Hybrid Work: Remarkable Resilience in Times of Crisis
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he COVID-19 pandemic had created huge distress in the employment sector. However, it had also paved the way for “hybrid work” a new model in which employees partly work from the office and partly work from remote locations based on productivity requirements. Although enterprises chose the model for business continuity in the COVID-hit markets, it eventually had become a phenomenon worldwide. The elite videoconferencing has turned out to be a democratic and compulsory collaboration method and a lifeline that keeps human interactions alive. Outside the corporate world, educators, doctors, attorneys, consultants, scientists, anyone and everyone had embraced new technological products and solutions to continue work and socialize. When workers access office networks from numerous remote locations, security, data protection, and privacy have become major concerns. Consequently, solution providers tailored their services to save networks from infiltration and phishing. The GITEX Technology Week 2021 held at Dubai World Trade Center in October had witnessed a plethora of solutions and products facilitating hybrid work and online education. The November edition of The Integrator carries a detailed analysis, exclusive interviews, and selected stories on the hybrid work. We are a step ahead of our competitors in the industry when it comes to educating business customers and introducing the right products and solutions to them.
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COVER STORY Hybrid Work: The Beginning of a New Age and Sophisticated Practices
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The cover story closely examines the scopes and challenges of hybrid work.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS
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EDCH Inculcates the evolution of VAS to the Global Telecom Industry Besides Offering Intelligent Roaming - Tamer Abou-alam, Vice President – Sales and Business Management, EDCH
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Zoho Solves Business Problems with Its Comprehensive Tools and Customized Approach Prem Anand, Head of Business Solutions – MEA, Zoho
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Turnkey Solutions and After-Sales Support Make Distribution Thrive - Yasir Arafat, Assistant Vice President, Trigon
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SUSE platform for SAP applications Offers Faster Service Delivery - Saad Syed, Country Manager MENA, SUSE
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Linksys and Fortinet Jointly Offer Secure and Reliable Solutions to Enterprises - Amanulla Khan, Managing Director of Linksys – META
NEWS BYTES Moro Hub Collaborates with NetApp to Power Its Application Modernization Platform
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Microsoft Enhances Digital Experiences Through Metaverse, AI, and Hyperconnectivity
EYE TECH Murali Margassery Assistant Editor
Vivek Sharma - CEO Murali Margassery - Assistant Editor Faiz Ahmed - Graphic Designer Suneeta Dadwani - Business Coordinator & Executive Assistant Dhawal Dholakia – Sales Manager Sreejit Nair – Sales Manager
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Philips Introduces Momentum 559M1RYV 4K Display With Ambiglow for Xbox
Published by: JNS Media International (OMA Group Company) OMA House, P.O. Box: 3314, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Tel: +971 6 573 0000 | website: www.VARonline.com Sales Inquiries: sales@var-mea.com All other Inquiries: info@var-mea.com | Editorial: editor@var-mea.com Disclaimer: While the publishers have made every attempt possible to get accurate information on published content in this Magazine they cannot be held liable for any errors herein.
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NOVEMBER 2021 3
TECHNOLOGY
NEWS BYTES
MORO HUB JOINS NETAPP TO POWER ITS APPLICATION MODERNIZATION PLATFORM
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oro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA and the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) appoints NetApp, a cloud-led, data-centric software company, as its platform to power the hub’s application modernization platform offering for businesses in the UAE. Moro Hub hosts the region’s first-tier III certified solar-powered Green Data Centre that focuses on sustainable practices to deliver customer-centric innovation. “A key advantage is that NetApp’s unified software-defined platform supports all types of data across the Data Centre and the cloud, whether it’s Storage Area Network (SAN), Network Attached Storage (NAS), or Simple Storage Service (S3), which will help meet customers’ existing requirements while keeping the budgets affordable,” said Eng. Marwan Bin Haidar, Vice Chairman
and Group CEO of Digital DEWA. Moro Hub makes use of container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes, to provide the scalability and flexibility required to modernize the applications and services. Through this collaboration, Moro Hub aims to leverage the
underlying technology and enhance the Kubernetes-native integration. “We are incredibly excited to be a key enabler in supporting Moro Hub’s efforts to provide businesses with sustainable data management offerings,” said Fadi Kanafani, MD – Middle East at NetApp.
MICROSOFT ENHANCES DIGITAL EXPERIENCES THROUGH METAVERSE, AI, AND HYPERCONNECTIVITY
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icrosoft presented more than 90 new services and updates at Ignite 2021. This year’s annual conference showcased opportunities in optimizing for the new world of hybrid work, assisting customers in building hyperconnected businesses, transforming into digital businesses, and protecting their digital journeys with end-to-end security. “Every industry in the region has felt the full force of the digital transformation, as enterprises have had to adopt drastically different strategies to keep their organizations secure and stable, requiring them to be technologically flexible,” said Naim Yazbeck, Regional Director, Enterprise and
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Naim Yazbeck Regional Director, EPG, Microsoft UAE
Partner Group (EPG), Microsoft UAE. This year’s three major areas of focus: Metaverse: A comprehensive set of resources designed to power www.VARonline.com
metaverses through IoT capabilities that enable customers to create “digital twins” of physical objects in the cloud and use AI-powered resources to create natural interactions through speech and vision machine learning models. AI: The Azure OpenAI Service will give customers access to Microsoft’s partner OpenAI’s Digital Ecosystems: Microsoft is building the identity system of the future, one that claims to connect and enable people, organizations, apps, and smart devices to make real-time access decisions safely and securely. The Azure Active Directory (AD) extends beyond securing and managing access to now assisting customer processes across external collaboration methods.
TECHNOLOGY
NEWS BYTES
ALCATEL-LUCENT ENTERPRISE LAUNCHES OMNIPCX ENTERPRISE PURPLE PLATFORM
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lcatel-Lucent Enterprise, a provider of communications, cloud and networking solutions has announced the launch of AlcatelLucent OmniPCX Enterprise Purple, the communications platform. OmniPCX Enterprise Purple offers a new communication experience enabling organisations of any size to shape the future of work and the digital workplace their employees and customers are seeking. With SIP at its core, OmniPCX Enterprise Purple delivers all the enterprise-grade communication features with the highest level of security. It claims to be allowing the integration of real-time communications into business processes, applications and with
intelligent objects to reduce latency, improve business efficiency and increase customer satisfaction. OmniPCX Enterprise Purple comes with a new range of professional desk phones for the digital workplace including home and remote working. Nicolas Brunel, EVP, AlcatelLucent Enterprise Communication Business Division, said, “OmniPCX Enterprise Purple is delivering on what’s essential to enterprises and public organisations to fully embrace the digital age. By providing an open platform designed for the new workplace and integration of real-time communications into their core business processes, they can fully leverage the power of cloud.”
