The Integrator December 2017

December 2017 / Volume 6 / Issue 71

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ontents

Editorial

Cover Feature - 18

Ringing in the new 2

017 rides into sunset but the impact of major developments that transpired across most emerging technologies in the year will continue to be seen through the New Year. Within that continuum of changes, we are likely to see digital transformation initiatives usher a trickle-down effect with more widespread project deployments, even within smaller working environments and Businesses. We will continue to make progress towards becoming more digital in our work processes, systems, transactions etc.

The Brave New world of AI and crypto currencies is now here and it almost feels like there are parallel worlds existing; one inhabited by those who exist either in denial of these changes or are being kept away from accessing the privileges of the sweeping changes by circumstances and the other by those who are well and truly part of the change. The divide between those privileged to access the benefits of change and those who are slow to embrace the change is vast at an individual level.

Similar would be the case of companies and Businesses – for instance those who are embracing new tools including advanced digital marketing are already engaging their relevant stakeholders and target audiences across a plethora of social channels. This improves their opportunities and establishes a strong connect with their customer base. Those who have been slower to embrace these tools will see the speed of change daunting and tougher to get on board the bandwagon with every instant of delay.

While Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies may continue on a rollercoaster ride of valuation, the fact is the future is being reimagined by new technologies and we are seeing a faster pace of adoption. The shrinkage of the speed of change is that perhaps what extent of change transpired in maybe a 100 years is now being thrust upon us maybe within decade or even half a decade. As individuals and Businesses, we have to cope and imbibe the change, to have a stake in the future.

R. Narayan Managing Editor

Entering the Blockchain era

The transformation being driven by adoption of blockchain projects will likely unravel at greater speed in the year ahead, opening up opportunities for solution providers

News In Detail - 12

Intersec’s 20th edition to feature more exhibitors TechKnow

Unlocking collaboration in the digital workplace - 14

FirasZeidan, VP, MEA, Unify discusses unified communications is facilitating higher levels of collaboration

Building seamless security - 16

Zacky Vaz, Fortinet’s Channel Manager for the UAE, Oman and Qatar elaborates on the recent showcase focus at GITEX and the SMB and channel go to market strategies

Deceive to protect - 17

Ray Kafity, VP, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, at Attivo Networks discusses how Attivo Networks continues to spearhead deception technology advancements.

Securing cyber frontiers - 24

Harish Chib, VP, Middle East& Africa, Sophos discusses some of the trends that the security vendor is pioneering

Insight

Intuitive networks accelerate digital transformation - 26

Osama Al-Zoubi, CTO, Cisco Middle East opines intuitive networks promise a respite for organizations struggling with legacy networks

Building strategic infrastructure - 28

Public Cloud should not be the only strategy to build innovative IT infrastructure, writes Yousuf Khan, CIO, Pure Storage

Regulars

News Bytes EyeTech Market Stats

Published by: JNS Media International MFZE Founder & CEO: Vivek Sharma Managing Editor: R. Narayan Art Director: Faiz Ahmed Sr. Sales Manager: R. Subramanyan

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News Bytes

Finesse partners with Image InfoSystems to deploy VAT systems Finesse has entered into a strategic alliance with Image InfoSystems to implement Value Added Tax (VAT) Systems for enterprises in the region with a special focus on Banking and financial institutions. The impact of VAT regulations and the required regulatory compliance for the financial services industry is expected to impact almost every aspect of the organization’s technology landscape. .

Finesse has tied-up with Image InfoSystems, providers of ExpressTXR, a high-performance transaction processing platform that enables collection, organization and management of transaction data, a dynamic rules engines to accurately and speedily process transactions with total reconciliation with all back-end source systems, will provide the organizations in the region with the necessary capability to comply with the regulations.

Sunil Paul, Co-Founder and COO of Finesse said, “A major part of the VAT Implementation is to make the processes and IT systems compliant so that all the provisions of law are incorporated. Finesse is thrilled to partner with Image Infosystems to bring easy into the entire seemingly daunting implementation. We look forward to working together in this area”

6 | December 2017

DELL EMC unveils Machine and Deep Learning solutions for Enterprises Dell EMC announced new machine learning and deep learning solutions, continuing the company’s work to bring high performance computing (HPC) and data analytics capabilities to mainstream enterprises worldwide. This enables organisations to take advantage of the convergence of HPC and data analytics and realise advancements in areas including fraud detection, image processing, financial investment analysis and personalised medicine.

By leveraging Dell EMC’s ecosystem of strong, curated partnerships and internal expertise in HPC and data analytics services, the company’s new solutions offer customers the ability to harness the power of the massive amounts of their collected data, delivering faster, better and deeper business insights in real-time. Dell EMC offers customers HPC solutions focused on specific use cases and business problems backed by industry and HPC expertise and guidance.

Armughan Ahmad, senior vice president/general manager, Hybrid Cloud and Ready Solutions, Dell EMC says, “Our customers consistently tell us that one of their biggest challenges is how to best manage and learn from the ever-increasing amount of data they collect daily. With Dell EMC’s high performance computing experience, we’ve seen how our artificial intelligence solutions can deliver critical insights from this data, faster than ever before possible. Working with our strategic technology partners, we’re able to bring these powerful capabilities to all enterprises.”

Tristar Group deploys blockchain technology Tristar Group announced a milestone in its digital transformation strategy as it unveiled a ground-breaking Proof of Concept (POC) using blockchain technology.

Transparency in the supply chain has always been difficult to achieve, but Tristar will break down those barriers using blockchain. The platform that Tristar uses is one of the first of its kind in the world and is currently operational.

"Blockchain technology gives us the ability to provide irrevocable verification and oversight to complex processes and movements of products to our customers.

Records stored in the blockchain are computationally almost impossible to alter, leading to unprecedented verification and transparency to all stakeholders involved in a particular transaction," said Eugene Mayne, Tristar's Group CEO. “We are proud to once again place Tristar at the forefront of our industry. Blockchain technology has the potential to disrupt the logistics industry in the same way that the internet disrupted traditional business models around 20 years ago,” he added.

Tristar’s blockchain implementation is underpinned by IBM’s Hyperledger technology and runs on Amazon Web Services cloud platform. Complete end-to-end warehousing and transportation processes will be captured in Tristar’s private blockchain, providing real time oversight and analysis.

Tristar’s blockchain implementation was done by Dubai based Block Gemini Technologies.

News Bytes

Shift Technologies partners with Google Shift Technologies, an AW Rostamani Group Company and Google Cloud have announced a partnership to provide customers in the Middle East market with Google’s latest technology in artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data and data analytics through its Cloud.

The move sees Shift Technologies, a UAE based company bring this service to the Middle East providing its customers with access to Google’s very own infrastructure ensuring fast, reliable, scalable, secure, and constantly updated services.

Speaking about the partnership, Yousef Al Barkawie – CEO Shift Technologies said, “It is an honor to have been chosen by Google as a partner reiterating Shift Technologies’ professionalism, ability to work with a list of prestigious clients, and our track record of successfully delivering complex and highly advanced projects. With this partnership, Shift Technologies has ensured that the best and most advanced technology in the world is available to clients within the Middle East.”

The partnership with Google and Shift Technologies will provide customers in the Middle East access to Google Cloud for secure, global, high performance and cost- effective services all by utilising big data to find answers easily and build better products.

8 | December 2017

NIT signs distribution agreement with Dell EMC for MEA NIT an Ingram Micro Company and leading regional value-added distributor of IP surveillance and physical security solutions in the META (Middle East, Turkey and Africa) region, announced signing a distribution agreement with Dell EMC, a global leader in networking, server/storage solution for physical security environment.

Through this agreement, NIT is now authorized to distribute Dell EMC portfolio of servers, storage and active network devices, to its channel partners in Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Tunisia, UAE, Uganda and Yemen. ”Our new partnership with Dell EMC provides significant opportunities for both NIT and Dell EMC to build unique end-to-end solutions for IP surveillance and physical security to its reseller partners in the Middle East and Africa,” said Bassel Al Fakir, Managing Director of NIT. “I am confident we will deliver immediate beneficial impact to our reseller partners and their customers and we are committed to continually playing an important role in helping them grow and strengthen their business”.

With extensive broad products portfolio from Dell EMC, and largest partners channel for MEA from NIT, this partnership further strengthens NIT’s relationship with one of the world’s leading IT solution providers.

Linksys offers affordable solutions to SMB companies Linksys is further aligningits portfolio to the SMB needs and ensure that aging networks will no longer hold back SMB growth.

A complete and secure network includes three elements; security with firewall protection and VPN-access at the edge of the network, a wired network to connect desktop PC’s and servers and finally, a wireless network for mobile employees and guests. Linksys will realign the pricing of the current portfolio to cater especially to smaller companies, and encourage them to bring their technology up-to-date. A complete network including VPN-router, Gigabit switches and Wireless AC Access Points accommodating a 100-person strong office is now up to 20% better priced.

