing billions of digital credentials, the new Cinterion platform will include an integrated onboard eSIM along with secure remote provisioning capabilities. • Together, the solutions can authenticate IoT devices, encrypt data and securely manage connections to cellular networks globally. • Embedded into the IoT module, tamper-resistant eSIMs will reduce the size and cost of solutions while simplifying the supply chain. • Embedding digital identity certificates inside Cinterion IoT Modules during manufacturing strengthens IoT device security and ensures data privacy. • Leveraging a digital handshake authentication process, certificates verify the identity of device and applications to streamline enrollment in all the main IoT cloud platforms.

Canon Middle East has launched the new Océ ColorWave 3000 series of large format printers for customers specialising in CAD, GIS and shortterm graphic arts applications. The new systems address the printing requirements in the architectural, engineering, construction and manufacturing (AEC&M) sectors, as well as corporate environments. With the Océ ColorWave 3000 series, customers have the flexibility to easily print an even wider range of applications from black and white technical documents, drawings and maps, to full colour indoor and short-term outdoor graphics such as posters and roll-up banners. The new Océ ColorWave 3000 series comprises two different models: the Océ ColorWave 3500 and the Océ ColorWave 3700, both meeting the needs of businesses operating at mid-volumes, and both saving businesses time, resulting in a faster return on investment. HIGHLIGHTS: • The new printers incorporate the 10-year proven Océ CrystalPoint technology that combines the best of toner and inkjet in Océ

TonerPearls, which are melted into a toner gel that crystallises onto the media. • Océ CrystalPoint grants customers the option to work with lower cost media without compromising on quality. Prints made with the Océ CrystalPoint technology are instantly dry, enabling handling, stacking and folding to take place immediately. • The use of Océ TonerPearls ensures strong adhesion and scratchresistance, as well as offers sharp lines with minimal feathering for high quality documents and graphics. Océ TonerPearls prints are also waterproof, enabling businesses to produce applications for short-term outdoor use. • The Océ ColorWave 3000 series also features Océ PAINT (Piezo Acoustic Integrated Nozzle Technology) that helps to overcome nozzle failure on the fly for predictable and consistent print quality, reducing daily maintenance time.

SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

MARKET MONITOR

Global spending on the Internet of Things to reach $745 Billion in 2019

orldwide spending on the Internet of Things (IoT) is forecast to reach $745 billion in 2019, an increase of 15.4% over the $646 billion spent in 2018, according to a new update to IDC. IDC expects worldwide IoT spending will maintain a double-digit annual growth rate throughout the 2017-2022 forecast period and surpass the $1 trillion mark in 2022. “Adoption of IoT is happening across industries, in governments, and in consumers’ daily lives. We are increasingly observing how data generated by connected devices is helping businesses run more efficiently, gain insight into business processes, and make real-time decisions,” said Carrie MacGillivray, vice president, Internet of Things and Mobility at IDC. “The next chapter of IoT is just beginning as we see a shift from digitally enabling the physical to automating and augmenting the human experience with a connected world.” The industries that are forecast to spend the most on IoT solutions in 2019 are discrete manufacturing ($119 billion), process manufacturing ($78 billion), transportation ($71 billion), and utilities ($61 billion). IoT spending among manufacturers will be largely focused on solutions that support manufacturing operations and production asset management. In transportation, more than half of IoT spending will go toward freight monitoring, followed by fleet management. IoT spending in the utilities industry will be dominated by smart grids for electricity, gas, and water. The industries that will see the fastest compound annual growth rates (CAGR) over the five-year forecast period are insurance (17.1%), federal/central government (16.1%), and healthcare (15.4%). “Consumer IoT spending will reach $108 billion in 2019, making it the second largest industry segment. The leading consumer use cases will be related to the smart home, personal wellness, and connected vehicle infotainment,” SMART SMB | FEBRUARY 2019

said Marcus Torchia, research director, Customer Insights & Analysis. “Within smart home, home automation and smart appliances will both experience strong spending growth over the forecast period and will help to make consumer the fastest growing industry segment overall with a fiveyear CAGR of 17.8%.” The IoT use cases that will see the greatest levels of investment in 2019 are driven by the industry spending leaders: manufacturing operations ($100 billion), production asset management ($44.2 billion), smart home ($44.1 billion), and freight monitoring ($41.7 billion). The IoT use cases that are expected to deliver the fastest spending growth over the 2017-2022 forecast period provide a picture of where other industries are making their IoT investments. These include airport facility automation (transportation), electric vehicle charging (utilities), agriculture field monitoring (resource), bedside telemetry (healthcare), and in-store contextualized marketing (retail). IoT services will be the largest technology category in 2019 with $258 billion going toward traditional IT and installation services as well as non-traditional device and operational services. Hardware spending will be close behind at $250 billion led by more than $200 billion in module/sensor purchases. IoT software spending will total $154 billion in 2019 and will see the fastest growth over the five-year forecast period with a CAGR of 16.6%. Services spending will also grow faster than overall IoT spending with a CAGR of 14.2%. IoT connectivity spending will total $83 billion in 2019. The United States and China will be the global leaders for IoT spending in 2019 at $194 billion and $182 billion respectively. The countries that will see the fastest IoT spending growth over the forecast period are all located in Latin America: Mexico (28.3% CAGR), Colombia (24.9% CAGR), and Chile (23.3% CAGR).