Nicolas Brunel EVP, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Communication Business Division OmniPCX Enterprise Purple is available from October 2021, through Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise’s worldwide network of resellers.
NTT DEFINES STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK TO DRIVE SUSTAINABILITY
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TT, a global technology and business solutions provider, has announced a series of commitments to reduce its carbon footprint and create a connected future that is both more sustainable and inclusive for all. NTT said in an official release
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that, they will work to achieve netzero emissions across its operations by 2030 and its value chain by 2040. Additionally, NTT has joined the United Nation’s Race to Zero campaign. Global Chief Executive Officer www.VARonline.com
of NTT, Abhijit Dubey, commented, “As one of the largest technology companies in the world, we have an obligation to make the world a more sustainable place. Employees, customers, and partners are demanding that companies become more purpose-led. This is a significant step for us and we will continue making investments in technology, people, and programs to achieve these goals.” Marilyn Chaplin, Chief Human Resources and Sustainability Officer at NTT said, “It provides us with an opportunity to further support our existing initiatives, such as the Connected Conservation Foundation, which uses technology to reduce poaching, and ROBOCEAN, a start-up looking to reduce climate change through the conservation of seagrass.”
EDCH BRINGS THE VAS REVOLUTION INTO THE GLOBAL TELECOM INDUSTRY BESIDES OFFERING INTELLIGENT ROAMING
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DCH is a leader in providing intelligent roaming and revenue management to telecom service providers across the world. Tamer Abou-alam, Vice President – Sales and Business Management, EDCH speaks to The Integrator on the valueadded services (VAS) the company offers to its telecom partners.
We understand EDCH is one of the prominent companies that help telecom operators with VAS and generate revenues for their business. Give insights into the areas you focus in the industry EDCH is a UAE-based service provider that has a presence in nearly 10 countries across all regions and helps numerous telecom operators in their business. We help telecom operators provide international roaming services, protect their roaming business hassle-free by providing them with data and financial clearing and settlement services. Apart from that, we help our customers generate value for their subscribers in different areas like A2P messaging, Fintech and SIM, and E-sim businesses. Each of these solutions helps create more revenue for the telecommunication business of these operators as we study numerous factors and introduce tailored services for our customers. You are seemingly offering services outside the UAE and across the globe. Tell us about the countries you offer services and operators you are associated with We are the trusted partner for many MNOs spread around the world. We support our customers with a high level of customized services across all our services portfolio in roaming, A2P Messaging, Fintech, and SIM/E-sim business. Which are the key areas EDCH concentrates on roaming clearance? When it comes to using roaming services, we support telcos with data, financial clearing, and settlement services with a high level of customizations and BI tools to our customers. We always thrive to improve our offering to support new technologies like 5G, IoT, complex roaming agreements, and blockchain. What kinds of FinTech and enterprise messaging services do you provide? We had found a huge business scope with fintech in different regions especially in Africa and Asia. We collaborate with telecom operators to create futuristic mobile payment solutions such as e-wallet and aim to connect them together via an international money remittance hub.
Tamer Abou-alam Vice President – Sales and Business Management, EDCH
How do you work with telcos in the A2P messaging space? Enterprise messaging is all about profit-oriented mediation between telecom operators and enterprises on SMS services. Network operators carry text messages of various enterprises i.e., financial, banking, healthcare, automobile, etc. to their customers. EDCH simplifies the handling of this complex business to telcos by working between both categories of service providers and integrating them into prospective business models. How about the use of modern technologies such as AI, Data Analytics, and Cloud in your business? We make use of AI tools in different services offering especially for roaming services. We also offer most of our services in a cloud environment or locally if required by the local market regulations. Do you face challenges in the business? The pandemic had severely reduced international traveling of people and that impacted the roaming services globally. The hazy days are over as COVID-19 fears are fading away and the global travel restrictions are being relaxed. We also realize the potential in developing services to support telcos in other growing areas outside of the roaming scope yet still within the ecosystem. We forecast a bright future with continuing roaming services and other uniquely productive solutions offered to our partners.
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NOVEMBER 2021 7
INTERVIEW
EDCH
INTERVIEW
TOUCHMATE
E-COMMERCE SECTOR FORECASTS HUGE GROWTH; TOUCHMATE AIMS TO TAKE THE BEST VIRTUE OUT OF IT
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ouchmate is one of the leading computer products manufacturing companies in the UAE. It sells consumer IT and electronics products ranging from tablets to smartphones. Vasant Menghani, Founder of Touchmate discusses the rising e-commerce opportunities with The Integrator. to new technologies and the increased trading and knowledge sharing opportunities offered by the Internet. Customers are at the heart of everything and we create value for them with innovative products. At Touchmate, we provide the latest technology products with added benefit bundles. We are the first to give pre-installed Microsoft Office with Touchmate Tablet, a useful package for students. This approach helps us thrive in the competitive market. Speak about your channel strategies that bring consumers into the fold Customer expectations are higher than ever before and they are scrutinizing businesses more intensely than ever. Our strategies are selective and we only work with selected channel partners to safeguard their margins, retain the desired volume, and ensure customer satisfaction. Retail, B2B, and e-commerce channels are growing, therefore, we keep our strategies revolve around them.
Vasant Menghani Founder of Touchmate
Give us an overview of the IT and electronics products manufactured by Quality Group Founded in 1988, Touchmate is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) and smart devices. Touchmate manufactures tablets, notebooks, smartwatches, TWS, smart gadgets, and accessories for 35 years and the brand has a prominent presence in leading retail stores such as Carrefour, Lulu, and similar ones in the UAE, GCC, and Africa. How well did you place Touchmate in the competitive market of technology products and solutions? Competition has increased as a result of wider access
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Tell us about prospects of e-commerce business in the UAE market (i.e., financial factors, competition, consumer behavior, etc.) E-commerce sales grew by over 30 percent in 2020, driven by unprecedented consumer demand during the global pandemic. During the pandemic days, consumers were forced to adapt to shopping online, which has fueled tremendous growth in the online sector. Today’s consumers are web-savvy, mobile-enabled data users who pounce on whichever brand or store offers the best deal. The growth and competition in the e-commerce sector have increased. Companies that can lead innovation for advertising content and focus on improving the customer experience will reap higher and higher rewards. The e-commerce industry will further grow in the UAE. In the upcoming months, e-commerce will become a higher priority on every company’s agenda. Touchmate products are available on leading online stores such as Amazon, Noon, Gulfdeals, Dubailibrary, Carrefour UAE, Lulu, and many others.
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INTERVIEW
AVTECH
SAY NO TO DATA CENTER DOWNTIME BY SENSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN BUSINESS FACILITIES
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VTECH Software is a US company that produces sensors to monitor environmental conditions in computer rooms, data centers, and other facilities. Mr. Michael Sigourney, Founder and CEO of AVTECH, speaks to The Integrator on the significance of Room Alert products the company offers to enterprise customers.