Linksys has a network portfolio tailored to SMB organizations, including security devices, switches and access points. The Security devices of Linksys comprise of VPN routers with built-in firewall functionality, with an optional second WAN-port for a backup internet connection. The switch series of Linksys all offer Gigabit speed. Varying in port-density from 5 to 52, they can be divided in three categories: managed switches, smart managed switches and unmanaged switches. Additionally, in each category Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches are available. PoE switches of Linksys standard support the PoE+ standard which means they offer twice the power per port than standard PoE switches.

The third and final segment of the portfolio are access points. The top model access point of Linksys offers MU-MIMO technology to accommodate multiple connections simultaneously. Furthermore, Linksys offers a complete range that offer SMB companies the right solution for every stage of growth they are in. All models come with a complete feature-set.

News Bytes

OMA Emirates helps MasionBMore deploy MPS OMA Emirates Group has partnered with Karma Technology, a payment and business solutions software provider in Dubai and successfully completed a safe and seamless mobile payment solution across all 15 MaisonBMore outlets. The multi fashion brand stores in the UAE now has a new deployment that allows sales staff to run the fully customized ECR application in the palm of their hands and enriches the customer experience.

Payments can now be processed anywhere within the store and also fulfils the company’s requirement for smart payment devices which accept multiple modes of payment including Smart EMV, Magstripe and NFC/ Contactless.

Designed for mobility, the pocket sized IngenicoiSMP terminals supplied

by OMA Emirates and implemented by Karma Technology are lightweight and allows ease of movements.

“Today’s market is all about innovations and technology and retail brands such as MaisonBMore are looking at new secure, convenient and smart ways of accepting customer payments. We are extremely privileged to supply a Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) device for an organization that is focused on raising its customer services and experience.

The customized application and the advanced iSMP terminals will add value and innovation within the stores,” said Niranj Sangal, Group CEO, OMA Emirates.

10 | December 2017

Data visionary approach critical for digital transformation NetApp announced the findings of a global research program focused on helping companies embrace digital transformation. In partnership with IDC, the research program provides immediate and impactful steps any company can use to transform. The study results announced show what separates Data Thrivers, who are aggressively disruptive in the use of digital technologies to affect new markets, from those who are merely Data Survivors or even Data Resisters.

With only eleven percent of companies fitting the profile of a Data Thriver, traditional industries are now at serious risk of losing a significant percentage of their revenue to more data-driven organizations by 2018. Top industries at risk include utilities (29%), retail (>25%), industrial equipment (20%), financial services (18%), and government (18%). Companies that use data to drive business and satisfy customers in new and innovative ways, have only just begun to disrupt the market.

“Data visionaries inspire their organizations to be Data Thrivers. They recognize that data is no longer locked away on devices hidden behind firewalls. It is now distributed, dynamic, and diverse,” said Jean English, SVP and CMO, NetApp. “Our mission is to support companies throughout the digital transformation process, delivering hybrid cloud data services that radically improve organizational efficiency and create new business opportunities.”

Cisco unveils $1 Billion Program for Smart Cities Cisco introduced the City Infrastructure Financing Acceleration Program, a $1 billion program aimed to make it easier, faster, and more affordable for cities around the world to fund and adopt technologies that will transform their communities.The funding will be provided through Cisco Capital in partnership with private equity firm Digital Alpha Advisors and pension fund investors APG Asset Management (APG) and Whitehelm Capital.

"Funding is a major stumbling block for municipalities beginning their smart city transformation," said Anil Menon, Global President of Cisco's Smart+Connected Communities. "With our partners, Cisco will bring the capital and expertise it takes to make smart city projects a reality. Digital Alpha, APG, and Whitehelm Capital bring a fresh perspective on investment in an area that has previously been perceived as too new and, therefore, too difficult to finance."

The program helps cities assemble the right type or suite of finance instruments to fund and deploy innovative technology with minimal initial investment. Whether a city is looking to reduce energy usage, ease traffic and parking, or boost public transportation ridership and revenues, the program will help cities with solutions. Revenue-share financing, for instance, even allows a city to tie financing to desired outcomes and extend future operating budgets through revenue streams from the new services that a digitized infrastructure makes possible.

METRA acquires a stake in StorIT Distribution Metra Computer Group. (METRA) announced that it acquired shares and entered into a strategic financing agreement with StorIT Distribution, the region’s leading value-added distributor for DellEMC and other major technology vendors in the UAE. This partnership is an addition to Metra Computer´s expanding value-added distribution portfolio and showcases greater commitment for DellEMC channel ecosystem.

“We are excited to drive business jointly and deliver value added services for channel partners, enabling them to get ready for digital transformation by focusing on DellEMC solutions portfolio. We are anticipating tremendous growth translating into $50M to our topline next year”, Vice President Mohamed Eissa said.

StorIT brings some remarkable value-added opportunities for Metra partner community in the region. Partners can now leverage offering across the widespread range of solutions and vendor´s portfolio for converged infrastructure, cloud computing, virtualization, business continuity and disaster recovery, high performance computing, archiving, data analytics and data center solutions for Enterprise and SMB markets.

“This partnership presents extraordinary opportunities to drive our ambitious growth plans and simultaneously add immense value to our reseller channel and vendor relationships. We plan to leverage on our impressive combined legacy and unique strengths to remain ahead of the curve.” said Suren Vedantham, MD, StorIT Distribution.

Mimecast, leader in Gartner Magic quadrant for EIA Mimecast Limited, a leading archiving, security and business continuity company, has been positioned by Gartner, in the Leaders quadrant of the 2017 Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Information Archiving for the third year in a row. The report provides a detailed overview of the enterprise information archiving market and evaluates vendors based on their completeness of vision and ability to execute.

Among the vendors positioned in the Leaders quadrant, Mimecast has been positioned highest on the ability to execute axis.

“We continue to see organizations leaning on cloud solutions to manage and preserve critical information for greater efficiency and scale,” said Neil Murray, chief technology officer at Mimecast.

“This announcement comes on the heels of Mimecast’s largest archive launch event in company history. We believe it’s a validation from Gartner that can be attributed to the innovation, execution and service we provide by directly addressing our customers evolving challenges. Mimecast Cloud Archive is the market’s leading multipurpose archive solution in the market delivering an all-in-one cloud service that integrates a highly secure data repository, built-in data recovery, storage management and eDiscovery/compliance capabilities. We’ve designed the Mimecast Cloud Archive to scale across thousands of customers, delivering the performance, fastest search speeds and advanced features needed to for compliance, eDiscovery and rapid recovery when systems go down.”

Microsoft 365 Business targets SMEs Microsoft has introduced the UAE’s fast-growing SME segment to Microsoft 365 Business, a multifaceted solution that covers all of their productivity, admin and security needs.

Combining Windows 10 Pro and Office 365 with Enterprise Mobility and Security, Microsoft 365 Business is a new solution designed for SMEs bringing together the productivity and collaboration capabilities with device management and security solutions to safeguard business data.

In a recent report from the UAE Ministry of Economy, the UAE was revealed to be leading the Arab world in inbound and outbound investments and the SME sector received special mention as a focus of those investments.

“As the UAE continues taking its ambitious journey towards economic diversification, its small and medium enterprise sector will continue to play a leading role in that story,” said Mohammed Arif, Regional Director, Microsoft 365 Business Group, Microsoft Gulf. SMEs in this country have a prime opportunity to capitalise on projected growth, through the digitally transformative power of Microsoft 365 Business. The solution is purpose-built for growing small and medium businesses to help them to empower their people, safeguard their data and simplify IT management, leaving them with more time and resources to innovate and focus on their core business.

December 2017 | 11

News In Detail

Intersec’s 20th edition to feature more exhibitors I

ntersec, the world’s largest trade and networking event for security, safety and fire protection, is set to celebrate two decades of remarkable success when it opens doors in January 2018 in Dubai.

The 20th anniversary edition will feature more than 1,300 exhibitors from 58 countries, while over 31,000 visitors from 128 countries are expected to attend as they seek the latest solutions across seven show sections of Commercial Security, Fire & Rescue, Safety & Health, Homeland Security & Policing, Perimeter & Physical Security, Cyber Security, and Smart Home & Building Automation.

Occupying 60,000sqm across 13 halls at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre with 10 per cent growth, Intersec 2018

12 | December 2017

has added a new Drones Pavilion and indoor Drone Zone, while a Wearable Security Pavilion will put the spotlight on advanced textiles including head-up displays, body cameras, embedded sensors, exo-skeleton communications and more.

From humble beginnings in 1999, when it featured 61 exhibitors from 13 countries, Intersec has developed into a global powerhouse, with 19 of the world’s top 20 security solutions providers among the 1,300-plus exhibitors on board in 2018.

