1st August 2011 - Dubai

Celebrating 1st anniversary

APC by Schneider Electric Rewards Outstanding Performers at Annual Distributors’ Conference APC by Schneider Electric recently flew the top performing distributors from the Middle East and Turkey region on a four-day trip to Prague in the Czech Republic in an endeavor to recognize their contributions to the company’s continuous growth in the region in 2010.

Themed ‘Take the Lead’, the distributors’ conference in Prague aimed to strengthen the organization’s relationship with its partners to enhance cooperation in working towards profitability. The event also provided a platform to identify new opportunities and areas of development to better meet the growing needs of today’s business environment. The company’s product roadmap for the future was also highlighted during the event. ...continued on pg 4

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Issue 141

1st August 2011

In Focus - Thermaltake

What’s New

Focusing on DIY users

Netgear WN3000RP

Gaining strength GFI is a leading vendor that provides primarily IT security solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. John Spoor, Channel Manager - Middle East & Africa of GFI Software discusses various solutions on offer from GFI as well as some of the initiatives that the vendor is executing.

Discuss the suite of products from GFI? GFI provide a range of solutions that meet a business’s critical security and messaging requirements in the fields of content security, network security, mail archiving and email to fax. Our portfolio includes on-premise software solutions and SaaS solutions for MSPs. We are just about to launch new hardware appliances for mail security and our new revolutionary end point anti-virus product GFI VIPRE which is available to both business and consumer customers. Potential customers can download free 30 day trials for all of our solutions at www.gfi.com ...continued on pg 4

Published by: VAR MEA Magazine. For enquiries, contact Tel: +971-4-3326647 Fax: +971-4-3326621 sales@var-mea.com or info@var-mea.com www.VARonline.com

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4 In Focus

1st August 2011

News

GFI

...continued from pg 1

Webmonitor.

Discuss you Middle East strategy so far? Which customer segments are you focusing on?

The Middle East is an emerging market for GFI and over the past three years we have experienced significant year on year growth. Our plan is to focus on our core countries and ensure we are the security vendor of choice for companies in the SMB sector, which we define as 1-1000 users.

However this does not mean our products are not scalable and we do have installations which run into the many thousands of users/nodes. Our products are not limited to vertical sectors and we have a really diverse range of customers in pretty much all industries.

John Spoor Channel Manager, Middle East & Africa, GFI Software You have a wide range of security software. Please discuss the major flagship products such as Languard and any others.

GFI Languard is an enterprise class network vulnerability scanner which identifies any weak spots within a company’s network. It will scan all of the hardware and software and alert the administrator to any potential areas of concern. We have a database of over 20,000 vulnerabilities and we are constantly adding to this database on a daily basis to ensure that our customers are constantly protected against the latest threats. In addition to this GFI Languard is also a Patch Management solution allowing a company to efficiently manage patches for a range of vendors including Microsoft, Firefox and Adobe amongst others. As we see more emphasis placed on Compliance this has resulted in a huge demand for our mail archiving solution. Customers really enjoy using this solution due to its ease of installation and implementation and the fact that it eliminates any need for cumbersome and easily corrupted PST files. We are also one of the few archiving solutions in the market that does not use stubbing which reduces the load on the Exchange Server while greatly reducing client complexity issues and administration.

Are there any cloud solutions offered?

Absolutely. We have a range of solutions which target the MSP market. These include GFI MAX Remote Management which allows you to proactively monitor a your customers network and set a series of checks meaning you can be alerted to potential problems before your customer experiences downtime on their network. In addition to this we have GFI MAX Mail Protection and Archiving which is a cloud-based email filtering and mail archiving solution. We are also introducing some of our on-premise products to the SaaS arena such as GFI Languard and GFI

While customers on the whole seem to be more open to security investments, what are the challenges you still see?

Whereas in the past the emerging markets territory has been a very reactive region where customers will wait until they have suffered a virus attack or some other security related problems on their network then look for a solution, we are now seeing companies take a more proactive approach to security. It’s important for us to establish a bond of trust with our customers so they can come to us for advice and education on how they can effectively leverage their existing infrastructure to ensure maximum protection without breaking the bank. However with the Middle East having so many diverse cultures in many different countries, our challenge is how we can reach and touch all of these customers in each country.

What are the initiatives that you have so far executed in Middle East? Have there been any channel roadshows?

We have many initiatives and campaigns running which are tailored to this region. For example our URL filtering and Web security product GFI Webmonitor is currently running a 3 years for the price of 2 promotion on new business and renewals. We are also offering our VIPRE Antivirus product at a reduced rate to existing GFI customers. Through feedback we have received from our channel partners we have been developing a Mail Hardware appliance which is due to be launched anytime now. We will be running roadshows in UAE, KSA, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Iran before the end of the year and these roadshows will showcase the full range of GFI products.

Please discuss your initiatives in tandem with your distributor planned for the rest of the year?