Tell us about AVTECH and its Room Alert products AVTECH is a 33-year-old company established in the US. Our Room Alert products monitor computer rooms, data centers, and other facilities for conditions such as temperature, humidity, power, flood, water leakage, smoke, fire, airflow, room entry, motion, and more. We have our devices installed in 187 of 196 countries. We have excellent market share in the US and Canada - opened our office in the UAE last year anticipating market opportunities across the GCC. Elaborate on the functional and technical aspects of the devices and sensors you provide The Room Alert devices have pre-installed operating systems inside and they can monitor the environmental conditions of facilities accurately. The devices connect to the network of enterprises via ethernet and can generate consistent monitoring, alerting, reporting, and more through bundled software and an online dashboard. With the devices built-in sensors and approved standards in the US, Europe, and elsewhere, these devices come in small, mid, and large sizes. The devices are configured with digital ports for live and real-time sensors. Their switch sensor ports allow non-voltage, two-wire sensors and can be connected with building management systems or other kinds of equipment to oversee status changes. Analog ports and relays are also available. Explain why should enterprises choose environment sensor devices in their production units or data centers? Enterprises must be aware that around 30 percent of their loss occurs from environmental challenges, including flood, heat, fire, and humidity. Most businesses would become conscious of installing sensors only after they face loss and damage and, by then, the loss could have happened beyond prediction and, in some cases, the entire business could reach the stage of closure. If companies proactively install sensors, they could avoid such losses. Essentially, these devices help in reducing downtime and improving profit margins. Excellent! Can you give us some insights into the pricing of Room Alert devices? Our pricing is reasonable and it ranges from $195 to
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Michael Sigourney Founder and CEO of AVTECH $1295 (USD). With a broad range, we provide devices which are quality-tested, sturdy, and cost-effective. We assure you these investments are worth it for any geography as these devices keep monitoring and sending alerts on the environmental conditions. These devices are made for challenging capacities except drowning in water and overpowering. What is the life span of Room Alert devices and tell the range their sensors could handle? Room Alert devices can live up to 10–15 years. However, we suggest an examination of devices every 3-5 years. These devices are hosted with digital sensors that can monitor the range of 100 feet away and switch sensors that can monitor 900 feet away. Signals are reliable only if wired sensors are kept within these mathematical limits. Speak about how the monitoring takes place in the facility where these devices are installed We offer free software and a web-based dashboard to customers and users, through which they can monitor each device and sensor and their working capacity. The web-based application enables users to interact individually and as groups too. Although we are yet to come up with a mobile app, our cloud-based solutions are quite sophisticated to handle the needs across all types of mobile devices.
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INTERVIEW
ZOHO
ZOHO SOLVES BUSINESS PROBLEMS WITH ITS COMPREHENSIVE TOOLS
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oho Corporation is an Indian multinational technology company that makes web-based business tools. Zoho offers comprehensive solutions for small and medium enterprises across the world. Prem Anand, Head of Business Solutions – MEA, Zoho speaks to The Integrator about their regional strategies.
Based on researches we understand Zoho provides excellent solutions specific to the size and type of enterprises and is growing exponentially in the region. Can you explain your strength? You are right! We offer the right kinds of solutions that enterprises need. We consider SMBs or SMEs are the sweet spots to do business with, as there is an enormous need for the right solutions. Zoho helped over 2500 SMEs in the region with digital transformation and enterprise resources planning (ERP) in a year besides acquiring over 500,000 customers across the globe. We are growing exponentially here and opened more than seven officers in the Middle East and Africa region. We have developed 50+ applications and enterprises can use them for sales, marketing, talent acquisition, project management, and more - you name it, we have got it! Considering over 25 years of experience in the industry, Zoho can work with any industry verticals and get their software, application, and (or) cloud needs fulfilled. You said, SMEs are your prime target. Please give us an overview of how do you help these enterprises starting from their onboarding? Our model is a bit different from other solution providers. Most of these enterprises are stuck at a problem, we identify them, initially, and suggest solutions. We are not selling a product to them rather solving a problem they are facing. The initial interactions between
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Zoho and its customers would generally happen at the consultation level, then go face-to-face to address issues, and finally, get into deep roots. The consultation part is absolutely free and that way we build trust with our enterprise customers. From ERP application to cloud data management, everything will be taken care of appropriately via this business model. Tell us about your industry focus (i.e., healthcare or education) As explained previously, we have 50+ products. With these products, we can build solutions that can cater to any verticals including healthcare and education. For healthcare, we have all compliances (e.g., HIPAA) and competencies that a solution developer should have. Similarly, we have software for inventory management, banking, finance, etc. Enterprises can buy both individual software solutions and required packages from Zoho. Starting from CRM to chatbot, from email campaigning to SMS campaigning, from social media to create a website, and from survey management to helpdesk solutions, we offer many solutions that customers need. How about the cloud support Zoho offers to its customers and software integrations to your platforms. We have more than 10 data centers across the globe and we are building more – by the second quarter of 2022 we are planning to launch them. We neither operate through nor use any public clouds as we have strict www.VARonline.com
Prem Anand Head of Business Solutions MEA, Zoho
privacy protection, and security policies. We don’t advertise other data centers or let others use ours we have a single cloud approach. We use rest APIs, through which customers can integrate any other software or application interfaces in need. We do that with more than 500 applications through which specific businesses can operate. Speak briefly about the competition you face in the industry We face competition in multiple areas such as CRM, census, email campaigning, surveys, etc. However, we can offer more flexibility to customers than most prominent players. We have every compliance and our products can be customized based on the specific needs of customers. These qualities keep us growing!
PNY CHANNEL MEET 2021 AT FAIRMONT DUBAI - GITEX WEEK Conducted on October 20, 2021 and attended by selected channel partners from across the UAE.
It was a great opportunity to meet channel partners face to face, after “a short gap and we thank them for the continuous support for PNY
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range in the Middle East.
- Talus Arukalil, Regional Manager – MEAI
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NOVEMBER 2021 13
TECHNOLOGY
PNY Technologies
TECHNOLOGY
COVER STORY
Hybrid Work
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW AGE The cover story closely examines the scopes and challenges of hybrid work, the new model incorporated into work environments worldwide.
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ybrid work has become a new norm worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic hit has structurally changed work conditions in most enterprises invariable to their size and strength. Working remotely wasn’t new to the tech industry. However, keeping the lowest and adequate strength at the office and letting the rest of the workforce contribute from the feasible locations could be the newest idea in the business. The lessons learned during the pandemic are important for companies to face any devastating situations of this kind. Also, steps are taken to configure and facilitate work and keep the business unaffected in similar situations.
