EDITORIAL
in
theRestoring“Care” Healthcare
Dr. Eric Topol, Cardiologist, Director of Scripps Research Translational Institute, once said, “what I am most excited about artificial intelligence (AI) is using the future to bring back the past: to restore the care in healthcare. But it will require substantial activism of the medical community to stand up for patients and not allow further upending the erosion of the doctorpatientSuchrelationship.”observations eventually invite the judicious attention of the medical community to investigate and resolve the reeling issues in the sector. Whilst endorsing such important observations, The Integrator’s July issue explains several technological achievements in healthcare. As the intelligence of computer programs is used alongside the judgments of doctors and other medical professionals, more certain diagnoses and treatments can be offered to patients. Similarly, the prediction of diseases (heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, etc.) helps medical practitioners give effective advice to people. If AI alone manages to create such buzz in the healthcare sector, the combination of disruptive technologies, including extended reality (VR, AR), AI, robotics, digital health, and metaverse in the sector would change our perspective on patient care. We are thrilled to announce the launch of “eZkrt.com,” a B2C, B2B marketplace for electronics, apparel, and home furnishing. eZkrt is a pioneering initiative of One Pi (incorporated under OMA Group). With an extensive range of product categories, eZkrt stands out as a unique and innovative marketplace. Visit eZkrt.com today and experience the new-era shopping! Thank you for the support and we are excited to receive your feedback on the publication.
D-Link MEA speaks about the innovative networking solutions the company presents. 11 With Awards and CSR, CBD SMEChampions 2022 Extends Its Winning Streak NEWS IN DETAIL 12 With Enhanced AI and IoT Integration, D-Link Devices Cater to the 5G Demands EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS 12 Vivek Sharma CEO Murali Margassery Assistant Editor Faiz Ahmed Graphic Designer Bhavana Menon Assistant Sales Director Navin Hassan Sales Executive Suneeta Dadwani Sales Support
14 Achieve Health Equity With AI Dr. Jassim Haji, Chairman of IGOAI and a researcher in technology and AI, writes a cover feature on the transformational prospects of the healthcare sector besides the adoption of AI into patient care.
Happy reading!
Sakkeer Hussain, Director - Sales & Marketing,
4 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com Murali Margassery Assistant Editor Content
COVER FEATURE
5JULY 2022www.VARonline.com Disclaimer: While the publishers have made every attempt possible to get accurate information on published content in this magazine. They cannot be held liable for any errors herein. Published by: JNS Media International (OMA Group Company) OMA House, P.O. Box: 3314, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Tel: +971 6 573 0000 | website: www.VARonline.com Sales Inquiries sales@var-mea.com: All other Inquiries info@var-mea.com: Editorial editor@var-mea.com: Content 29FEATURE Zero Trust, Cloud, and Remote Working Drive Digital Resiliency 31 Create a Data Fortress for Protection against Ransomware Attacks EYE TECH 32 Axis Introduces Network Strobe Siren to Help Deter Intruders 16 Extended Reality in Healthcare Will Be a Gamechanger in Clinical Practice 18 Callsign OrganizationsHelps With a Solid Defense Against Online Bad Actors, Scams, and Frauds 28 Healthcare Industry Finds Itself on the Precipice of a Massive Data Deluge 21 AVEVA CapabilitiesData-SharingStrengthenedConnectWith20 Schneider Electric launches inaugural Global RecognitionPartnerProgram NEWS BYTES 22 Emirates Post Redefines E-Commerce Business in the UAE With Its Latest Services INTERVIEW 24 How Cybersecurity Readiness Prevents SMBs From Fuelling Supply Chain Attacks FEATURE 22 24 16
Trend Micro claims that its solutions enable organizations to protect public, private, and virtual cloud environments, providing more flexibility and simplicity in securing the cloud throughout the migration and expansion process.
The company’s new cloudnative SaaS version will be known as NetWitness Vision XDR and is currently in the design preview.