The three-day event, which takes place from 21-23 January 2018, has grown in-line with many of the exhibitors that have been with the show from the beginning.

Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East,

the organiser of Intersec, said: “Societies, governments and corporates are increasingly pulling out the stops to combat various threats and ensure the security of people, infrastructure, property and information. This has led to a resultant surge in demand for the latest safety and security products and solutions.

“From the beginning, Intersec has paved the way for leading safety and security providers to access regional markets and facilitated many of the beneficial partnerships and relations forged over the years. By continuing to prioritise the showcasing of the cutting edge new developments and the latest technologies, we hope to continue to play a constructive role in making the region a safer and more secure place,”

Pauwels added.

Intersec’s impressive global presence over the last 20 years coincides with the Middle East region’s own rapid rise as a significant growth market for homeland and commercial security and fire protection.

According to analysts Frost & Sullivan (F&S), the Middle East homeland security market, comprising monitoring and surveillance systems, restricted entry systems and perimeter security solutions, is estimated to reach US$17.05 billion by 2021, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.6 percent between 2015 and 2021.

The commercial security market too has witnessed an upswing throughout the region creating opportunities for suppliers of video surveillance, access control and intrusion detection.

Valued at US$1.93 billion in 2015, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR (20162021) of 17 percent, reaching US$4.82 Billion by 2021, says F&S. Meanwhile, the Middle East fire safety market is expected to be worth US$4.4 billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of 12.4 percent between 2016 and 2021.

With more than 580 exhibitors, Commercial Security is the largest section at Intersec 2018, with more than two-thirds of the world’s top 50 security solutions players on board, including Hikvision, Bosch, Dahua, AssaAbloy, Tyco, FLIR, Hanwha Techwin, Axis Communications, Avigilon, Panasonic, Infinova, IDIS, and Milestone Systems.

Register online today www.IntersecExpo.com/R

January 21 – 23, 2018 Dubai, UAE

The leading trade fair for Security, Safety and Fire Protection.

Show Highlights

7 Show Sections

33,000+ Industry Professionals 1,300+ Exhibitors 84% International Exhibitors 15 Country Pavilions 10 World’s Top Security Companies

Commercial Security Cyber / Information Security Smart Home & Building Automation Fire & Rescue Safety & Health Homeland Security & Policing Perimeter & Physical Security

www.IntersecExpo.com

TechKnow | Unify

Elaborate on demand for Unified solutions from the SME segment?

The demand for quality unified communication solutions from the SME segment has been a large growth segment for us.

Today, the SME segment is driving innovation across the region.

There are key drivers of this demand. We see huge demand with mobility requirements for both voice and video conferencing. The demand is also being driven by the need for organizations to meet security compliance requirements for recording.

Integration with Outlook and fax is one of the other elements required by the segment for productivity.

Inter branch connectivity is obviously one of the key requirements driving demand for unified communications/ IP telephony because it allows free flow of voice and video between branches without the need for services from external infrastructure.

Today almost 60% of our licenses are being sold as software for mobile and desktop endpoints. This shows how mobility and unified communications is helping organizations improve connectivity, productivity and compliance.

From cost analysis of typical scenarios, we see that our SME customers would be saving about 45% on telecom costs and show as much as 70% improvement in productivity by using unified communications in their environments.

This clearly shows that UC deployments are not a luxury

14  |  December 2017

Firas Zeidan, VP, MEA, Unify discusses unified communications is facilitating higher levels of collaboration and how Unify, an Atos company is truly enabling a digital workplace for SMB, SME and enterprise customers

Firas Zeidan VP, MEA Unify

Unlocking collaboration in the digital workplace but rather a necessity for these organizations.

In this region, a typical SME environment may see from 100 to 1000 users versus the SMB which we define as ranging between as low as 5 to about 100 users.

The SME is a large segment which includes diverse types of companies from travel agencies to insurance companies to small industries with multiple branches. They need to have meetings with suppliers and so they have created conference rooms;

they have deployed a unique dial-in number that customers can call into; they also have deployed contact centre solutions allowing to hire mobile agents as well. For such customers, we offer a great value proposition with low TCO. What benefits do hybrid solutions offer for customers?

With hybrid solutions, you can mix the infrastructure on premise with software licensing and subscription from the cloud. In a typical scenario

that could explain this better, multiple hotels belonging to a single owner could consolidate with a consolidated UC infrastructure. Instead of each of these hotels individually buying PBX solutions, they can consolidate by deploying one large PBX with redundant capacity in the datacenter that is connected over the unique One Number service, with the facility in every hotel to terminate the local landline by deploying a gateway. This enables a truly hybrid solution that establishes connectivity

between a local landline and a WAN which is connecting different locations, and all dialing into one application, one server, one controller in the data center. The hybrid model is a cost saving model.

How do you see the traction for cloud based unified communications?

Cloud based offerings for unified communications and contact center solutions worldwide is seeing a growth of around 26% vis-a-vis 2% growth for on premises solutions. From our perspective, we have seen great acceptance and growth of cloud based deployments, which we call as SSAL (software subscription model) in the SME and enterprise segments in the region. Today, we are seeing that as much 40% of our orders in the SME and enterprise segments are manifesting in cloud based UC deployments. Initially, the demand comes in the form of the need to reduce the CapEX investments and move the need for complete infrastructure for voice and video to an OpEx model. We separated the software from the hardware; then migrate them into a SSL model; with the model of on premise hardware and the software being paid for on monthly basis, we are providing the user the flexibility of the OpEx model with good ROI and low TCO. We have the ‘Pay As You Go’ model for the SME and Openscape cloud for the enterprise users.

In July this year, we

"While unified communications is embedded into every product of ours today, we have gone further and innovated beyond unified communications, into the final frontier of Collaboration." launched the collaboration combination for voice and video which is OpenScape cloud. This offers collaboration, UC and telephony from the cloud. So it offers the same service as buying our onpremise voice solutions but with our integrated cloud based collaboration and conferencing solutions. It helps reduce the resources required to manage such infrastructure, clearly one of the benefits form the cloud based model.

With UC having come a long way, how does it enable organizations now in terms of more collaboration at work?

Around 2002-2003, VoIP became a reality and then they eventually needed a standard protocol to handle the voice and video traffic in a secure manner, which is when SIP technology came about. The evolution of voice communication into unified communications is a fact seen from the widespread installations. Almost as much as 40% of voice and video infrastructure sold worldwide is having an element of unified communications. There are as many as 13 applications that are enabled because of unified communications in an organization. For instance, your fax comes into your inbox, your voicemail can be heard as a wav file in your inbox, your telephony can be integrated with outlook with

click to call, you can have One number service for dial in, features like conferencing, presence etc. All of these applications are vital for Businesses today, accentuated with the penetration of the smartphone. Business cannot wait and every call, every customer, every minute is important. While unified communications is embedded into every product of ours today, we have gone further and innovated beyond unified communications, into the final frontier of Collaboration.

Collaboration enables us to cut out travel time for Business by 40%, enables us to interact with suppliers as well as partners and present to partners, customers etc remotely. So, trainings, presentations etc can be done remotely, from any location, via different types of network connectivity.

We are using collaboration tools in our channel interactions. All these partners can access my virtual work collaboration room from a universal access; they could be accessing it over wifi from a café or from inside a car over a 3G connection or from their work desk etc. Collaboration is mandatory today for team interactions.

Elaborate on your collaboration solution Circuit?

Our solution Circuit is not only available as standalone but is also integrated into

our telephony solutions using a unified telephony connector. It is a single app that adds simple-to-use, powerful team collaboration capabilities on top of your existing communications and business apps. Through voice, video, or chat, Circuit lets you collaborate easily enabling a digital workplace.

You can have your own virtual room, where you can invite other people. There are unlimited MCUs (multipint control units); you can do video conferencing, do townhall meetings; or you could simply send a link to a group asking them to join in and then pop-up your screen to share presentations, do comparisons, take notes, do IM, voice calls during the conference etc. It is an excellent productivity tool whether for large enterprises or for small teams of 3-5 people, enabled by this innovation of video and voice technologies.

Elaborate on your channel focus?

Channel partners are our extended resources- we have built a complete go to market ecosystem around our channel partners. Initially every enterprise starts off selling direct to customers but eventually end up with a distributor led multi-channel strategy to have the market reach. That is exactly the kind of evolution we at unify have gone through. We have embarked on an elaborate enablement strategy for our channel.

December 2017 | 15

TechKnow | Fortinet

What was the focus at the GITEX showcase thus year?

We highlighted the extensive capabilities of Fortinet’s Security Fabric to address the security needs of today.

This region is taking the lead in adoption of emerging technologies including smart technologies, Blockchain, AI etc. Fortinet’s Security Fabric addresses the security challenges associated with these technologies very effectively.

The SecurityFabric as a concept resonates very well with all segments including small to medium and large enterprises as well as the large carriers. The Security Fabric is inherently designed to secureEndpoints, access, applications, cloud, IoT etc.