WORKPLACE SHIFTING AND HYBRID PARADOX Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft rightly said, “The ongoing workplace shifting, hybrid paradox, and the great shuffle can be compared to nothing that happened in the last hundred years.” The worldwide lockdowns made workers shift from offices to homes overnight. The majority of businesses and enterprises were not prepared to handle the followed paradox. The workforces of these companies were uncertain about how, when, and why they work. The fascinating thing is these concerns have been addressed with technology and solutions within the past 18 months. Not only did they learn to conduct work or enforce business continuity but also reskilled the workforce and found ways to fix issues remotely.
SECURE WORK ENVIRONMENT The concept of hybrid work hasn’t been brewed after the pandemic hit although the pace of work towards the model has been accelerated due to it. Tech companies in the US and elsewhere in the world suggested the model of work, in which employees can collaborate and contribute to respective projects irrespective of their
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work location. Mr. Amanulla Khan, Managing Director of Linksys - META says, “the work culture started to change well before the pandemic. Solutions that accommodate office and remote work have been in development for a while now. However, business continuity plans of the companies after COVID-19 hit accelerated the need for remote working solutions, increased discussions on cyber security, and significantly blurred the line between consumer and enterprise, across the globe.” (Read his full interview on page - 28)
When employees work from remote locations and access office networks from numerous devices, information security becomes a major concern. While traditionally rigid verticals, including financial, healthcare, insurance, and educational enterprises, also have subscribed to remote/hybrid work options, the cybersecurity and information security solution providers also find new landscapes of business.
COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION Coordination of the workforce is highly important when it comes to working from remote locations. Similarly, customers also feel connected with service providers or product suppliers. Integration of efficient hardware and software is required to facilitate seamless communication between all stakeholders. Microsoft, Cisco, Google, Zoom, and TeamViewer have been showing strength and dominance on the software side. Whereas, Jabra, Logitech, Epson, Poly, and
numerous others including niche players influence the market with their hardware solutions. Apart from the regular call, meet, and message features, the software applications host digital whiteboard, real-time collaboration, co-create, and content share within them. Similarly, hardware manufacturers trying to create intelligent videoconferencing enabling cameras with AI and machine language. “Unlike static webcams, Jabra PanaCast cameras stitch visual inputs from at least three cameras, covering 180 degrees, and bring them to a single frame intelligently. They can handle sharp and shift focus on a speaker, capture whiteboards, screen-in-screen feature, count the number of members in a conference room, and calculate the time they spent on a meeting. All these actions seamlessly happen on a single screen,” said Abraham Mammen, Director – VC, Eastern Europe, Russia, CIS, Middle East & Africa, Jabra quoting the devices released by the company. (Read his full interview on page - 16)
DESKTOP AND CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE Hybrid work collaboration can be implemented successfully only if the supporting environment shows competency. Edge service platforms, virtual desktop infrastructure, cloud-native solutions, and data management tools play a vital role in this segment. Large enterprises signaled that until 2025, they want to concentrate more on digital infrastructure than physical infrastructure. It appears the phenomenon persuades small and medium enterprises also to choose similar style. Online huddle rooms, displays, and video walls are extremely becoming popular among companies that embrace the new-age technologies. Solutions providers have diverse approaches on this matter. In the SME sector, Zoho helps companies to digitalize entirely with their 50+ pre-developed solutions after reviewing their business constraints. At the same time, VMWare, Infor, and some other companies offer end-to-end ERP solutions with single or multi-cloud support. SAP, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are competing in the top-line market. Resellers and product or (and) solution distributors offer both suggested and tailored solutions to businesses.
CONCLUSION The unprecedented pandemic has impacted every sector. Initially, every business faced operating troubles. Some industries were competent to reorganize and ensure business continuity in the best possible way. However, customer satisfaction, reassuring of data security, and keeping up with profitability had dealt with their own challenges. The latest technologies and solutions have combinedly covered most challenges and inculcated top practices for the evolution of the new age in the tech and professional world.
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TECHNOLOGY
COVER STORY
INTERVIEW
JABRA
WITH INTELLIGENT VIDEO, JABRA INTRODUCES EXCEPTIONAL VIDEO COLLABORATION J abra specializes in audio equipment, and more recently videoconference systems. The company engineers, manufactures, and markets wireless, and corded devices for consumers and business customers. Abraham Mammen, Director – VC, Eastern Europe, Russia, CIS, and MEA at Jabra talks to The Integrator about Jabra’s videoconferencing solutions at GITEX 2021.
video technology and combine it with our expertise in audio. Jabra PanaCast cameras stitch visual inputs from three cameras, covering 180 degrees, and bring them to a single frame intelligently. As they are AI-enabled, edge processing devices, they can handle pinpoint and shift focus to a speaker, capture whiteboards, screen-in-screen feature, count the number of members in a conference room, and calculate the time they spend on a meeting. All these actions seamlessly happen on a single screen. With a Jabra product, be it a PanaCast or a professional headset, users also get a future-proof solution, because Jabra constantly works on improving their devices, adding new features and fine-tuning current ones.
Abraham Mammen Director - VC, Eastern Europe, Russia, CIS & MEA, Jabra
What Jabra has to offer for the rising remotework needs? Jabra can build on 150 years experience of its mother company GN who addresses medical, professional and consumer segments with innovative audio solutions. With the Jabra PanaCast series we are now offering intelligent video conferencing solutions – including the PanaCast 50 videobar with integrated audio for conference rooms and the personal camera PanaCast 20, which is best accompanied by a professional and certified Jabra headset, such as the Evolve2 75. What companies all over the world need are technical solutions that enable their hybrid workforce to work and collaborate from anywhere. Jabra supports them with crystal clear voice and natural highdefinition video. Tell us about the intelligent video that Jabra presents? Jabra presents intelligent video with its videoconferencing devices that are unique in the video collaboration arena. In 2019 GN acquired Altia Systems, a Cupertino startup who created a “surround” videoconferencing device and software called PanaCast designed to replicate the panoramic, immersive experience of human vision. This acquisition helped Jabra to further develop this innovative
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What are the advantages of these professional and certified headsets? These headsets are specifically engineered for the modern needs of hybrid and remote workers. Online meetings, video conferences and working from a variety of different locations, including noisy surroundings, are part of every day work life. Unlike consumer-grade headsets, professional headsets can handle surround noise extremely well – thanks to advanced microphone technology meeting participants at the other end of the line won’t hear anything but your voice. On top, the passive and active noise cancellation of Jabra headsets enables employees to work concentrated and focused in almost any situation. In addition they are approved by leading video collaboration applications developers. Jabra devices can be attached to any of the video collaboration applications including Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, and Webex as they are application-independent. Which are the industry verticals that Jabra wants to focus on? Finance, Education, and Medical are the industries in the prime focus of Jabra’s enterprise business. Thanks to the digitization there are huge opportunities in these markets – such as remote medical consultations, which are becoming more popular as well as remote and hybrid teaching. Partnerships with other big brands and strategic alliances will help us to achieve our goals. We are optimistic to make an impact in every sector we involve as we invested all possible resources in innovation and integration of technology.