As you already know we have recently appointed Comguard as a Value Added Distributor for GFI. They will be running monthly sales and technical training sessions in the above mentioned countries. As well as this Comguard will be co-ordinating the roadshows and of course we will have a significant presence on their stand at GITEX this year.

CCT to distribute AOC in Lebanon Art of Colors (AOC), one of the leading monitor brands in the world has expanded its geographical spread further in Middle East region by appointing the leading distribution company CCT as its authorized distributor for Lebanon.

In a recent report, BMI forecasted the size of the Lebanese IT market in 2011 to be US$ 321 million, up from nearly US$ 287 million in 2010.

CCT is one of the most respected names in the IT distribution business in Lebanon and has been part of the technology distribution landscape since it was established in the year 1996 and has grown into a 65 employee strong organisation. It also works hard towards providing the value to its partners by introducing products with highest quality, reliability and innovation Joseph Mhanna, CEO, CCT SARL, said, “"We are excited about our partnership with AOC and the opportunity to deliver to our customers displays from the world’s largest manufacturer. Signing in AOC is yet another way we are providing our customers with a distinct competitive advantage in the marketplace."

Today apart from AOC, CCT distributes a wide range of products and world’s leading brands like Intel, Toshiba, HP, Seagate, WD, Samsung, Mercury, MSI, AGFA, Iomega, Kingston, to its 500 active resellers, VARs, sub-distributors, PC assemblers, System Integrators as well as Retailers across the country.

Suchit Kumar, DGM, Sales MEA & CIS Central Asia, AOC said, “CCT has a solid history of amazing customer service and a proven sales team. Their ability and experience to meet any Challenges in the fast tracked IT market, makes CCT the perfect choice as our Lebanon distributor. With CCT, AOC will bring a new level of support, commitment, and growth in Lebanon.”

Editorial

Joseph Mhanna CEO, CCT SARL

continued from pg 1 Thierry Chamayou, Channel Director, APC by Schneider Electric, Middle East and Africa, said: “We are overwhelmed with our partners’ outstanding performance despite the challenges the past year has posed. The trip was our way of appreciating our distributors for their resilience and commitment to pushing the sales targets in their respective territories.

“This conference has also become a platform for productive discussion to help our partners adapt more easily to the changing trends, to best serve customers and improve profitability.”

During the conference, the distributors were updated about the company’s continued focus and drive on the reseller loyalty activity – the Channel Partner Program.

Chamayou added: “As the market leader in the data centre space, APC aims to continue empowering its channel partners with the required tools, training and support and help them improve the company’s reach within the Middle East and

Turkey region. While we are dedicating resources in the countries to enhance our deliverables and achieve a wider regional presence, we would like our valued distributors to ‘take the lead’ and identify and train channel partners to be the trusted advisor to their customers.”

A series of team building exercises and training workshops were also conducted as part of the distributors’ conference.

The attendees were treated to a sightseeing trip of the city.

The event ended with the annual awards’ ceremony, appreciating the efforts of the partners in various categories.

Key Information Technology was recognized as Distributor of the Year - Enterprise and Systems. Receiving the award, Product Manager Mustafa Kutubji said: “Our investment towards our relationship with APC by Schneider Electric is significant and we see ourselves as key partners. It is indeed fulfilling to receive this honor at this special platform created

by APC for its distributors. Each year, the conference gives us a deeper understanding about the product pipeline for the year.

It also provides us with an opportunity to step out of our day-to-day environment and acquire learning on best ways to scale up productivity."

Dubai Advanced Technology received the coveted title of APC Distributor of the Year. In his acceptance speech, the CEO of Advanced Technology Hamzeh Chikh Eisa said: “The APC Distributor Conference is a valuable networking platform. It is inspiring to be consistently recognized for our performance amongst peers and encourages us to up our standards. We are committed to supporting APC in achieving its business goals and look forward to taking this relationship from strength to strength.”

APC by Schneider Electric’s annual award ceremony, which serves as a fitting finale for the Distributors’ Conference, recognizes the achievements of distributors in the previous year and sets competitive standards for business in the current fiscal.

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6 In Focus

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News

Thermaltake

Focusing on DIY users Thermaltake is one of the leading vendors of chassis, Power supplies and CPU coolers for high- end PC systems. Its strength is the PC gaming clientele that relies on its high quality hardware configurations. Louis Huang, Executive Vice President at Thermaltake Technology speaks with VAR Magazine in this exclusive interview.

requirements. They can choose their CPUs and graphic cards. They will need CPU coolers for long hours of continuous PC usage. Which is why, we offer Water coolers and gas coolers that help address these requirements. When the PCs are continuously working, they will freeze unless there are efficient cooling solutions.

Louis Huang Executive Vice President, Thermaltake

Discuss solutions that Thermaltake provides?