The Firewall is the foundation of the Security Fabric and we have built in email security, web application firewall, SIEM, IPS etc around this.

We have extended the performance, automation, visibility, and management of the Fortinet Security Fabric into all types of cloud environments, across private and public cloud ecosystems. This enables businesses to have the same level of cybersecurity and threat intelligence in cloud environments as they do on their physical networks.

Discuss the channel focus?

We are a channel focused company. We continue to invest in our channel. Our strategic Gold and Platinum partners are managed by our enterprise channel managers.

Then we also have Silver and authorized partners.

16 | December 2017

Zacky Vaz, Fortinet’s Channel Manager for the UAE, Oman and Qatar, focuses on SMB channel development and enablement. He elaborates on the recent showcase focus at GITEX and the SMB and channel go to market strategies for Fortinet in the region

Zacky Vaz Channel Manager Fortinet

Building seamless security We assist and encourage partners to lock sales leads and opportunities with us early. They can do this through deal registration link on the web portal. This is applicable for silver and above tiers of partners. We can help them drive high margin opportunities. At the end of the day, we want our partners to be trusted advisors for our customers.

On the technical side, we have the NSE (Network Security Expert) Academy for training partners. It is available for all our registered partners through the partner portal.

There are frequent workshops being held. Different seminars, trainings and workshops are conducted online as well on premises. Apart from that, our distributors also engage

the partners with training and workshops. We encourage partners to look at integrating traditional security appliances and emerging technologies together into an integrated security fabric.

market is growing and the opportunity gets bigger for us and our partners. We have a strong presence in the GCC including Saudi Arabia. We are looking at other markets of the region like Iraq, Pakistan etc.

How do you see the role of Fortinet in the changing landscape of security?

On the go to market strategy, the security landscape has been changing and unknown threats are increasing. With Security Fabric, we cover all the gaps within the network.

At the end of the day, Network security always will play an important role as everything has to go through the gateway and the Firewall.

The security market is growing. With technologies like IoT coming in, the addressable

Elaborate on the company’s SMB strategy?

Fortinet has been investing in SMB channel development. We work closely with distribution partners to manage SMB focused channel activities and campaigns.Fortinet strongly believes in the three SMB pillars – Enable, Promote and Sell. Together with our channel, we will address the SMB segment with high performance end-to-end solutions that protect their business from current and future threats.

TechKnow | Attivo Networks

What is the relevance of deception technologies in security? What has been Attivo’s approach to developing deception technologies?

Deception technologies will complete the circle of security.

It closes the gap in the multilayered security; it interrupts the flow of the attack in its last mile within the network. It complements what companies have spent and invested in prevention technologies and enhances the security level tremendously.

We have taken the honeypot concept and simplified the development of it. That was one of the hiccups as building a honeypot was laborious and you could not scale it further. You would have buy one honeypot after another. That is physically and realistically not possible.

We took the concept and developed a product that is easy to deploy and scale in a network environment. We added multiple features on top of it. What we offer is a Dynamic distributed deception platform, a complete platform that enables early detection and orchestrated automated response.

How does this work with other security solutions that are already in the network?

We are not deploying a silo solution into the network. Our solution integrates seamlessly with all the security solutions installed such as SIEM solutions, network Firewall, the network access solutions etc. The threat intelligence we gather once installed is shared with all the other

Deception is increasingly a popular security solution that helps in detecting innetwork threats that have bypassed prevention and evaded other detection security controls. Next generation deception technology such as the Attivo Threat Defend Platform advances the deception level well beyond simple emulations.

Ray Kafity, Vice President, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, at Attivo Networks discusses how Attivo Networks continues to spearhead deception technology advancements.

Ray Kafity Vice President, META Attivo Networks

Deceive to protect security controls already installed. We have 25 different APIs that have been shared with all those technologies.

We co-exist and integrate our solutions with the other deployed solutions, which makes it very effective.

Discuss your Middle East operations and fcosu?

We started our operations in the region in March 2016.

We spent most of last year in driving awareness, building the brand, and educating the need for deception technologies as part of security and driving home the message that it is not simply a nice to have solution, but rather a must have solution that will help combat the epidemic of cyber attacks at the final frontier, within the network. In this year, we have seen a lot

more of companies adopting deception technologies within their security infrastructure.

We are looking for market dominance. We are the only deception technology vendor with local presence.

Who are your distribitors?

We have announced our partnerships with IXTEL, HelpAG and Spectrami. We already have StarLink as our distributor.

How does your solution combat ransomware attacks?

Deception has been playing a critical role in protecting against ransomware attacks such as WannaCry, Qakbot and Locky. The Attivo Networks solution for ransomware starts by providing a “motion sensor” that alerts the organization of an attacker that tries to encrypt the decoy drive or

compromise a Windows SMB vulnerability. Our decoy drives are networked with technologies that attract and engage the attacker to attack the decoy drive rather than the actual production drives.

This slows down the attack and gives the much needed time to the security team to respond to the attack, quarantine the affected system off the network and avoid any further impact.

What is your solution for Botnet attacks?

Botnet owners attack more devices to increase the number of devices in their network. The AttivoBOTsink Solution is based on high interaction deception technology that creates a distributed decoy system to lure in the BOTs and APTs of attackers.

December 2017 | 17

Cover Feature | Blockchain

I

ENTERING THE BLOCKCHAIN ERA

The transformation being driven by adoption of blockchain projects will likely unravel at greater speed in the year ahead, opening up opportunities for solution providers

By R. Narayan

18 | December 2017

n an era when crypto currencies are gaining popularity, the underpinning Blockchain principle of these currencies is being seen as having potential for developing applications across extensive contexts. There is a growing momentum around developing solutions based on blockchain, a trend that is in its early days but which will likely see faster traction in the year ahead, especially in the region. The foundation of blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that can be shared by all stakeholders in a transaction, offering full visibility into new transactions, with validated entries that are irreversible.Blockchain can unravel a significant paradigm change across all transactional touchpoints and help enhance quality of services and processes, a key factor that is inspiring an acceleration towards adopting relevant use cases in the region, driven especially by the government initiatives.

“Originally developed as the accounting method for the virtual currency Bitcoin, Blockchain – which use what's known as distributed ledger technology (DLT) – are appearing in a variety of commercial applications today.

Currently, the technology is primarily used to verify transactions, within digital currencies though it is possible to digitize, code and insert practically any document into the Blockchain. Doing so creates an immutable record that cannot be tampered by any means.

Furthermore, the record’s authenticity can be verified by

the entire community using the Blockchain instead of a single centralized authority.

This has a huge potential in all the services provided by federal authorities .A single truth of information can be shared by all the government bodies.Given the incredible opportunity for decentralization, Blockchain technology offers the ability to create businesses and operations that are both flexible and secure,” says ArtiSogani, Manager Business Development and Pre Sales at Finesse.

The Dubai government has announced its vision to become paperless by shifting all transactions to blockchain by 2020. Earlier this year, in February 2017, it announced the Global Blockchain Council, which currently consists of a wide range of members, including government entities, leading UAE banks, blockchain technology firms and international companies such as IBM. The Global Blockchain Council will seek to explore, discuss current and future applications, and organize transactions through the Blockchain platform. A large ecosystem of vendors and other solutions companies that are part of the ecosystem, is looking to advance the developments around this.

Victor Usobiaga, Blockchain Business Development, IBM Middle East & Pakistan explains, “Blockchain is a digital ledger where data is shared in real time across a scalable network of individuals and institutions. Every event, every transaction is time stamped and stored in digital ‘blocks’, which become

part of a growing chain, a permanent record that cannot be altered or tampered with.

It is a revolutionary way to do business and IBM is at the forefront. We believe that blockchain will do for business what the Internet did for information.”

He adds that from an IBM standpoint, by helping blockchain technology mature, IBM will accelerate the network effect, enabling organizations and their ecosystems to work together using the technology to create frictionless business transactions. At the same time, this trusted environment could potentially be used to ease regulatory burdens and simplify oversight and governance.

According to Mechelle Buys Du Plessis, Managing Director, UAE, Dimension Data, implementations need to be around relevant scenarios that are identified.

“Blockchain is an enabler that underpins business strategy. Many projects can be launched by utilizing blockchain but it is all about prioritizing and deploying the right initiatives at the right time to ensure that we deliver against the business strategy. Blockchain enables both quick transactions as well as a well secured path and therefore the security benefits offered will enhance business transactions and automation.”

Mechelle believes that the year ahead will see momentum pick up on blockchain projects as Dubai pioneers the adoption across several use case scenarios.

The larger projects will create

Arti Sogani Manager Business Development & Pre Sales Finesse

opportunities for companies that bring relevant solutions and expertise.

She adds, “The UAE is an innovative country that drives and nurtures early adoption.