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ASBIS CAPITALIZES MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND PREPARES TO ACHIEVE 20 PERCENT GROWTH IN 2021 ASBIS is one of the leading IT distributors in the middle east. It supplies a wide range of IT solutions including networking infrastructure, software and security, and printing and business solutions. Hesham Tantawi, Vice President- MENA, ASBIS Middle East speaks about the company’s strategic focus for 2021 and its strength.
ASBIS Middle East recently won the “Distributor of the Year Award” in ICT Champions, how do you feel? This award means a lot to us. It brings happiness and more responsibility to give our level best to our customers. This award is a tribute to excellence and innovation, that brings together the best minds in the company for inspirational debates towards our vision. What is the 2021 market outlook for ASBIS? As a distributor, what are your key strategic focus areas this year? We noticed a huge growth in gaming, VAD, and PC computing in recent years, even before COVID-19. With this steady growth, the industry is catching up and has even passed the other technology industries. For over 22 years, ASBIS Middle East (ME) is practicing in the best
Hesham Tantawi Vice President- MENA, ASBIS ME
way to convert the industry’s situation into opportunities and grab them quickly with actions. ASBIS ME is a distributor of leading brands like AMD, Intel, Sapphire, AFOX, Seagate, Supermicro, Western Digital, TP-Link, Logitech, and a few more will come into the portfolio soon. This year ASBIS ME is aiming for a 20 percent growth compared to the predicted market growth of 8 percent and we get there with a clear reason that is, ASBIS does business scientifically. Simplification of technology adoption has always remained a key ask for organizations. How does ASBIS align with this need? We focus on the research of the product or the technology we wish to implement, and we assure ourselves that we are picking the best one according to the needs and circumstances, and then we work www.VARonline.com
hard on educating team members and our partners and give them early access to the new technology. We also focus on customers mapping and alignment with key partners in ease of information and their growth. What are the new digital transformation trends you foresee in 2021? How do you capitalize on the opportunities this changing market has created? Behind every digital transformation is a team of people who make it happen. We have worked with a lot of technology tools and know the pros and cons of each in driving digital transformation. We are glad that we have the best team who took the right decisions in past, using IT4 Profit System. Similarly, we give training to team members and partners and that’s why for us today is the best time for business as per the company’s vision. NOVEMBER 2021 17
INTERVIEW
ASBIS
INTERVIEW
TRIGON
TURNKEY SOLUTIONS AND AFTER-SALES SUPPORT MAKE DISTRIBUTION THRIVE
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rigon LLC, an Al Ghurair Group Company, is a front runner in the distribution of professional displays and AV integration in the UAE. Trigon is associated with leading brands and serves commercial customers across the Middle East. Yasir Arafat, Assistant Vice President, Trigon interacts with The Integrator on various dimensions of distribution and the company’s association with small and large enterprises in the UAE.
Yasir Arafat Assistant Vice President, Trigon
What categories of IT products does Trigon mostly distribute to the enterprises? Trigon LLC is in forefront of information and communication technology (ICT) solution distributions, and it distributes a wide range of ICT products from professional displays, desktop monitors, notebooks, and PCs, networking products, printers, storage products, and much more across the GCC. With offices in 4 countries, our distribution network spans over 17 countries. Tell us a bit about Trigon’s association with the small, medium, and large enterprises in the region We have a close association with small and large enterprises and our business focuses on the following three broader segments: Distribution: Trigon is among the top ten IT distributors in the
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region handling some of the leading brands such as Samsung, LG, D-Link, NETGEAR, AOC, Philips, Ergotron, etc. We cater to all the channel partners including, popular retailers (i.e., Sharaf DG, Carrefour, E-max, Virgin Megastore) and Bur Dubai computer market dealers, etc. B2B: We provide complete IT solutions, digital signage, and video solutions to all the major corporate clients. E.g., DEWA, Mubadala, SEHA, MOH, DHA, The Royal Atlantis, RTA either directly or through system integrators (SI). After-Sales Support: Trigon service center is an independent profit center responsible for proving complete in-house solutions for the digital needs of corporate clients. We also undertake service-level agreements (SLA) and annual maintenance contracts (AMC). We did some prestigious projects for The Royal Atlantis, EXPO www.VARonline.com
2020, Dubai Police, Dubai TV, and Sharjah TV. How competent you are, as a solutions provider, in terms of supplying the latest and cuttingedge technologies to enterprises from its associated vendor partners? Trigon provides complete turnkey solutions to the client and is fully equipped to meet the expectations of the corporate world and any challenge regarding the digital needs of the industry. How well did Trigon participate in GITEX? Have you got to present your solutions to the (potential) customers? Trigon didn’t directly participate in GITEX, this year! But we were there with our partners and our team had showcased Trigon products through various booths.
SUSE PLATFORM FOR SAP APPLICATIONS OFFERS FASTER SERVICE DELIVERY
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USE is a multinational open-source software company that develops and sells Linux products to business customers. Saad Syed, Country Manager Middle East & North Africa, SUSE speak about SUSE’s SAP platform and its advantages.