TREND MICRO STRENGTHENS REGIONAL ENTERPRISES
6 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com
NETWITNESS LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE XDR OFFERINGS FOR NEXT GENERATION SECURITY
NetWitness XDR delivers a set of capabilities enabling extended detection and response (XDR) and helping customers stay ahead of the cyberMartinthreats.Sutherland, NetWitness General Manager of Middle East, Turkey, and Africa said, “we can streamline the complexities of managing a cybersecurity strategy and provide a cost-effective fully featured architecture with fewer
The one-day event explored business and region’sadvancementstechnologicalbroughttotheorganizationsbyutilizing innovations in the cloud.
“Today, cloud technology is imperative and has provided organizations with immediate benefits in security, scalability, and flexibility prompting them to make the transition and bolster their digital transformation journeys,” said Sami Ayyoub, Sales Manager, UAE, Trend Micro. “With the AWS Region in the UAE launching in the coming months, businesses will be empowered to accelerate their growth and fulfill potential by innovating in the cloud.
NetWitness, a provider of cybersecurity technologies and incident response, has recently announced NetWitness XDR, a family of products and capabilities delivering comprehensive detection and response on-premise, in the cloud, or as a hybrid of the two.
We at Trend Micro remain committed to protecting the large-scale migrations and shielding enterprises in the country aiming to position themselves as industry leaders with robust capabilities of cloud services and state-of-the-art security solutions.”Among the many insights and innovations, the company showcased the capabilities of Trend Micro Cloud One, simplifying cloud security through cloud migrations, workloads, conformity, network, cloud-native applications, and cloud operational excellence.
The third product line, NetWitness
requirements for managing, training, andUnderintegration.”thisnew model, NetWitness XDR will be comprised of three main product lines that showcase its uniquely powerful support for all XDR use cases. NetWitness Platform XDR 12 is the newest major release of NetWitness Platform. This technology stack, typically deployed as customermanaged software or hosted by MSSPs, has been enhanced to focus on detection capabilities that identify threats faster and decrease their impact.
Martin Sutherland GM, NetWitness, META
TECHNOLOGY NEWS BYTES
XDR Cloud Services, is a set of optional SaaS applications that take advantage of the cloud’s inherent elastic nature to deliver flexible and cost-effective components.
Trend Micro, a leader in cybersecurity solutions, shared its industry-leading solutions and in-depth insights at the AWS Transformation Day Dubai at the Madinat Jumeriah Conference & Events Centre, aimed at safeguarding the region’s digital ambitions through the power of the cloud.
Enhancements to the webhook include dynamically updated
DELINEA ANNOUNCES THE LATEST RELEASE OF DEVOPS SECRETS VAULT
Delinea, a leading provider of privileged access management (PAM) solutions for seamless security, has announced the latest release of DevOps Secrets Vault. Among other new and expanded features, the high-velocity vault offers enhanced support for Kubernetes, providing more secure credentials management for containerized applications. The release also introduces dynamic secrets for MongoDB, increasing the number of developer-preferred databases supported.
The newly opened Transparency Centers will welcome the company’s enterprise partners and customers, including state agencies and regulators, responsible for Harden apps by removing standing access to MongoDB
KASPERSKY EXPANDS ITS NETWORK OF TRANSPARENCY CENTERS
Brad Schwarz VP, and GM - Data Management as a Service, Cohesity
cybersecurity. Two more facilities in APAC — in Tokyo and Singapore — ensure the company’s greater proximity to stakeholders in this region, while the center in Woburn, MA in the United States, will serve as a new venue for the company’s North American Transparency Center, which used to be located in New Brunswick, Canada.
This release of DevOps Secrets Vault expands secure management of secrets for communication between Kubernetes containers.
Better Kubernetes support for more secure containerized apps
In opening these Transparency Centers, Kaspersky is taking a significant step towards becoming completely transparent in its protection practices.”infrastructure,technologies,anddataprocessingSincethelaunchofthe first center in 2018 in Zurich (Switzerland), Kaspersky has launched several more and now operates code review centers in Madrid (Spain), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and São Paulo (Brazil).