The Dubai Government is leading the charge with a well-defined blockchain strategy. We are already seeing progress towards paperless processes, which will lead up to the utilization of blockchain. Furthermore, we have also seen the finance sector taking to blockchain and digitization initiatives. There is no denial that blockchain will become more prevalent in the region in 2018.”

The transformative effect As Blockchain use case scenarios and deployments increase, it could spiral into

a more popular trend. This could have a significant transformative effect across industries and services. In effect, it would be a key driver of digital transformation.

Victor says, “Blockchain has the power to transform roles and professions: consumers can trace the origin of their food; bank regulators have real-time access to information about commercial real estate loans in default. Contract managers can accelerate the management and execution of smart contracts. Customer loyalty managers can reward their best customers in unique ways.

Blockchain-based systems will radically improve entire industries, from banking and insurance, to real estate, public records, supply chain, December 2017 | 19

Cover Feature | Blockchain

Victor Usobiaga Blockchain Business Development IBM ME & Pakistan

travel and transportation, media and entertainment to supply chains. But its impact could be even broader.”

Waqas Mirza, Managing Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Avanza Solutions, a company that focuses on channel banking solutions and is investing into AI and Blockchain technologies says “The blockchain framework can be used for a lot of use cases. It can be used for maintenance of property records, educational certificates, any other records keeping in which you want to achieve multiple objectives.

This is relevant for contexts, where however you need to meet a few objectives to qualify it as a blockchain use case. These objectives are that the data has to be immutable, there must be involvement of multiple stakeholders and multi-party Integration where

20 | December 2017

everyone that wants access to the same piece of data.”

Mechelle opines that Blockchain is an enabler for the region to deliver secure, digitized services across all verticals.

She adds, “We have seen a leading uptake of Blockchain with Smart Dubai, as it sets out on a journey of adopting Blockchain to provide simpler and secure services across multiple government agencies to better serve citizens, residence and tourists. With ambitious growth figures forecasted for tourism, Smart Dubai is gearing up to provide seamless services to allow for simple, secure transactions.”

It is believed that the benefits in adopting Blockchain will not only allow for economic growth, but will reduce hours of time and tedious paperwork, whilst offering a platform that spirals

digitization forward. The opportunities therefore seem to be endless and along the way could create more use case scenarios. Companies are working to identify more instances for blockchain usage.

Arti believes that there are areas within the BFSI and Fintech Domain which will have huge impact with the adoption of the Blockchain technology. She points out that the most used and proven uses cases are in Trade Finance, KYC of customers, AML, Cross border Remittances.

IBM has been working with clients in the region and globally to identify a business challenge or process that can be resolved or improved with blockchain technology. In a Design Thinking workshop for example, IBM and clients work together to identify a specific use case where there is a real pain point, and decide on a project.

Victor adds, “We also have the largest set of researchers looking at the opportunities and the problems around blockchain to determine what we need to make blockchain transformative today – and in the future.”

In a recent study, IBM's Institute for Business Value (IBV), in collaboration with the Economist Intelligence Unit, found that government organizations around the world are prioritizing blockchain to help reduce innovation roadblocks and inaccurate or incomplete information across their organizations. Findings also show that in the Middle East and Africa, nine out of 10 government executives

surveyed see contract management as the greatest potential new business model.

Blockchain projects are already under execution in the region while there are also piloting of some of the use cases underway.

The companies who have identified and invested in building expertise around relevant skill are already participants in the growing opportunity.

Avanza is already working on ongoing blockchain projects in the region.

Waqas says,“Our first breakthrough in blockchain projects was in June this year, when we signed up for a project with Dubai Smart Government, a city wide project that fixes a very important reconciliation and settlement issue, for the smart pay platform. This project is going live in end of December with two government entities DEWA and KHDA as well as two Banks.”

He adds that from January onwards, the company plans to onboard two to three government entities and Banks every month on this project.

The target is to complete rollout by end of 2018 with all concerned entities.

“As many as 40 government entities and 15 Banks have to come on board with this project. So while, Dubai Smart Government is fronting these channels, we are obviously the technology providers.”

Avanzo had also helped develop one of the use cases of blockchain that was demonstrated at Avaya’s GITEX showcase this year.

Waqas adds, “Avaya had an interesting blockchain use case on display at GITEX which was around customer happiness and sentiment city wide. That has been enabled

by Avanza- we have used Avaya’s Oceana Analytics for sentiment analysis but storage of information on blockchain is done by us. Similarly, for the customer journey that they showcased, the platforms for internet banking, mobile banking, CRM etc, which are the touchpoints to initiate transactions, they are Avanza products.”

The outlook ahead The future of blockchain looks very promising with commercial solutions rapidly being developed and deployed across the global banking and financial industries, as a pace that is dramatically faster than initially expected.

Victor says, “In the past year, the technology has rapidly evolved from curiosity to experimentation.

Today proofs of concepts are bypassed and organizations are moving into full-scale production blockchains.”

According to recent studies, 15 percent of banks and 14 percent of financial institutions that were surveyed

by IBM intend to implement full-scale, commercial blockchain solutions in 2017.

Mass adoption isn’t that far behind with roughly 65 percent of banks expecting to have blockchain solutions in production in the next few years.

IBM is building industryspecific blockchain products and cloud services and

Blockchain Innovation in Aviation VIMANA is building a novel blockchain-based and blockchain-regulated Airspace Ecosystem. The Ecosystem intends to provide Urban Air Mobility programs in smart cities like Dubai.

Kirill Nikolaev, Board Member, VIMANA discusses details

Discuss how blockchain technologies have the potential to impact transformation in Aviation?

In the commercial sector, blockchain is the underlying technology when it comes to autonomous vehicles and with all the R&D investment we are already seeing in this sector, be it self-driving cars or flying-taxis, I believe that the aerospace, automotive and logistics sectors are three verticals that will really harness the potential of blockchain over the next few years.

In fact, at VIMANA, we are building a novel blockchain-based and blockchainregulated Airspace Ecosystem. The Ecosystem intends to provide Urban Air Mobility programs in smart cities like Dubai, New York and Tokyo with daily network aerial commuting based on fly-by-wire operating Vertical Take-Off and Landing AutonomousAerialVehicles(VTOL AAVs). We are targeting an early Q1 2018 launch in Dubai so that is extremely exciting!

How do you feature Blockchain technologies in your services or intend to?

The main challenge facing implementation of an Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV) network is that existing air traffic control towers are unequipped to manage potentially thousands of AAV flights in a given city. VIMANA addresses this hurdle with its patented, industry-first, blockchain-backed airspace

ecosystem for managing AAV flight paths.

A blockchain is essentially a digital ledger that chronologically records every transaction that occurs and each transaction is validated by a majority of nodes (or participants) on the network. Blockchain technology also enables peer-to-peer exchanges of data to occur without verification from a centralized authority.

As such, blockchain technology is uniquely suited to power VIMANA’s Airspace Management Platform. Each AAV will be a node in the VIMANA network wherein each node validates the flight routes of all other nodes in the network.

This ensures that AAVs do not depend on a centralized authority for determining flight direction. With all nodes maintaining constant communication with one another, human passengers can simply plug in their final destination and relax as they are delivered to safely and quickly to their stop.

Please elaborate about your plans for deployment?

We are currently working on running the vehicle through final testing protocol. In parallel, we are speaking to governmental agencies in Dubai to get permission to conduct a test flight in Q1 2018. In terms of commercial rollout, the plan is to have an operational fleet in select smart cities like Dubai, Abu-Dhabi, Tokyo, Singapore and Mumbai by 2020.

December 2017 | 21

Cover Feature | Blockchain

Waqas Mirza MD & Chief Marketing Officer Avanza Solutions

Mechelle Buys Du Plessis Managing Director, UAE Dimension Data

helping clients innovate with the technology. The vendor has helped build the industry’s largest open source community to support a blockchain fabric designed for a variety of business cases.

To meet client demands, IBM has established the broadest portfolio of blockchain capabilities in the industry. Of the estimated 14 production blockchain networks running live in enterprises today, nine were created by IBM. Some of the early movers into the space are developing a practice around Blockchain. Finesse started itsBlockchain Practice by enabling organizations with well-orchestrated Blockchain Training Programs. Finesse isalso partnering with startups in the Blockchain solution space. These includecompanies such as Primechain technologies, Alphapoint, E-GAS. These

22 | December 2017

partners were chosen considering the different clients from various industry verticals.

Arti says, “The training programs are designed as per the nature of the audience and the industry vertical .Finesse provides different training for business as well as IT. We also provide Blockchain engineering workshops for Developers which will enable the IT and development staff in the organization to have hands on experience with the Blockchain technology.

Organizations prefer to work with us since we are technology agnostic and we always or castrate the best solutions for our clients. The Major financial institutions in the region are part of the Blockchain consortium through Finesse. Finesse is helping organization to start their paperless journey

with Finesse powered smart contracts.”