Give an overview of SUSE platforms and servers designated for SAP applications and the advantage enterprises get using the combination The SUSE platform for SAP applications (SLES for SAP Applications, SUSE Manager, SLE Live Patching) helps customers deliver SAP services faster, more efficiently, and with less risk. With the SUSE platform for SAP applications, customers benefit from faster service delivery of SAP services. The SUSE solution provides pre-built cloud images, co-developed with the hyperscalers and maintained by SUSE, to ensure the latest versions are readily available to customers. The deployment automation of the complete SAP software stack is based on best practices on-premises and in the cloud, which reduces implementation times and troubleshooting errors. Customers can increase efficiency by reducing the IT workload for routine maintenance with a single console to maintain system configurations. In addition, advanced monitoring and visualization of the Linux server/cloud instance and SAP applications reduce troubleshooting time and enable proactive error prevention. Finally, the SUSE solution reduces risk by maintaining always-on, secure SAP services. Customers of all sizes trust SUSE with their missioncritical SAP workloads, SAP and Microsoft for example are co-innovation partners but also customers. Briefly explain the services SUSE offer to enterprises in terms of consultation, product support, and implementation Our global services, support, and training teams provide our customers with freedom of choice. We offer services ranging from discovering the right opensource solutions for their business through design and implementation and optimization services such as health checks. All service offerings are designed to meet the customers where they are and get them to where they want to go. SUSE provides services that will map to every phase of the customer modernization journey. We offer our customers standard and priority support, backed by global, follow the sun, technical experts. With the addon of “white glove services,” our premium support
Saad Syed Country Manager MENA, SUSE
services, customers can forge a direct relationship with a technical and business professional. Premium Support Services is a tiered offering, providing direct relationships, rapid response times, and after-hours support from a team that knows the customers’ business and objectives. How do you evaluate the growth prospects of SUSE in the next two years (w.r.t. alliances, expansions, revenue)? Our recently closed FYQ3 was a strong quarter for SUSE. This year in May, SUSE has got listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and is so far the largest enterprise software IPO in Europe 2021. Our strong relationships with our partners, customers, and the open-source community remain a pillar of our success. We've doubled down on hiring, talent development, and an unprecedented employee support program. On the product side, many enhancements were developed for SUSE Linux Enterprise solutions and SUSE Rancher container management solutions. SUSE is innovating, with a host of new cloud-ready and cloudnative solutions for edge and hybrid IT environments. We continue to shape our core and our emerging technologies with several cutting-edge open-source projects, staying deeply engaged within the variety of our open-source communities. An example is Harvester, our very first open-source hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) solution that's built entirely on Kubernetes.
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NOVEMBER 2021 19
INTERVIEW
SUSE
INTERVIEW
LOGITECH
LOGITECH VIDEOCONFERENCING SOLUTIONS FOR SEAMLESS ENTERPRISE COLLABORATION
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ogitech is one of the world's leading manufacturers of input and interface devices for personal computers (PCs) and other digital products. Loubna Imenchal, Head of Video Collaboration, Africa, Middle East, Turkey, and Central Asia, Logitech discussed the importance of video collaboration with The Integrator at GITEX Technology Week 2021. efficiently connect and coordinate with their workforce. That’s why we brought out Rally Bar, our next-generation portfolio of video conferencing solutions for small, medium, and large rooms. Rally Bar is a portfolio of appliance and PC-based solutions that work with today’s leading video conferencing services such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom. We also demonstrated Logitech Scribe, an AI-powered whiteboard camera for meeting rooms and classrooms. Compatible with leading services like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, Logitech Scribe broadcasts whiteboard content into video meetings with incredible clarity, virtually transporting everyone into the same room. With Logitech Scribe, AI enables the device to render the user invisible, so that they don’t get in the way of the content they are creating on the whiteboard. It’s a truly unique product. It’s ideal for education and we’re excited about bringing it to the Middle East.
Loubna Imenchal Head of Video Collaboration - META, and Central Asia, Logitech
How was the event and what outcome do you foresee from GITEX 2021? At GITEX, we showcased our top video collaboration solutions for SMBs and large enterprises in conjunction with our partner Avientek. The event is very important for us to demonstrate our video collaboration solutions and it also gives our partners the chance to meet with end-users. It has been a long time since we met customers face-to-face or attended any of these events due to COVID-19 so it was a great experience to reconnect with the market, partners, customers, and our peers. We saw a very positive reaction to our solutions at the event. How do you evaluate the customer reactions to Logitech Rally Bar and other solutions? Enterprises are keen on adopting hybrid models of work and they need the best video collaboration solutions to
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Which verticals are especially important for Logitech in terms of video collaboration? The education sector can benefit hugely from video collaboration solutions. With Rally Bar Mini, we want to help both the educators and students have seamless classroom sessions. Most schools and colleges were not prepared to handle the pandemic but the learning process can’t be stopped either. As a leading solution provider, we felt responsible to provide the technology and solutions to facilitate collaboration and provide ultimate flexibility in engagements. We hope Logitech Rally Bar and Logitech Scribe will become the future of teaching and learning. Speak about how small, medium, and large enterprises can make use of these products Video collaboration has never been so important. Organizations across the region have experienced the importance of keeping their teams connected during the past two years, and there is a growing awareness of the advantages of using enterprise-grade solutions. Even as many people venture back to places of work and education, hybrid models are now an established mode of operations for many organizations, and Logitech sees continued high demand for solutions that aid collaboration.
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COVERAGE
ICT AWARDS 2021
ICT AWARDS 2021: A MOMENTOUS GATHERING OF CHANNEL CHAMPIONS
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nce again, the fraternity of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry has celebrated a joyous moment of victory and pride. The 14th edition of ICT Champion Awards 2021, constituted by JNS Media International - an OMA Group company - honored and applauded the efforts of vendors, distributors, resellers, and system integrators on their best-in-style efforts in bringing the most ideal products and solutions to businesses. On the sidelines of GITEX Technology Week 2021, the event has conducted at Headlines Executive, Dubai World Trade Center on October 18, 2021, participating industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and the press. The awards, in over 25 categories, are distributed to leading players, who have shown competency in producing, integrating, or distributing top-notch solutions and services. Selection for awards is based on jury review of nominations given by partners and clients of the respective winners and editorial judgments of The Integrator, one of the prominent publications of JNS Media. The well-organized gala awards night followed by
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dinner had given space and time for channel partners to network and enhance their business opportunities for the months and years to come! “JNS Media perceives these occasions as the most appropriate opportunity to raise its forte further and reconnect with its patrons. The massive strength we had amassed from the teamwork would be invested in similar and bigger events,” said Vivek Sharma, CEO, JNS Media International. “We are coming up with SME Champions - a leviathan confluence of the small, medium, and large enterprises - and it gives an exceptional opportunity for techsolutions providers, financial institutions, and logistic service providers to understand the needs of their enterprise customers and tailor solutions according to it. This most dynamic medley of value exchange is fully backed by publications, gala award nights, Golf tournaments, and CSR initiatives.” JNS Media hints at a resetting of the agenda of VAR and empowering it to cover the electronics and telecom arena beyond the conventional IT segment.