DevOps Secrets Vault introduces dynamic secrets for MongoDB, which can create and delete local users just-in-time in the database. With MongoDB now supported, DevOps and DevSecOps teams have more flexibility in securing access to the databases that developers prefer while minimizing standing privileges.
TECHNOLOGYNEWS BYTES
Kaspersky launches the Global Transparency Initiative (GTI), which includes opening a global network of Transparency Centers — trusted facilities where customers and partners can review the company’s code, software updates, threat detection rules, and other activities.Kaspersky claims, “no other cybersecurity provider has done anything as far-reaching as this.
7JULY 2022www.VARonline.com
MongoDB is one of the top-rated databases in the Stack Overflow 2021 Developer Survey and an attractive target for cyber attacks.
“Developers know security is important, but often don’t have enough time to prioritize it. The focus for DevSecOps should be on seamless usability and automation for elastic and dynamic environments,” commented Phil Calvin, Chief Product Officer at Delinea. secrets and support for custom namespaces. High-speed credentials management is now available for DevOps teams supporting Windows sidecar containers.
8 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com
TECHNOLOGY exploit this trust. Moreover, these attachments mean that attackers no longer need to place malicious links in the body of the email and therefore allow them to bypass traditional anti-spam and anti-virus policies with ease.”
D-Link Corporation announced to join the Metaverse Standards Forum as the first participant from the networking equipment industry. The Metaverse Standards Forum is a newly established governing body that aims to promote alignment on priorities and requirements for Metaverse interoperability standards. Companies and organizations that participate in the basic standards will serve as the foundations for an open Metaverse. As a principal member, D-Link will coordinate with Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) from various industries to accelerate the ACCELERATE FUTURE STANDARDIZATION
DEVELOPMENTS THROUGH
1 IN 5 HTML EMAIL ATTACHMENTS FOUND TO BE MALICIOUS: BARRACUDA RESEARCH D-LINK JOINS THE METAVERSE STANDARDS FORUM; AIMING TO
R esearch conducted by Barracuda Networks has found that HTML attachments are by far the most used by cybercriminals for malicious purposes. The company’s analysis of millions of email attachments over the past month revealed that a whole 1 in 5 HTML attachments was malicious. By comparison, a meagre 0.03% and 0.009% of MS Office and PDF files respectively that were sent via the scanned emails were found to be
Explainingmalicious.the growing popularity of HTML attachments as an attack vector, Toni El InatiRVP Sales, META & CEE, Barracuda Networks said, “HTML attachments have become ubiquitous in email communications as they are commonly used for systemgenerated reports, updates, and notifications. They often include hyperlinks, which users have become accustomed to clicking without first checking to see the full URL. It is no surprise then those attackers have been quick to
NEWS BYTES
implementation of standards for the Metaverse. According to a recent study by Gartner, 25% of people will spend at least one hour per day in the Metaverse for work, shopping, education, social and/or entertainment reasons, and 30% of organizations in the world will have products and services ready for the Metaverse by 2026. Interoperability is one of the key issues in the early stages of the Metaverse industry and tech giants hope the Metaverse Standards Forum will push the growth and evolution of the Metaverse.“TheMetaverse is where humans from diverse cultures interact through immersive experiences in a virtual world. To realize its full potential, the Metaverse must be built on open standards with interoperability and consistency to bring various domains together,” said CJ Chang, CEO of D-Link Corporation. “As a global leader in networking and connectivity solutions, D-Link is proud to join the Metaverse Standards Forum at the early stages of its establishment. We intend to collaborate with partners from many industries to make the Metaverse a better experience for all through standardization.”