Thermaltake started Business with supplies of thermal solutions, hence the name Thermaltake. Later we started providing chassis and power solutions for DIY (Do it yourself ) PC users.

The most important part is that the DIY user chooses a CPU. Then he chooses a motherboard. Then he goes for other components including chassis, CPU coolers and power supplies. These are the three domains that we have been looking at as our core competence areas.

How has the DIY segment transformed over the past few years?

In the past several years, the purpose of some of the DIY users was to cut costs in setting up a system.

However, this reason no longer applies because most of the top-tier branded systems come quite cheap and affordable. The DIY segment today is made up of power users who see that standard configurations available in the market cannot satisfy their needs. The standard mainstream PC systems are not configured to satisfy the DIY users.

Power users mostly belonging to the gaming community make up this DIY user segment.

Discuss how your products address the needs of the DIY users?

From the point of quality, performance and design, our products mostly cater to these needs of the gaming community and their aspirations. DIY segment users configure PCs according to their

Some Power gamers have more than 3 graphics cards installed. They need very efficient power supplies and CPU coolers. So that is our market. Our products provide stable power supplies and help keep the CPU cooled.

Electrotek appoints new sales director and new partner Elektrotek Middle East LLC, part of Elektrotek Group USA has announced the appointment of Faisal Mohammed as Director Sales. Mohammed brings with him a vast expertise in sales and channel development across entire Middle East market.

“The U.A.E market as well as entire Middle East IT market is facing wavering of purchasing and selling abilities right now. Elektrotek Middle East is a company operating in the consumer and corporate market and understands the need of channel partners despite market conditions.

The company is targeted to grow along with partners and bringing new opportunities. I am pleased to join Elektrotek Middle East and this is a huge challenge for me. I am looking forward to perform and to expand Elektrotek’s market presence as well as brands company has in portfolio” adds Mohammed.

Manish Advani General Manager, Hamoor Compters

Elektrotek Middle East has the status of McAfee consumer partner in the Middle East market.

McAfee is the world’s largest dedicated security technology company. Delivering proactive and proven solutions and services that help secure systems and networks around the world, McAfee protects consumers and businesses of all sizes from the latest malware and emerging online threats.

Further expanding its network, Elektrotek Middle East L.L.C and Hamoor Computers L.L.C sighed up for partnership for McAfee distribution in the U.A.E region. Hamoor Computers has been signed up as consumer Partner for McAfee products in the UAE. “Hamoor Computers has a vast experience in distribution business and Anti-Virus market development. The company has experience working with other Anti-Virus brands already. Now along with Elektrotek ME, we are going to operate in the U.A.E market. The market is coming into its slowest phase and it’s time for us to show how good we are in market development for McAfee products,” said Manish Advani, General Manager of Hamoor Computers L.L.C.

We provide high quality and highly efficient power supplies with industry certifications. Our PC chassis designs meet energy conservation and carbon reduction needs.

SanDisk reports quantum growth

Thermaltake’s Toughpower Grand series has obtained 80 PLUS Gold certified power supplies; they improve the power supply energy efficiency by over 90%. Our cutting edge power supply solutions enhance energy efficiency while also reducing waste and improving power supply stability.

“Based on global market research, our most popular product segments are flash memories for smart-phones, tablets and solid-state drives (SSD) for PCs. Our market in the Gulf is very mature and showing excellent growth,” said Tareq Husseini, SanDisk’s Regional Sales Director, Middle East and Africa (MEA).

Do you see the DIY market growing significantly?

Honestly, the niche market is not very big but is enough. The niche is not growing significantly but the power user segment is sure to stay.

We are focusing on enabling better user experience for this user segment.

SanDisk has reported double- and triple-digit market growth in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) so far this year, driven by the region's high mobile phone penetration rates and a growing appetite for flash-based storage devices

In South Africa and East Africa, first-quarter sales for 2011 have exceeded the entire year’s sales for 2010, with South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria leading the region. The UAE, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the GCC have shown double and triple-digit year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2011.

“The UAE is the most mature market for flash storage for digital devices. As more high-profile concerts and exhibitions are held in the UAE, we have seen a lift in the usage of higher capacity cards, a positive sign for our business,” said Sreedhar Sreekumar, Regional Sales Manager for SanDisk MEA. SanDisk has entered into strategic partnerships with major distributors in the region like Ahmed AbdulWahed Trading and Jarir Bookstore in Saudi Arabia, National Stores and Redington Gulf in the UAE, Salam Studios in Qatar and International Agencies in Bahrain. In South Africa and East Africa, SanDisk’s retail presence is bolstered by alliances with distributors MiDCOM and Tudortech.

PC gamers are growing in number.

They need high end configuration to support the high end gaming applications that they load.

“Our alignments with key retailers and the tech-savvy predominantly young population of the region are our greatest assets. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries lead in unit sales, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia setting the trend,” concluded Husseini.