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PRINTER BRAND OF THE YEAR
DISPLAY BRAND OF THE YEAR
COMMERCIAL DISPLAY BRAND OF THE YEAR
INNOVATION IN DISPLAY SOLUTIONS
STORAGE DEVICE BRAND OF THE YEAR
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NOVEMBER 2021 23
WINNERS
ICT AWARDS 2021
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ICT AWARDS 2021 SMB NETWORKING BRAND OF THE YEAR
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PC SECURITY SOFTWARE BRAND OF THE YEAR
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SYSTEM INTEGRATOR OF THE YEAR
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NOVEMBER 2021 25
WINNERS
ICT AWARDS 2021
WINNERS
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ENTERPRISE SECURITY VAD OF THE YEAR
SME Champions is a unique platform to network and establish strong business alliance’s. Brings together SME customers with providers of ICT products and solution over a common platform comprising of Publication, Awards, Corporate Golf and CSR initiative. Contact: +971 52 7711722 | Email: info@var-mea.com
INTERVIEW
LINKSYS
LINKSYS AND FORTINET JOINTLY OFFER SECURE AND RELIABLE SOLUTIONS TO ENTERPRISES inksys is one of the leading brands of data networking hardware products, sold to home users L and small businesses. Amanulla Khan, Managing Director of Linksys Middle East, Turkey & Africa joins a face-to-face conversation with The Integrator during GITEX Technology Week 2021 and discusses the range of enterprise-specific products offered by the company.
which are available in the corporate network, and it needs to be secured. So, security becomes a big concern as vulnerabilities increase. For example, if you have 200 branches at different locations, with 200 people working at different times, instead of having 20 branch offices, where everyone works at the same schedule. Tell us about Linksys’ latest product HomeWRK that features remote work HomeWRK is our first product, launched recently and that is secured by Fortinet. We are scaling it up for today’s enterprise needs to offer enterprise grade security and performance to working from home.
Amanulla Khan Managing Director, Linksys META
The COVID-19 pandemic seemingly shifted the professional landscape of work and collaboration. How do you react to it? I think even the work culture started to change well before the pandemic. Solutions that accommodate office and remote work have been in development for a while now. A high percentage the US workforce wanted to work remotely and such demands were normalized even before the pandemic hit. However, business continuity plans of the companies after COVID-19 hit accelerated the need for remote working solutions, increased discussions on cyber security, and significantly blurred the line between consumer and enterprise, across the globe. So, I think it isn’t going to be any different globally even if companies abstain work from home because everyone is moving towards a hybrid way of working. The biggest challenge then for all enterprises is the edges moved from the office, from the corporate network in the corporate offices to homes. What you need is a unique network which provides you the performance, and access to all the resources,
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Do you have a strategic partnership with any video collaboration tools? We are giving users the flexibility to prioritize the collaboration tool that they are using. Whether it is zoom or Microsoft Teams, or RingCentral, the user should be able to securely connect and collaborate. The HomeWRK device will be able to connect to multiple operational devices, such as mobile and computer, tablet, wearables, etc. for work or study purposes. There will be consistent speed ensured for each device. The firewall, part of HomeWRK, will connect straight into the corporate network or enterprise network without having to connect to a VPN. It creates a tunnel that will be fully secured and this part of the network is fully managed through the company corporate IT team. Fundamentally, the enterprise network will be away from cyberthreats while each member at home access different things through the home network. The major context of our discussion was security, Is Linksys aiming to enter an industry where critical operations (finance, bank, healthcare, security, etc.) take place? Securing networks is probably the life solution for some enterprises, especially in spaces of finance, healthcare, banks, etc. For all these verticals, there is no better player and no better partner than Fortinet to secure networks. We are partnered with Fortinet to secure our products and continue interacting with enterprises of all of these verticals. We educate customers on how well we secure our products and their networks and see business opportunities in doing it.
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FROM PERSONAL TO GROUP COMMUNICATION, POLY HAS IDEAL VIDEO-INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS
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oly is the communications company that powers connection and collaboration using headsets, desk and conference phones, and video collaboration solutions. Paul Clark, Senior VP – EMEA, Poly speaks to The Integrator on its video collaboration tools and business interests.
Give us some insights into the products and solutions presented at GITEX for your partners as well as the enterprise customers One of the unique things about Poly is the breadth of its portfolio. From individual or personal communications to enterprise-level applications are offered to customers from Poly. E.g., headset devices for personal use and webcams-integrated video bars for video systems of the large meeting rooms. Do you still see the relevance of remote work solutions when companies are returning to the office? Our recent research tells that 82% of the people want to work at least one day a week from home and 69% of them want a greater number of days to work from home. That underlines the fact, not everyone wants to go back to the office all of the time. Companies also have significant advantages subscribing to the hybrid model of work and that the future. What impact do you think the COVID-19 pandemic has created in the industry? Although COVID-19 had negatively impacted most industry verticals, it has allowed some to bring the most competent and innovative products for video collaboration as the medium further democratized - Poly Video Bar solutions are the ideal example for it. Give us some idea about the kind of software that can be used with Poly’s video collaboration tools. You can connect to whatever services that you use. Whether it be Zoom or Microsoft Teams or plus, we have our tools for easy conferencing or collaboration. Speak about the industry verticals you concentrate on We concentrate on most verticals including healthcare, education, and finance. One of the verticals we have witnessed major changes in is financial markets.
Paul Clark Senior VP – EMEA, Poly
These are the markets that historically didn't support even broad-basis flexibility and remote work as there have been security concerns. Considering the need for business continuity, the finance sector started to embrace the latest technologies after strengthening security up to the most sophisticated standards. What size of enterprises you would be interested in? We are interested in all the business. In large businesses, there are bigger complexities and challenges. With smaller customers, they are probably going to see the most change, because historically they're the ones that were most resistant to change thinking there was not another way. Many of them going to change how they work and we see an enormous opportunity in the paradigm shift. How do you influence the potential customers amidst tough competition as there are others too offering similar solutions? We assure quality and focus on innovation to become a key player in the market. Our products are being developed, not because we simply want a broad range of products. it is because we identify the need of customers and there is business with them. So, competition is a good thing.
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NOVEMBER 2021 29
INTERVIEW
POLY
TECHNOLOGY
AI RACE
ABU DHABI CUSTOMS AND TAMM LAUNCH THE AUTOMATION OF E-COMMERCE POLICY PROCEDURES
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bu Dhabi Customs, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, has launched the “Automation of E-Commerce Policy Procedures” project through the unified government services platform “Tamm”, which is scheduled to be completed before the end of this year, during the activities of GITEX Technology Week 2021. “Automation of E-Commerce Policy Procedures” is expected to contribute to facilitating the practice of business by improving the procedures for the movement of trade for shipments and keeping pace with the requirements of the growing trend towards e-commerce, contributing to the increasing business volume through an advanced digital system capable of linking all customs systems following global best practices. The launch of “Automation of E-Commerce Policy Procedures” came within the framework of Abu Dhabi Customs' strategy for complete digital transformation in completing transactions and providing customs services through a unified digital platform that meets the requirements of all customers, including investors, traders, suppliers, and loyal investors. The provisions of the Policy also apply to the exports of goods by companies from distribution centers in the local market to the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) countries and other countries of the world, in addition to exports of goods from the local market to distribution centers in the Free Zone or customs warehouses, as well as exports of goods from the centers of Distribution in the free zone or customs
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warehouses to the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and world countries. The E-Commerce Policy requires companies to fulfill the registration requirements, as companies wishing to engage in e-commerce activity must register and add the activity in the registration system at the Customs Licensing Department of the General Administration of Abu Dhabi Customs and add the activity in the trade license, while the licensed and registered logistics companies are allowed in the authorized department of companies to clear goods provided that their customers are registered in the Customs Licensing Department. Also, companies wishing to obtain the privileges contained in this Policy must obtain a customs registration number, while e-commerce companies must establish distribution centers for goods intended for sale through their electronic platforms so that distribution center requirements are met and companies are required to provide dedicated and separated storage spaces for goods suspended from goods for which customs duties have already been performed in distribution centers. The new e-commerce policy prohibits the entry of several goods into the distribution centers, which are "flammable goods except for fuels, in addition to radioactive materials, military weapons, ammunition and explosives of any kind". The policy also prohibits the entry of goods that violate the regulations related to the protection of intellectual, commercial, industrial, literary, and artistic property.