10 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com
NEWS BYTES
Additionally, protecting against the effects of climate change may play a significant role in minimizing the impact and transmission of infectious diseases. Therefore, it is vital that we increase our focus on protecting the environment to improve our resilience to future pandemics,” said Eng. Mohamed AlHosani, Chief Sustainability Officer at BEEAH Group and coauthor of the deforestationAccordingstudy.toresearch,isreportedto increase susceptibility to COVID-19 due to wildfire-induced pollution and loss of forest ecosystem services. “Deforestation will likely lead to environmental damage and the modification of zoonotic habitats, resulting in the increased frequency of human and domestic animal
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT CAN PROTECT US FROM PANDEMICS: BEEAH STUDY
Anew study led by BEEAH Environmental Services that published by Elsevier in its journal “Hygiene and Environmental Health Advances” underlies that “deforestation, air, soil, water pollution, imperishable waste and other environmental issues impacting the globe are intrinsically linked to the increasing frequency and lethality of zoonotic diseases such as ecosystems“HealthyCOVID-19.”environmentalcreateasanitary barrier that limits the spread of disease.
SunMoney Solar Group, known for its solar power program, won the award “Trendsetter in Behavioural Change in Climate Action” at the 1st edition of Decarbonization and Climate Action awards (DACA) hosted at the recent Arab Green Summit in Dubai. The Arab Green Summit brought together top government officials, prominent decision-makers, and renowned climate policy experts from across the Middle East to collaborate and devise a strategy for action on climate change. At the DACA Awards, SunMoney was nominated in the following three categories - Trendsetter in Behavioural Change in Climate Action, Advocate in Climate Action Innovation and Impact, and Torchbearer of Sustainable and Climate Friendly Investment. Commenting on the win, Zoltan Rendes, Partner and Chief Marketing Officer at SunMoney Solar said, “We are thrilled to receive this award as we truly believe that sustainability is about more than just using clean energy sources; it's also about altering our habits and lifestyles to ensure we don’t continue to harm the environment.
TECHNOLOGY
SUNMONEY SOLAR AWARDED “TRENDSETTER IN BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE IN CLIMATE ACTION”
Dr. Hashem Stietiya BEEAH Environment Services Director, R&D & co-author of the study Eng. Mohamed AlHosani Chief Sustainability Officer, BEEAH Group and co-author of the study
contact with wildlife reservoirs of potential zoonoses. This increases the likelihood of our exposure to infectious diseases that can be transmitted between species, from animals to humans,” said Dr. Hashem Stietiya, the BEEAH Environment Services Director of Research and Development and coauthor of the study.
SMEChampions, an exceptional confluence of SMEs started by JNS Media International (an OMA Group company), is set to conduct award ceremonies, CSR, and next-round golf tournaments.
With an introductory program in August, the 1-month program CSR is scheduled to conduct in December.
EXCHANGE
With a massive award ceremony schedule in 2022 Q3, the CBD SMEChampions will highlight the top-performing SMEs in the Middle East. The event gathers CEOs, CTOs, CFOs, and VPs of notable enterprises besides becomes a top-notch medley of value exchange.
Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) and the CBD SMEChampions 2022 conducts the smartest sustainable initiative of e-waste collection in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The CSR activity will be focusing on collecting electronic devices that are outlived their usefulness and delivering them to an e-waste recycling or disposal facility.
11JULY 2022www.VARonline.com TECHNOLOGYNEWS IN DETAIL WITH SME AWARDS AND CSR, CBD SMECHAMPIONS
Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD) is the title sponsor of the year-round program that was officially launched on March 30, 2022 at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai. Vivek Sharma, CEO of JNS Media commented, “The platform SME Champions has four pillars that are SME-focused publication, annual SME awards, CSR activities, and corporate golf. The sustainable nature of the initiative keeps evolving and consistently contributes to the enhancement of business growth and the relationships of its partners and sponsors. One of its notable features is, that it is a subscriptionbased platform, where participants register themselves or get listed by its sponsors.”
Sustainable initiatives are enormously growing in the corporate sector and they hope to pave a way for a greener tomorrow and bring more ecological balance to the Joiningplanet.