The local people in the UAE are ready to buy Thermaltake cases without looking at the price. The power supplies are high end, very efficient capable to run 24 by 7 hours.

How is Thermaltake placed in terms of marketshare?

While it is hard to give out a number, Thermaltake is one of the leading names in the segment. We don’t want a price war. We want to create a value differentiation in the market in the kind of product we bring to market.

Penetration of smart-phones in the UAE and in Saudi Arabia is 11 percent and 15 percent respectively, lagging behind the US where smart-phone penetration is currently at 50 percent. However, smart-phone penetration in the UAE is expected to increase 11 percent per year for the next three years.

Tareq Husseini Regional Sales Director, SanDisk MEA

According to the Gartner Research Group, tablet sales are growing exponentially worldwide with 15 million units sold in 2010 and 70 million units expected to be sold in 2011. According to premier global market intelligence firm, IDC, the solid-statedrive market is set to become a mainstream storage device, aided by advancements in technology and price reductions.

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VAR Magazine Empowering and educating the channel

VAR Magazine is the fastest growing channel magazine in the MEA region. VAR MEA Magazine, which has completed over 125 issues of print, is the leading channel magazin in the region. Over five years and more, the magazine has become the preferred mode of communication with the channel for many leading vendors, distributors and resellers. VAR Magazine is presented in an easy to read print format, one of the reasons for its endearing appeal. It has deep and wide channel

penetration in terms of its distribution, a feature well recognized by the industry.

VAR MEA magazine has introduced several expansion initiatives including the exciting bilingual VAR Arabia. www.varonline.com, an interactive portal for the channel, was launched towards end of 2009 and has a fast growing readership in the channel

VAR Arabia - A bilingual magazine for KSA IT channel With the monthly VAR Arabia edition, the magazine extends its value proposition to benefit the Saudi Arabia ICT channel. The VAR Arabia print edition has a specific focus on the large strategic market of Saudi Arabia and is in line with the commitment of the VAR team to meet the expectations of a larger local IT channel readership across the Middle East. The intent is to deliver a product that builds on the strengths of VAR magazine with a strong editorial focus as well as providing unique value to advertisers.

Milestones of VAR Magazine • VAR MEA Magazine was founded on Sept. 18th 2005 for providing better, in-depth & sustained communication across the MEA IT channel.

• Over the past 5 years and 125 plus issues, VAR has successfully informed and executed channel centric communication like product launches, call to action campaigns, special offers, etc.

• 1st to launch a channel magazine in eBook format • With over 5000 resellers in OGCC having access to the magazine, the VAR Advantage delivers wide and deep penetration into the channel for advertisers.

• VAR Value fortnightly e-newsletters re-launched in January 2010 • First to launch channel awards in the region. The awards ceremony for the 4th edition of the VAR Choice of Channel Awards was held on the 21st of March at the landmark Meydan hotel in Dubai.

VAR Magazine’s vision of being a most reliable information media for the IT resellers in the region is backed by the execution from a team that has over a decade’s experience working closely with the channel. For VAR, the greatest success has been in winning trust from the region’s channel and the magazine will look forward to emulating that with its KSA edition.

For sales enquiries, contact sales@var-mea.com For subscription, contact subscribe@var-mea.com For more details, contact info@var-mea.com

8 In Focus

1st August 2011 Wavetech

News

Making inroads

Suresh Iyer Product Manager, WaveTech

Discuss your solutions for the SMB segment ATEN can proudly lay claim to the fact that we are one of the very few vendors who offer an entire range of KVM Solutions for Home Solution, SMB solutions and for Data Center Management. Our product portfolio includes a range of IP KVM Switches, Rack KVM Switches, LCD KVM switches , KVM Extenders, Desktop KVM switches along with Cable KVM switches. With such a wide range of products, we offer a one stop solution to our customer’s KVM needs.

For example, a customer looking for a USB KVM switch can also buy a LCD KVM switch and KVM extender all under one roof, thereby getting a complete solution for his needs.

What are the active and passive networking brands / product lines in your distribution portfolio?

ATEN Product Line consists of the following brands: 1. ATEN Brand: Entry Level /SMB KVM Switches and KVM Extenders.

2. ALTUSEN Brand: Enterprise Level KVM solutions and DATA Center Management solutions.

3. VanCryst Brand: Video solutions incorporating a wide array of Video splitters, Video switches and Video extenders of VGA, DVI and HDMI. We have branched out into the above categories so as to have a better reach our products to the various target customers.

This segmentation is also in line with our principle of providing a complete product solution to our discerning customers without having the need to look for other sources. Our ATEN and ALTUSEN range of products are market leaders in many countries around the world and have continued to grow over a rapid pace during the past few years.

Having said that, the VanCryst line of products is a fairly new entry into our product portfolio and our volumes for this line are still in the nascent stages. The audio video industry is a multi billion dollar industry and we hope to grab a sizeable chunk of this market with the launch of innovative solutions and products.