While there is an undeniable buzz around blockchain, Waqas shares a word of caution though.

He says that not all it is not applicable to all scenarios which need to be properly validated.

He says, “In several discussions with customers, I have had to tell them that the context or case being discussed doesn’t qualify for blockchain implementation.

Everyone want to get onboard with blockchain but to realize take full benefits from a blockchain implementation, it has to be a multi-entity use case scenario. If an organization is trying to solve operational issues for customers and partners, it is not necessarily calling for a blockchain deployment scenario.

The truest potential is

likely to be realized when there are multiple parties involved and they need access the same information etc. Which is why you see governments taking the lead in blockchain. They can pass a mandate and roll out these kinds of solutions and everyone along.

He adds that their current project involves the coming together of as many as around 60 entities while realizing such a scenario in the private sector would be a lot more challenging, as they would be competitors.

The outlook seems to be quite promising with more innovations expected in terms of use cases of blockchain implementations. There are likely to be several opportunities up ahead for blockchain players with more projects likely to come up in the run-up to 2020 Expo.

TechKnow | InfiNet Wireless

InfiNet Wireless focuses on delivering high performance, reliable high-capacity wireless networking infrastructure solutions with and low cost of ownership to customers that include telecom operators and enterprises. Kamal Mokrani, Global Vice President, InfiNet Wireless provides some insights of the company’s focus

Kamal Mokrani Global Vice President InfiNet Wireless

Bringing in the wireless future Please elaborate on the focus areas for the company?

We have been in business for over two decades and in the past 10-11 years or so have refocused our business into the carrier grade type of business. We have been driving some new innovations in the wireless area. Wireless is a wide domain from the straightforward WiFi and mobile to fixed broadband wireless. We focus in providing high capacity connectivity for a large number of different applications whether it is connecting two offices together to deploying a complete WAN for transporting data, voice, video etc. or a combination of all these. For

instance in the UAE, we have partnered with du to provide connectivity to all its enterprise customers. So if a customer needs connectivity for its front office or back office operations, they would need to hire the services of a telecom operator and with du we provide that connectivity within a day. This could be starting from 1 Mbps all the way to 500 Mbps.

What was the highlight of your GITEX showcase?

We have launched a new product at GITEX Technology Week, the InfiLINK XG 1000, which offers 1 Gbps, which is meant for slightly different applications such as backhaul in the telecom market, education,

oil and gas, smart cities, video surveillance and public safety.

It can provide throughput of up to 1 Gbps over the air in 5 GHz license-free frequency bands. InfiLINK XG 1000 was specifically designed to deliver superior performance over long distances and in extremely adverse environments including nLOS and NLOS scenarios.

Discuss the regional focus?

We have been in the Middle East for 11-12 years now. In fact this is the second biggest region for us after Russia and the CIS region. The Saudi market is spending a little less on infrastructure projects because of the dip in oil prices.

There are countries that are

offsetting this such as UAE itself and Dubai in particular is driving demand with new initiatives including IoT, 5G smart cities that need high speed wireless connectivity.

Traditional cable solutions can only help so much because of mobility constraints. We are part of the puzzle, providing connectivity where the cable is not feasible, is too expensive or not available. For metro and other transport systems, for traffic intelligence systems, there are always elements of wireless where we come in providing IP connectivity to bring back signals form video cameras, speed cameras etc.

What is your partner focus?

In general, we work with partners because they provide the local support on an ongoing basis and enhancing customer experience. So we do have an indirect channel for instance with many IT focused integrators who work with enterprise customers to provide a lot of backoffice infrastructure and of which connectivity would also have be a significant part. For instance the Oil & Gas sector is a huge focus where we work with large systems integrators who focus in the domain to provide connectivity to remote oil wells for monitoring oil production etc as well as to residential campuses in the vicinity. Banking has also been a huge focus with successful case studies that enhance customer experience with faster Banking operations.

We have been doing several new projects across the region this year.

December 2017 | 23

TechKnow | Sophos

Harish Chib Vice President, MEA Sophos

Securing cyber frontiers Harish Chib, vice president, Middle East& Africa, Sophos discusses some of the trends that the security vendor is pioneering in bringing next generation approach to endpoint security

24 | December 2017

What was the focus at GITEX this year?

We showcased our next generation security platform and new products that offer the latest in anti-ransomware, anti-exploit, anti-malware and Advanced Persistent Threats protection across all the devices and data. Sophos Intercept X, a next-generation endpoint technology for advanced protection against zero-day malware, exploits and ransomware and the latest version of XG Firewall, one of the highest performing firewalls in the industry were part of the showcase.

At GITEX, it was also an opportunity to promote our cloud based solutions as there is a strong interest around cloud solutions and customers want to save on budgets and are not keen on high capital investments. With Sophos Central, acloud based management console that helps manage security end to end, customers can stop worryingas the solution secures the network and the endpoint, the wireless, email security, internet traffic flowing through etc.Our messaging has been that we are a one-stop vendor for end to end security; for partners, it is more convenient to work with us because of the end to end offering. They don’t need to go around to other vendors who provide point solutions and similarly, for customers, we could address any of their cybersecurity issues.

What have been the additions to Synchronized security?

Synchronized security was announced about a couple of years ago. While we had initially unveiled it with two products that were integrated, we have subsequently added mobile container, encryption, AI to make it a very comprehensive offering.

If you have a mobile device provided by the employer,the company would want to ensure that the work files and data are not shareable in the private space; so we provide mobile container as a solution. A mobile container creates a separate, secure area on asmartphone or tablet in which users can access corporate data. The container isauthenticated

"We are educating partners to move away from a focus on selling single point products, focus on solutions and preferably move customers to an OpEX model, not CapEX. With declined oil prices, there are budgetary constraints and so the cloud based subscription model or the OpEX model suits best."

and encrypted to protect and isolate data from unauthorized access,malware, other applications and system resources The official work documents are stored in these containers and are not shareable in private space of the user via social media or other channels; this entire mobile management is orchestrated by our cloud platform. If the mobile is lost unfortunately, the entire container can be wiped by remote command and so the stored data is not risk of falling into wrong hands.We have had on-premises EMM solutions for long and now that has been extended to be offered from the cloud.

You don’t need to buy hardware, software separately and go through the hassle of install, manage etc. we take care of the uptime, backup, latest upgrades.

The customer juts need to have a policy configured and monitor.

Sophos SafeGuard Encryption 8 solution includes always-on encryption that follows files wherever they travel. We offer both disk and file encryption through the solution; the former is good to ensure that there is no data compromise in case a laptop is lost and file encryption secures files that are being sent out of the network. We also do device encryption of your USB. Every country has its data protection laws and it is important to be compliant with these requirements.

We are moving into AI and are using deep learning techniques in our new approach towards security. This is an advanced form of machine learning, that is more effective (higher detection rate) and more accurate (lower false positives) than other machine learning technology.

This is part of our endpoint security and would be a paradigm change. The long term strategy is to away with signatures etc. we don’t think there would be need for signature as the deep learning technologies mature.

new XG Firewall and what is unique?

We have announced our latest version of the XG Firewall. Sophos XG delivers comprehensive, enterprise-class security including firewall, VPN, IPS, antivirus, anti-spam, email encryption, web filter, application control, Web Application Firewall and wireless security. Plus, the recent addition of Sandbox with deep learning takes the protection you receive to the next level.

Using Synchronized Security to obtain information from the endpoint, XG Firewall can identify, classify and allow the control of all previously unknown applications active on the network, such as those which don’t have signatures or are using generic HTTP or HTTPS connections. Synchronized App Control will automatically associate discovered applications with appropriate categories where possible and administrators can assign unknown apps to categories that will block or prioritize them as desired.

Sophos XG Firewall is available for onpremise and cloud deployment, on all the major virtualization platforms as well as through the Microsoft Azure marketplace.

Any application using VPN which your customer or end user downloads, we will categorize using what we call the Synchronized App Controller, which we demonstrated this at GITEX. With any other vendors, the typical scenario is that when an Application like say Microsoft Lync is updated, those firewalls aren’t able to detect and then they need get a new updated pattern to recognize.

That is not the case with Sophos because we take the intelligence from the endpoints. So for instance, if a user is downloading Skype, our firewall will block it if the corporate policy doesn’t allow use of any VPN.

Discuss the features available with the

What is your long term strategy

towards hardware and cloud?

We have a vision to move to allcloud. We don’t think the on premise hardware based model will be a long term strategy. We are coming with a cloud in a box solution with entire solutions set available with Sophos Central for customers like public sector entities, government clients etc who don’t want to host their critical data in the public cloud.

However, hardware based firewalls will never go away as they will always be needed for securing VPNs so that a clean connection is assured between an office HQ and its branches. The intelligence on the other hand is moving away towards being cloud based.

Discuss focus on channel and what they need to do to stay relevant in the cloud era?