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TECHNOLOGY
DVCOM | Advertorial
REDEFINE YOUR WORKSPACE WITH UC WORKSTATION HEADSETS
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VCOM Technology, a leading (value-added distributor) VAD in the Middle East and an authorized distributor for Yealink in the GCC, has recently launched Yealink WH6 Series DECT Wireless Headsets × UC Workstations. With remote working and home offices becoming the standard for many professionals, it is hard to keep all the cords, cables, and devices organized and clutterfree. Yealink has created a new UC Workstation family to help users redefine their workspace in terms of boosting productivity and work flexibility. The family contains two DECT Wireless Headsets (WH66 & WH67). The Yealink UC Workstation is more than a single base, it eases the management of business communication demands and other USB devices. It also delivers great flexibility with a set of integrated features to facilitate your daily routine. It is professional, collaborative, and available.
ALL YOUR NEEDS ON THE UC WORKSTATION The UC Workstation gives users the possibility and flexibility to connect devices, and manage communications from a single device, and also act as a hub that integrates a full-duplex speakerphone, a wireless charging mobile phone stand, a 4-inch touch console, and a USB hub, which, together offer an incredible set of features allowing you to meet, connect, and collaborate seamlessly and intelligently.
DELIVER HD VOICE, DESIGNED FOR COWORKING AND PRIVATE SPACES MEETINGS With Yealink Acoustic Shield
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technology, the headsets could well filter out background noise by 2x microphones while you are on a call, which provides an HD voice quality for your listeners, and ensures distraction-free conversation.
MATCH YOUR PLATFORM Thanks to the broad compatibility of Yealink personal collaboration devices such as headsets, speakerphones, and USB cameras, users can enjoy consistent call experience across UC platforms, which promises better communication quality, higher productivity, and lower IT costs. Certified for Microsoft Teams, the devices are designed with a dedicated Teams button for activating Microsoft Teams with one touch.
WIRELESS FREEDOM AND ALL-DAY POWER No matter when and where your conversation begins, the headsets can always catch up on your steps. With up to 120m wireless range and 8 hours of talk time, it is suitable for users' daily communication needs. In addition, the product supports high-density installation in the open office, which allows up to 200 www.VARonline.com
users (Europe) to enjoy wireless communication at the same time. "Yealink is committed to offer more reliable and flexible device choices to our customers. WH6 series × UC Workstation is a powerful product we created this year, aims to drive collaboration and boost productivity in co-working and private workspaces. We will continue to bring more voice and video device solutions to benefit more customers," said Alvin Liao, Vice President of Product at Yealink. "The idea of UC Workstation is innovative. One compact device can replace so many office tools. Yealink is exploring more ways to optimize modern workspaces, and we are pleased that Yealink is expanding their portfolio of devices for Microsoft Teams." said Albert Kooiman, Senior Director of Microsoft Teams Devices Partner Engineering and Certification. “The Yealink WH67 is the industry-leading convertible DECT wireless headset, opening an entirely new form of desktop collaboration. Work seamlessly with major UC platform and integrate natively with Yealink IP Phones.” said, Renjan George, Managing Director, DVCOM Technology.
TECHNOLOGY
EYE TECH
PHILIPS INTRODUCES MOMENTUM 559M1RYV 4K DISPLAY WITH AMBIGLOW FOR XBOX
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MD, the leading display specialist and brand license partner for Philips monitors announces the release of Xbox console gaming monitor. Philips Momentum 559M1RYV features a 55-inch panel size boosting 3840x2160 resolution with 4K/144Hz, 4ms GTG response time, and many other features that will be available in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Pakistan. This new “Philips Momentum 559M1RYV” bears the name Momentum 559M1RYV and bears the same exterior appearance as the previous version, including the adoption of a VA LCD panel with a W-LED backlight system with Ambiglow technology. Innovative Ambiglow technology creates an aura of light on the surrounding wall from behind the screen panel. Its fast processor analyzes the content of the displayed image and continuously adapts the color and brightness of the emitted light to match the displayed image. This technology claims to reduce eye strain to enjoy the scenes. The gaming monitor includes a specially designed speaker enclosure from the engineers at Bowers & Wilkins, the British loudspeaker company. Pankaj Budhiraja, Category Manager - Middle East & Africa, Philips Monitors said, “This monitor is a wholesome entertainment package with build-in
stereophonic speakers, sharp picture quality, vibrant colors, dynamic contrast, and excellent resolution.” Key Features: • Screen size: 55-inch • Resolution: 3840 x 2160 UHD 4K • Refresh rate: 120Hz (HDMI 2.1); 144Hz (DisplayPort 1.4) • Ports: HDMI 2.1 (x3), DisplayPort 1.4 (x1), USB-C (x1), USB-B (x1), USB 3.2 (x4) • Ambiglow: 3-sided
TEAMGROUP LAUNCHES T-FORCE CARDEA A440 PRO FOR GAMERS
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-Force, the gaming brand of Teamgroup released the T-FORCE CARDE A440. The SSD uses the latest PCIe Gen4x4 interface and it offers up to 4TB in storage capacity. The company claims, the SSD is the first in the industry with a white graphene heat sink and it is available on major e-commerce platforms. The T-Force CARDEA A440 Pro special series M.2 SSD for PS5 storage expansion uses the latest PCIe Gen4x4 interface and offers read or write speeds of up to 7,400/7,000 MB/s. According to the official release of T-FORCE, “the SSD can achieve a read speed of up to 6,600 MB/s when installed on a PS5 and 100GB worth of games can be transferred from the console to the SSD in just 80 seconds. During the transmission, loading, and playing of games, the SSD can improve cooling
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by 16% to help gamers save their brilliant gameplays at ultra-fast speeds and ensure an ultimate gaming experience.”
Key Features: • Equipped with a white ultra-thin patented heat sink for easy storage expansion • Graphene dissipation technology • Effective ventilation and cooling • Easy installation
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