Do you see spending among SMB customers active in terms of buying networking solutions?

ATEN has been in the KVM market for the past 31 years and it has been our experiences that during times like these of

ATEN is considered the leading manufacturer of KVM switches worldwide. ATEN's current product range covers hundreds of connectivity products, providing complete KVM, data center management and professional A/V solutions – from entry level operations to the enterprise market. Wave Tech Computers is the exclusive ATEN distributor for the Gulf Region [Except KSA] and Lebanon. Suresh Iyer, Product Manager at Wave Tech speaks about some of the solutions that ATEN offers.

market recessions, customer spending actually increases. This is because customers tend to constantly upgrade their old infrastructure with new products etc. which they feel will bring more returns.

Also unlike traditional networking solutions, the KVM industry has always provided partners with higher margins thereby increasing their interest in promoting KVM related products. Keeping in mind the above facts, we are very optimistic that customer spending would record new highs in the coming years especially with regards to the KVM industry.

Which of the verticals do you see greatly spending on networking solutions and you are focusing on greatly?

As mentioned earlier the KVM industry is a niche market unlike the traditional networking industry. Our volumes are driven by lot of verticals which include govt. sectors, Banking Sector, Data Centers, multinationals and even the normal home user.

However we expect govt. spending to increase manifold in the coming months with the release of many pending projects.

In addition with the infrastructure upgrade of many data centers and IT departments in large multinationals we hope that we would see good numbers from this sector as well in the forthcoming months.

In addition, we would simultaneously promote and market our VanCryst Audio Video solutions to a variety of sectors as the need for audio video solutions has grown by leaps and bounds in the recent months.

Elaborate on some of the value adds you provide your partners.

ATEN has always been in the forefront of providing quality service to our partners.

We strongly believe that our partners are the sole reason for our success in various markets. We make sure that our partners are always offered reasonable prices to help them make better margins. Our support to the channel partners are amongst the best in the region which go a long way to help partners promote our products in a better way.

Our after sales service has a commitment to reply to customer queries within a set time and the response rate for technical queries and support are the best amongst brands which make similar products.

Kaspersky Lab appoints Overseas Business Machines in Oman Kaspersky Lab has appointed Overseas Business Machines (OBM), an IT integrated solutions company based in Muscat, as an enterprise partner in Sultanate of Oman.

Overseas Business Machines will play a key role in providing on-ground pre-sales, technical and maintenance support to the corporate customers based in Oman.

With its significant presence in the country, OBM will work closely with Kaspersky Lab to develop the enterprise business by presenting Kaspersky’s corporate solutions directly to the corporate customers with networks larger than 500 nodes.

Commenting on this new partnership, Tarek Tarek Kuzbari Kuzbari, Managing Director, Kaspersky Lab Managing Director, Kaspersky Lab ME & Turkey Middle East and Turkey said, “Being closer to our clients is key for our business growth and success. We believe that this partnership with Overseas Business Machines will strengthen Kaspersky Lab’s presence in Oman, while bringing the customers closer to the brand, with easier and direct access to the company’s latest technologies and experts, and will help in leveraging OBM’s enterprise customers.”

Mohamad Al-Bolbol, General Manager of Overseas Business Machines said, “We are very proud to have added a respected vendor like Kaspersky Lab to our company’s portfolio. This new partnership reinforces our positioning in the market as a high-integrity partner, providing world-class technology brands and solutions. Our local presence will help us understand the specific needs of our customers, and provide them with a faster support and response”.

OBM is an affiliate to OmniTech Holding group, part of the MiDiS group of companies, operating as networked partnership of focused profit centers, and backed by the financial strength of the group. It is known for its long-term and solid relation with its suppliers.

NETGEAR sets QAR 10 million revenue goal for Qatar by 2013 NETGEAR has revealed plans to penetrate and create a stronger market presence in Qatar’s ICT segment and has ultimately set a QAR 10 million revenue goal in 2013. The move complements the latest Qatar IT Industry report released by the IDC stating that the country’s rapidly developing ICT segment is posed to reach a value of QAR 13.47 billion over the next two years. NETGEAR’ was a participant QITCOM 2011, the leading platform for Information and Communication Technology in Qatar.

SME’s, along with other segments, are expected to infuse a lot of investments in IT infrastructure and other related solutions to help streamline operations and keep pace with their competitors. NETGEAR is planning to leverage its wide range of products across the country’s various industry verticals. Among the company’s broad product portfolio, NETGEAR is currently promoting its current line of storage systems that are aimed at both home and business users, which range from 248GB enterprise rack units to the little two-bay ReadyNAS designed for home, small office use.