We are educating partners to move away from a focus on selling single point products, focus on solutions and preferably move customers to an OpEX model, not CapEX. With declined oil prices, there are budgetary constraints and so the cloud based subscription model or the OpEX model suits best. That is ideal for partners too as there would be regular monthly renewals. This will facilitate long term relationships.

Sophos has a dedicated partner program for the Middle East & Africa region. The program is well segmented into four different on-boarding levels with different skills certifications, sales and target activities, and rewards. Sophos’ MEA Partners are now able to manage all Sophos solutions for every customer through a centralized management platform, Sophos Central. Within Sophos Central is Sophos Central-Partner, a specialized dashboard that allows partners to distribute licenses, add new customers on demand, cross- and upsell Sophos Endpoint and Network Products, drive recurring revenue and have a clear, realtime perspective on all customer activity.

December 2017 | 25

Insight | Cisco

T

Osama Al-Zoubi Chief Technology Officer Cisco Middle East

Intuitive networks accelerate digital transformation Osama Al-Zoubi, Chief Technology Officer, Cisco Middle East opines intuitive networks promise a respite for organizations struggling with legacy networks and are a stepping stone towards a much bigger picture.

26  |  December 2017

here are an estimated 8.4 billion connected devices today and this number is racing ahead to reach hundreds of billions. According to Cisco's Visual Networking Index (VNI) forecasts, over 500 billion devices and objects will be connected by 2030. The present and ongoing phase of digital transformation is more powerful and challenging than previous technological transformational phases. In the past, we have leapfrogged from mainframes to PCs and from the informational web to e-commerce driven Internet.

At present, digital disruption is radically changing economies, cities, communities and the landscape of business.

The connected world has become too big and too complex for us humans to effectively administer by our own skills. The networks of tomorrow, with their dense array of devices, sensors, systems, appliances, applications, will not be manually administered. They will be too complex, too cumbersome, too complicated, and fast changing, that much more than manual administration will be required.

Traditional networking models simply do not scale and perform to meet the expectations of this digital era.

With this spate of challenges, businesses need a new networking framework, that is simplified and more secure to use. IDC indicates that businesses that have invested in modern networks, have improved their rate of growth in revenue, customer retention and profit, by a factor of two to three times.

For digital organizations, the network is the foundation of their business and success.

In the connected world of today, every company is becoming a technology company. While connected devices present useful business opportunities, the complexity of managing the devices and the network itself, in an efficient and secure manner, is a challenge for present day technologies.

This means every company needs to have security, on the top of its boardroom agenda. Organizations that make cybersecurity a critical foundation for their digital growth strategies will accelerate their innovation and reduce their time to market.

Security is the most sensitive and critical component of digital transformation.

Increasingly industry analysts now agree that the way forward to tackle security challenges in digital organizations is through the network. It is within the network that people, processes and data collide, and technology itself presents solutions to move forward.

From the field of analytics, machine learning can be used to build complex models and algorithms within networks that are capable of generating forward looking trends.

Analytical models inbuilt inside networks can produce reliable and repeatable decisions and can uncover hidden insights through learning from historical relationships embedded in data. Machine learning can give networks the ability to learn without being programmed. This approach

has evolved from pattern recognition and learning theory in artificial intelligence.

Networks with such inbuilt algorithms can learn and make predictions from data. With the help of these algorithms, networks can overcome the limitation of static programming and can make data-driven predictions and decisions, through building a model from data inputs. In the past data mining has been used to discover new trends in wide arrays of collected data.

However, in the case of such intuitive networks built on machine learning, algorithms discover known trends that are prevalent in data as it is aggregated.

Networks with in-built

machine learning and complex algorithms can establish a pattern of baseline behavior and can successfully flag deviations without supervision.

One of the immediate benefits is the ability to successfully build models of optimal network behavior and proactively react without intervention to anomalies and intrusions within.

Such new intuitive networks shift from the traditional manual, timeintensive, static mode of operation, towards one that is capable of continuously learning from the data that it manages for an organization.

The more volume of data it manages, the more it is capable of learning through

analytics and adapting for automatic and efficient response. The intuitive network automates the edge of the network and embeds machine learning and analytics at a foundational level.

Three fundamentals characterize these innovative solutions. By enabling the ability to move from manual operations to automation, this network can scale to manage millions of devices, establishing its Intent. By assessing data continuously in Context with the rest of the organization, the network can provide better insights leading to proactive security actions and efficiency.

By virtue of the actions it takes and assessment of the results, the network can improve the

results of its future insights and also its future action, hence Intuition.

Where does all this lead?

The first is, an intuitive network will gain the trust of business and IT executives wanting to select a platform to build their digital business models of tomorrow. This will be on the basis of its machine learning capabilities, that it is constantly learning and evolving to become highly secure and provide insights.

And the second is, the intuitive network is just the stepping stone to a much bigger vision of creating intuitive technology infrastructure. But for now, the network remains the accelerator and enabler towards this exciting end game.

December 2017  |  27

Insight | Pure Storage

Public Cloud should be part of the strategy for Middle East Organizations but not the only strategy to build innovative IT infrastructure, writes Yousuf Khan, CIO,

Yousuf Khan CIO Pure Storage

F

Pure Storage

Building strategic infrastructure

or consumers and businesses alike, digital technology has proven disruptive. Consumers can, in theory, embrace or reject the trend as they see fit.

But a reluctance to embrace digital technologies can leave organizations falling behind competitors.The good news is that enterprises in the Middle East are already making strides in this area. In a recent survey we conducted, of 300 IT decision makers in the region, 72 percent of respondents stated that their organizations are committed to being information-based companies.

In fact, the survey found

28 | December 2017

that digital solutions already contribute almost 50 percentof revenue in these companies.

It is often the responsibility of IT leaders to innovate in line with the business’ digital vision, without breaking the bank. In response to this pressure,over the past several years, public cloud has seen increased adoption across a multitude of industries. The demand for simpler storage, combined with an unprecedented explosion of data, has created the perception of an unstoppable drive toward the public cloud.

A “cloud-first” strategy is the popular buzzword for executive

leadership. But it’s important to understand what that really means.

The narrative that cloud and traditional storage are at direct odds, while compelling, is oversimplified. Within today’s landscape, there are more options than just public cloud and traditional on-premise.

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) has exploded, while private cloud has also seen significant increase in relevancy. A strategy that deploys some combination of these options is referred to as hybrid cloud. This is a route that most enterprises in the Middle East are opting

to go down as evidenced by findings of the survey where 69 percent of businesses say they will increase their public cloud usage in the next 18-24 months. In parallel, private cloud (57 percent) and SaaS (56 percent) usage is also expected to grow in the same timeframe.

In my conversations with more than 70 CIOs, VPs of Infrastructure and technology leaders over the past several months, the general consensus is two-fold: • Organizations that aren’t using public cloud in some capacity are likely missing out • Public cloud is part of a

strategy – but it’s not the strategy Strategic infrastructure is key to optimizing for the new reality of digital business – and that means building a hybrid cloud.

Today, major retail brands – which were previously never considered technology companies – are generating more data than high tech firms did a decade ago. Car companies like Mercedes and Tesla, outfit cars with sometimes hundreds of sensors, which constantly pour critical performance data back into organizational databases.

90 percent of all data ever generated was generated in the last five years. Analysts forecast that by 2025, we will generate 180 zettabytes – or 180 trillion gigabytes – of data annually To gain advantage from that data, maintain a modern pace of innovation and improve operational efficiency, organizations must be highly analytical and strategic about which workloads and applications live where.

Analytics and business intelligence are two of the top focus areas for CIOs with 74 percent of respondents to the survey reporting that they see more demand in the business for real-time analytics and interactive simulations than a year ago. To effectively utilize both, modern IT professionals must understand the strengths and limitations of different infrastructure options to create the optimal hybrid environment for their organizational needs.

Public cloud has revolutionized the standard for easy IT. It’s simpler to manage,

"The narrative that cloud and traditional storage are at direct odds, while compelling, is oversimplified. Within today’s landscape, there are more options than just public cloud and traditional on-premise." and removes the time and energy burden of technology upgrades from the customer.

It’s a utility model, which is attractive to organizations for which CapEx is limited, and provides the flexibility needed to scale up and down quickly depending on fluctuating demand. An insurance company, for example, needs more infrastructure up and running when more of its customers are on the road – to scale up and down over the course of days or hours requires an agile solution.

The other side of the same coin is scale over time.

As an organization’s data requirements grow, so does the public cloud bill – exponentially.

Today, there is an entire industry being created around public cloud cost management.

Many CIOs report directly to the CFO, and when we speak to them, cost certainty is a recurring theme. A volatile and unpredictable operating expense can be untenable when building a digital organization.