Ahmed Zeidan, Channel Sales Manager, NETGEAR Middle East said, “This expected growth has drawn the attention of businesses wanting to play a major role in the sector’s development. NETGEAR's confidence in Qatar’s ICT growth is reflected in our move to roll out strategic networking and storage products that can address the demands and requirements of various industry verticals."

According to NETGEAR senior officials, the QAR 10 million revenue target reflect the company’s confidence in Qatar’s emerging market potential, which has been ably boosted by the announcement of the country’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The company was also responsible for the successful implementation of strategic storage systems for the CCTV cameras used at the recent Asian Cup in Qatar.

Ahmed Zeidan Channel Sales Manager, NETGEAR ME

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Log on now and discover the multiple facets of www.VARonline.com that are designed to facilitate your business in the channel.

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Sage launches Peachtree 2012 Sage Software, a leading supplier of ERP, CRM and HRM solutions to medium and large organizations, has revealed the launch of Sage Peachtree 2012, an integrated suite of industry specific products that brings affordable business intelligence to SMEs, small manufacturers and distributors across the UAE. The new suite of solutions offers quick access to essential and strategic data, allowing users to monitor profitability and also make better informed decisions.

Sage Peachtree 2012 has industry specific versions that cater to manufacturers, distributors, non-profit organizations, accountants, and construction businesses. The new Sage offering provides an array of business management tools, which gives instant access to key information and makes processes like payment services, reacting to issues and controlling profitability, easier than ever.

Accompanying the launch of the new Peachtree software is the appointment of Mushahid Saify as Sage’s Channel Manager for Small Businesses in the Middle East. The appointment is part of the company’s strategic moves towards a more consolidated presence in the region.

The new Peachtree version gives organizations the ability to copy transactions, increase efficiency, and get more work done faster. Also new with Sage Peachtree 2012 is the new Sage Peachtree Business Intelligence, a reporting and analysis add-on

Mushahid Saify Channel Manager, Small Business ME, Sage solution integrated into the Sage Peachtree package. Making use of the Microsoft Excel interface, Sage Peachtree Business Intelligence enables robust reporting and easier access to Sage Peachtree data. The strategic and powerful business intelligence feature pulls information directly from the system without the need for export or manipulation, with built-in templates for sales, purchasing and financial reporting, reports are always current with latest data so organizations can readily analyze the data that matters most to them to help make quicker and better informed decisions.

“The new Sage Peachtree 2012 solutions package is a fantastic and ‘must have’ package for SMEs in the

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UAE. Our latest offering is excellent for managing cash flow and provides a solid insight into a company’s overall health,” said Mushahid Saify, Channel Manager - Small Business, Sage Software. “Many businesses in the UAE are trying to adopt a ‘do more with less’ concept in how they run their operations. In fact, companies are now working with fewer employees but are ably assisted with strategic and reliable business software to improve productivity and efficiency. Sage Peachtree 2012 is the perfect tool for these companies as it offers easy and quick access to critical data to complete key tasks like decision making and profit monitoring.”

Among the Sage Peachtree 2012 line of solutions, Sage Peachtree Quantum is the most comprehensive application with new features and enhancements around workflow automation and dashboard customization. It provides users a simple and easy-to-work-with integrated accounting solution with enhanced performance and capacity from 5 to 40 named users. Also included in the Sage Peachtree 2012 package is Sage Advisor, which helps organizations maximize their software investment by following usage patterns and intuitively offering brief, personalized ‘show me how’ demos and guided tips and tricks, prompting organizations to discover new ways to simplify processes and obtain valuable business advice.

Editorial

Wading through the deep The global economy continues to negotiate its way out of one crisis only to get into another. The impeding lowering of the credit rating of the USA could have far reaching ramifications as analysts point out.

For cash rich companies sitting on healthy reserves, there may be no significant adverse scenarios in the short term. For those looking to raise cash, it could be a different prospect. The IT landscape is however dominated by US headquartered corporations and there is a good likelihood of these large companies employing further caution in investments such as hiring, expansion etc. Rationale of every dollar cost would be further deeply ascertained.

Business transactions would continue to throw up more challenges. As we plod through these tough periods, we are realising that indeed customers are only raising necessary needs and it will more pronounced in the next few years of recovery. It would be very simplistic to imagine the issues will go away inside a year or two. This could work either way. Some customers would realize virtues of faster adoption of technologies like Virtualisation that reduces hardware costs in the longer run. On the other hand, several customers in the SMB to enterprise segments could defer further sizeable investments.

The industry must be braced for a very measured growth trajectory in the next few years. For a channel partner, that will come not only by identifying the areas of growth as the industry trends suggest but also matching the current strong areas of expertise with the available opportunity spectrum and not rushing after all and sundry.

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1st August 2011

& Iomega congratulates all winners…

©2011 Iomega Corporation, Iomega, ScreenPlay and the Stylized “i” are registered trademarks or trademarks of Iomega Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Certain other product names, brand names and company names or designations of their respective owners.

Iomega’s Fill and Win competition executed through VAR Magazine over the past few issues saw a healthy response from the readers of VAR. In addition, there was a significant participation via online as well. There were a large number of responses that gave the right answers and a raffle was done to select the lucky winners of the handsome gifts from Iomega.

The correct answers of the Iomega Fill and Win

Winners of ‘Fill and Win’ campaign

Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive is available in capacities up to: 500GB 1TB 2TB 3TB What are the connectivity options of Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive?

USB 2.0 Ethernet 10/100 and USB 2.0 Ethernet 10/100/1000 Ethernet 10/100/1000 and USB 2.0 What is the use of the USB port in the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive?

You can add storage capacity by connecting external USB Hard Disk Drives.

You may share USB printers over your network.

QuickTransfer button for easy data transfer with USB drive, or to run a copy job without a PC. All of the above

Jitendra Ajwani (DataSpec)

Binoy K. P. (Blue Bell Computer)

Althaf (CAP Computer)

Which of the following features are available with Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive?

Keep friends and family up to date with Active Folders that automatically post media files to your Facebook®, YouTube®and Flickr®accounts Download torrent files from the Internet & access files remotely Email content (pictures, videos, documents, etc.) to your friends and family simply by adding files to an email Active Folder.

All of the above What is the warranty offered for Home Media Network Hard Drive, Cloud Edition?

6 months 1 year 2 year 3 year

Elyas (Tangarine)

Ahmed Sabahuddin (CAP Computer)

www.iomega.com

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What’s Packard Bell Go Series

Seagate GoFlex Satellite Key Features:

Key Features:

• GoFlex Satellite is the first battery-powered external hard drive to wirelessly extend the storage capacity of any Wi-Fi enabled mobile device.

• With 500GB and Wi-Fi access over 802.11 b/g/n and a rechargeable battery, this latest member of the GoFlex family provides the ability to carry an entire library of video, music, pictures and documents with you.

• Devices are wirelessly connected directly to the GoFlex Satellite drive by use of the free GoFlex Media app or a web browser • With a stand-by battery life of up to 25 hours, the powerful lithium polymer battery delivers up to 5 hours of continuously streaming ming video.

• To help with extending battery life, the free GoFlex Media app provides a progressive download feature, e, which temporarily loads the video on to the iOS device it is being streamed to, allowing the drive to go into stand-by mode.

For more details, log on to www.seagate.com

KINGMAX DDR3 Nano Gaming Ram Key Features: • • • •

Adopting Nano Thermal Dissipation Technology ASIC chip embedded for anti-counterfeiting purpose Lead-free production process ages as compact size, TinyBGATM technology adopted: with advantages well heat dissipation and low EM interference • 100% product compatibility and stability • High data transfer performance for overclocking enthusiasts and hardcore gamers For more details, log on to www.kingmax.com

GFI MailArchiver Key Features: • GFI MailArchiver is an email archiving software that solves your email management problems on Exchange Server.

• Outlook integration-no end-user training required!

• Network-aware PST import: Crawls and finds PST files spread throughout the network • Journaling - industry-leading stub-free technology • Automatically archive corporate email into one storage area • Migrate old PST files stored on client machines • Helps comply with Sarbanes-Oxley Act, other acts and regulations • Works with SQL Express + NTFS to deliver classleading storage savings

• The Packard Bell Go Series comes with a USB 3.0 version, yet is 100% USB 2.0 compatible, for the most demanding users.

• Thanks to the USB 3.0, the new PB Go allows up to 10 times faster data transfer. USB 3.0 is bi-directional, using one direction for sending and the other for receiving data.

• With its brilliant black case, PB Go distinguishes for its lightweight design.

USB powered, it is extremely easy to carry and use: there is no need to have an external power supply to carry your digital life in your pocket.

• In addition, being fan-less, it runs coolly and quietly, for silent operations.

Up to 1TB, the PB Go can store an incredible amount of pictures, songs and videos etc.

• The new Packard Bell PB Go featuress exclusive PowerSave Technology, which reduces es power consumption by 30%. PowerSave Save then extends the drive’s effective life expectancy by reducing disk drive usage.

• The Packard Bell Backup Software Suite provides automatic and scheduled backup, data synchronisation and system archiving and is upgradeable on the web.

For more details, log on to www.packardbell.com

Netgear WN3000RP Key Features: • WN3000RP is an easy and affordable Universal WiFi Range Extender from Netgear.

• The WN3000RP eliminates wireless dead spots and boosts the reach of home networks thereby providing uninterrupted multimedia streaming for the home user and SOHO segment.

• The WN3000RP is a single, compact, self-contained white cube that plugs into any AC outlet. few minutes.

• When paired with routers that have a ‘Push-NConnect’ (WiFi Protected Setup) button, the only configuration required is simply pressing the ‘PushN-Connect’ button on the router and then on the extender.