For all its agility and ease, the public cloud often comes with a performance and reliability downgrade when compared to the best on-premise solutions. This is corroborated by findings from the survey as availability (52 percent) and performance (47 percent) were cited as two of the key drivers for continued use of traditional on-premise solutions. Availability and

reliability are core tenets of any cloud strategy. Today, CIOs need to be much more deliberate and thoughtful about the impact of outages on endusers and customers. In the public cloud, disruptive outages do happen. In fact, it happened to Amazon Web Services (AWS) this past February. For missioncritical business operations, like high-performance analytics or anything at scale, a hybrid environment is better suited.

Last, and top of mind for a great many CIOs I’ve spoken with, is compliance, something that is particularly important in the Middle East; 77 percent of IT decision makers surveyed said their organization has reduced usage of public cloud over the past year due to security concerns and 38 percent cite security as the key roadblock

to adoption of public cloud. In highly-regulated industries such as healthcare and government, data sovereignty and direct control over response to outages are a non-negotiable requirement for many workloads. CIOs need to consider compliance strategy in a world where data sovereignty and regulations are fast changing. In light of global events like Brexit and geopolitical tensions in the region, CIOs need to ensure that their cloud strategies align with ever-fluid national and international regulations and requirements.

Ultimately, smart, successful companies use resources toward solving customer problems. Organizations need IT to work for them, so that their best and brightest technical minds are working to advance the next wave of innovation rather than managing infrastructure.

December 2017 | 29

EyeTech

A10 FlexPool

Overview: A10 Networks, a Secure Application Services company, announced A10 FlexPool, a new software subscription and capacity pooling model that eliminates the traditional challenges of resource planning and portability across on-premise and cloud environments. A10 FlexPool helps customers simplify consumption of app services with ability to re-allocate capacity across multiple infrastructure deployment models.

The introduction of A10 FlexPool represents a strategic step in the company’s business strategy and vision to help customers become more secure and agile as they bridge traditional and cloud application environments. A10 FlexPool allows customers to seamlessly use A10 services either on-premise or in the cloud, without service disruption, in a cost-effective, customer-friendly manner that eliminates unnecessary expenses caused by overprovisioning.

A10 FlexPool allows customers to purchase licensed capacity, then allocate and redistribute that capacity across applications and infrastructures as desired. Additionally, FlexPool simplifies the operational process by limiting the administrative task of centrally managing the license pool.

Key features: • FlexPool delivers flexible allocation through a shared capacity pool, dynamic scaling of capacity and user-defined instance sizes.

• FlexPool protects organization’s investment with license portability, the elimination of overprovisioning and the inclusion of software upgrades and Gold support.

• FlexPool offers operational simplicity through centralized license management, visibility and usage monitoring.

FlexPool licenses are all inclusive and can be distributed across multiple services and environments.

30 | December 2017

HP DesignJet T830 Multifunction Printer Overview: The new HP DesignJet T830 24-inch Multifunction Printer is an ultra-compact, versatile large format printing solution for architects, engineers and construction teams to seamlessly collaborate onsite and across sites by printing, copying, scanning and sharing plans with a single device.

The 24-in T830 printer joins the HP DesignJet T830 Multifunction Printer Series creating a portfolio that can handle any size project, yet offering the same HP DesignJet quality and reliability in what is now the most compact MFP device available in the market.

Ideal for architecture studios and construction offices preferring a smaller footprint, the HP DesignJet T830 24-in Multifunction Printer offers a convenient solution with a range of communications options that can help increase collaboration. Print, scan, copy, and share drawings, project schedules, renders, presentations, and more.

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Immediately share project meeting results to peers and partners. Print A1/D sized prints in up to 26 seconds.

Wireless printing from smartphone, tablet or computer with Wi-Fi Direct and HP Mobile Printing3 Use scanner tomake copies of originals for use in the field while preserving the master.

Copy sketches and hand-annotated drawings for immediate team distribution.

HP Smart app to share scanned images with email contacts, post to cloud HP Click software for easyprinting of project sets and PDF documents

Kantech KT-1 single door controller Overview: Johnson Controls announced the immediate availability of the innovative Kantech KT-1 single door controller with embedded simplified access control software for one door systems. KT-1 Standalone is the ideal choice for a cost-effective, easy-to-use, single-door application.

With KT-1’s new Standalone Mode, using a dedicated web browser, the KT-1 Ethernet-ready single door controller can be controlled and managed via simple and intuitive web based software. EntraPass software is not required. This makes the KT-1 a viable option for small businesses and individuals with basic access control needs such as being able to assign card access and run reports.KT-1 Standalone removes the complexity from security management for small businesses by giving users a web-based system that brings a greater level of security, while bypassing the investment required for computers and software.

Key features: • With a simplified and quick installation and no software required, KT-1 Standalone is appealing to a base beyond the traditional access control installer.

• No additional training is required because there is no software system to learn or special certification needed.

• The wizard-based platform walks installers through the process in minutes.

CABIS Overview: Gemalto's Cogent Automated Biometric Identification System (CABIS) is a scalable and customizable solution that allows you to perform a range of tasks for processing, editing, searching, retrieving, and storing fingerprint, palm print, face and iris images and subject records.

With hundreds of case files to process daily, forensic examiners need to find answers fast. They need a multibiometric tool that can help them find answers quickly and efficiently. Gemalto has put the know-how of 27 years of experience working with public authorities and law enforcement into its biometric software version 7, now available. Gemalto Cogent ABIS makes it easier than ever for examiners to run complex multi-biometric solutions with remarkable matching accuracy and speed and helps government agencies to better protect and serve our communities.

Its customizable workflows meet agencies' business requirements and allow easy integration with industry-standard biometric recording workstations/devices as well as with 3rd party systems.

Users with growing access control needs can migrate to

Key features:

the next level with KantechEntraPass or hattrix software.

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Superior algorithms and comprehensive set of powerful tools that analyze and enhance the quality of prints increasing the probability of a hit.

While transactions are processed in the background, users can concurrently perform multiple tasks swiftly and precisely.

Operates in a multitasking environment and is built for expansion as demands and upgrade requirements arise.

Manages cost effective growth in response to increasing customer demands.

Non-proprietary NIST record formats are used in database storage. As a result, the system can be interfaced with external ABIS systems, criminal history systems, Livescans, mobile devices, web-based solutions, as well as other information systems.

December 2017 | 31

Stats & Trends

Spending on Cognitive & AI Systems set for sustained growth in MEA T

he latest projections from International Data Corporation (IDC) show that spending on cognitive and artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) will grow an impressive 31.8% this year. The global ICT research and consulting services firm's recently updated Worldwide Semiannual Cognitive Artificial Intelligence Systems Spending Guide indicates that the region's investment in this space will total $37.49 million for 2017, with the market tipped to reach $114.22 million in 2021, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.0% for the 20162021 period.

In terms of the technologies used in cognitive/AI implementations, software will continue to account for the largest portion of the investment in 2021 at 44.7%, followed by IT and business services at 35.0%.

However, the IT and business

services segment will grow at a much faster rate over the course of the forecast period, with IDC projecting a CAGR of 49.0% for this space versus 27.7% for software. Hardware will account for the remaining 20.3% of spending on cognitive/AI implementations in 2021, with this segment growing at a CAGR of 23.8%.

"Given the exponential growth we are seeing in data volumes, organizations across the region are increasingly looking to leverage solutions that can help improve the efficiency and productivity of their employees," says Megha Kumar, IDC's research director for software in the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey. "To that end, cognitive/AI systems can play a key role in helping to automate and augment processes, which is why we expect to see sustained growth in spending on such solutions over the coming period."

The use of cognitive/AI systems will see significant

growth across all industries, although IDC's research suggests the biggest opportunity lies in the financial sector, where an estimated $28.32 million will be spent on cognitive/AI solutions in 2021, accounting for a quarter of overall spending. This will be followed by the public sector (including government, education, and healthcare) with 19.8% share and manufacturing with 14.1%. IDC expects the fastest growing use cases to be defense, terrorism, investigation, and government intelligence; automated customer service; and fraud analysis and investigation.

"Cognitive systems will increasingly utilize natural language processing, content aggregation, and machine learning to enable applications for a wide range of use cases," says Kumar. "At the consumer level, we are already seeing this with the likes of Apple's Siri, Microsoft's

Cortana, Amazon's Alexa, and Google Now, and such intelligent agents will become increasingly common in the enterprise setting as well.

Indeed, we are already seeing this in action in the UAE, where cognitive assistants called Eva and Rashid have been deployed by Emirates NBD and Dubai's Department of Economic Development, respectively."

"Of all the countries in the MEA region, the UAE is clearly a pioneer when it comes to the use of cognitive/AI systems," continues Kumar.

"Cementing this position, the country's government recently launched the 'UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence', which aims to provide a comprehensive framework for the use of AI across various different sectors and services.

At IDC, we expect this initiative to fuel demand for a new range of skills and services within the country over the coming years."