• The unit comes equipped with dynamic LED indicators ors on the extender to help determine the best location of use, which is usually about halfway between the router and the wireless dead spot.

• The WN3000RP will be available in the region from next month onwards at a retail price of AED 379.

For more details, log on to www.gfi.com

For more details, log on to www.netgear.com

Samsung SCX range Key features: • The new SCX series of printers are designed to provide optimum performance, productivity, ease-of-use, and efficiency.

• SCX-5637FR model’s 600MHz dual core processor delivers faster throughput with large volume documents such as various graphs and images.

• Equipped with four-in-one functionality that enables users to print, scan, copy and fax through an intuitive interface and a powerful engine.

• The series has a capacity of up to 820 sheets of paper with second cassette option and support up to 80,000 prints of maximum monthly duty.

• Target customers include small and medium workgroups who need a device that offers a productive, economical, and versatile solution for the office.

• In addition to incredible throughput, the SCX-5637FR also has 2GB hard disk capacity.

• Samsung’s SCX series support various paper types such as thick paper or cardstock and conveniently holds these pagess in the cassette.

For more details, log on to www.samsung.com

• This allows users to manage files directly on the machine and provides a useful additional storage resource.

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Rising Media Tablet and Smartphone Sales Cut Demand for Single-Task Consumer Products Marking a fundamental shift in the history of the consumer electronics industry, the rising sales of multifunction electronics devices like smartphones and media tablets are resulting in a long-term decline in demand for single-task consumer electronics devices, according to the IHS iSuppli Home & Consumer Electronics Service at information and analysis provider IHS. Shipments of smartphones and media tablets will rise at compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of 28.5 percent and 72.1 percent, respectively, for the years 2010 to 2015. In contrast, shipments of

portable navigation devices (PNDs), portable media players (PMPs)/MP3 players and digital still cameras (DSCs) will either decline or remain flat during the same period of time.

“The success of multipurpose electronic equipment, often coming at the expense of devices dedicated to a single task, is reshaping the landscape of the consumer electronics industry,” observed Jordan Selburn, principal analyst, consumer platforms, for IHS. “For example, the once-ultrahot MP3 player market has commenced an irreversible decline, not because consumers are no longer interested in music, but because other systems, primarily smartphones like the iPhone, also include audio functionality as part of a much broader suite of features. Other products, such as PNDs and DSCs, have been affected as well, with declining or flat sales after years of robust growth. In many cases, users can replace a slew of dedicated systems with just one multipurpose device, gaining functionality and portability while simultaneously saving money.”

Global Electronic Equipment Unit Shipment Forecast (Thousands of Units) 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000

Smartphones PMP/MP3 Players

Media Tablets PNDs

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

0

Digital Still Cameras

Source: IHS iSuppli July 2011

Preferred Partner

Adding to the woes of single-task consumer products is the arrival of the media tablet.“Media tablets, predominantly the Apple iPad at present, are truly a jack of all trades—and master of most,”

Selburn said. “This will put even more pressure on sales of single-task gear.”Although not directly acting as replacements for pocket-sized equipment, the media tablet increasingly will play an expanding range of roles for consumers, acting as an e-book reader, music and video player, browser, calendar, alarm clock, gaming platform, PND and camera all in one box.

“The story of consumer electronics is an ongoing survival of the fittest, and multitasking systems such as media tablets will have a hand in turning yesterday’s hot consumer electronics gear into tomorrow’s fossils,” Selburn said.

Shipments of media tablets will rise to 262.1 million units in 2015, up from 17.4 million in 2010. Smartphone shipments will increase to more than 1 billion units in 2015, up from 294.3 million in 2010.

In contrast, global PMP/MP3 shipments are set to fall to 126.8 million units in 2015, declining at a CAGR of negative 6.8 percent from 180.1 million in 2010. Showing how dramatically market conditions have changed, PMP/MP3 shipments rose at a CAGR of 38.7 percent during the previous five-year period from 2004 through 2009.

For their part, PND shipments will decline to 37.2 million units in 2015, with a CAGR of negative 2.2 percent from 41.5 million units in 2010. This compares to a booming 88.9 percent CAGR from 2004 to 2009.

A one-stop dedicated, specialist for genuine consumables Now relocated to a brand new store at a new address at Al Ghubaiba Rd., Opp. to National Flour Mill & Carrefour, Bur Dubai

Gold Partner

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P.O. Box 103743, dubai - UAE. Tel: +971 4 3254446 Fax: +971 4 3254447 Email: sales@buraidacomputers.com website: www.buraidacomputers.com

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1st August 2011

Al Hosani Computer LLC Official Distributor in the Middle East and West Asia 1703 BelResheed Tower, Buhaira Corniche, Sharjah, UAE Tel: +9716-575-444-3, Fax: +9716-575-444-9 www.alhosanime.com, Email: sales@alhosanime.com

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