2022 EXTENDS ITS WINNING STREAK
SME CHAMPIONS UPHOLDS VERSATILITY
SUSTAINABLE CSR INITIATIVES
The SME Champions platform stands out from the crowd as a sustainable initiative, bringing SMEs, large enterprises, tech giants, BFSIs, and logistic companies together on a common platform comprising of networking, business communications, and partnerships. Not only does it intend to perform as a unique platform that facilitates comprehensive business engagement between SMEs and resourcing enterprises, but also as the most dynamic medley of value exchange. The unique quality of the event is the versatility and standards of integration of diverse wings into a single platform that no one ever imagined. With a reasonable subscription fees, SMEs get to promote their brands across a large database of potential customers via publications, networking events, communication platforms presented by JNS Media.
SOCIABLE AND BUSINESS GOLFING One cannot deny that Golf is an inherently sociable game and a great way to meet new people. Similarly, one could enjoy playing Golf with friends or total strangers. Therefore, we consider Golf, as one of the important games, that helps to build natural connections and translate them into business engagements. Our next session of golf tournaments is scheduled for November 02 and December 09, 2022.
AWARDS AND VALUE
COVR SERIES WI-FI 6 SOLUTION: This also includes multi-pack options that are all equipped with Wi-Fi 6 and mesh technology to provide faster speeds, greater capacity, and less network
EAGLE PRO AI SERIES
It features a comprehensive range of routers to fulfill everyone’s needs for home Wi-Fi and 4G Wi-Fi. Equipped with Wi-Fi 6 Technology, the R15 AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 Smart Router, M15 AX1500 Mesh Router, and E15 AX1500 Mesh Range Extender deliver up to four times more capacity and a 40 percent throughput increase than Wi-Fi 5. D-Link is one of the global leaders in the design and manufacture of networking, broadband, digital, voice, and data communications solutions. The company caters products to the connectivity needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and enterprise environments.
congestion for the modern device-dense smart home. With the next-generation speed of up to 1.8 Gbps total, Covr AX Wi-Fi 6 solutions are perfect for simultaneous 4K streaming, VR gaming, video calling, and keeping the smart home connected. They also feature 4 Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and 1 Gigabit Ethernet WAN port for optional wired connectivity.
Tell us about D-Link’s newer/upgraded products presented to the SMBs and large enterprises
We have recently announced EAGLE PRO AI AX3200 Mesh Systems, which is designed for today’s device-dense smart homes. These systems are equipped with dual-band wireless speeds of up to 3.2 Gbps with the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, including 1024 QAM, MU - MIMO, and OFDMA technologies. They are available in both 2-pack (M32-2) and 3-pack (M32-3) formats. The built-in AI Wi-Fi Optimiser continuously connects to the best Wi-Fi channel and AI Traffic Optimiser prioritizes the most critical internet usage.
EAGLE PRO AI AX3200 Mesh Systems can be easily managed through the EAGLE PRO AI app. Some of our recent launches include Covr Series WiFi 6 solution and EAGLE PRO AI Series.
INTERVIEW WITHD-LINK ENHANCED AI AND IOT INTEGRATION, D-LINK DEVICES CATER TO THE 5G DEMANDS
Sakkeer Hussain, Director - Sales & Marketing, D-Link Middle East & Africa speaks about the innovative networking solutions the company has presented to its SMB customers.
12 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com
Sakkeer Hussain Director - Sales & Marketing, D-Link MEA Cover Series Wi-Fi 6 Solution
The R03, R04, and R12 Wi-Fi AI Routers are entry-level devices for emerging markets that provide the latest WPA3 security encryption for more secure connectivity.
Back in 2009, we initiated the D-Link “Green Project,” which consists of three key solutions: green technologies to reduce energy consumption, compliance with green regulations by using non-toxic raw materials, and green packaging initiative to reduce the volume of packaging materials. We continue to follow these principles and do our part in contributing to the environment.
DWR-2000M CPE 5G Wi-Fi 6 Router
EAGLE PRO AI Series-R15
Other new launches include DCS-8300LHV2 Full HD Wi-Fi Camera with AI-based person detection, Outdoor Industrial AC1200 Access Point DIS-3650AP and Indoor Industrial Access Point DIS-2650AP, and so on. How prepared are you with the latest devices/solutions for the emerging 5G communication technologies, IoT, and AI? D-Link is always a step or two ahead of the market curve. All our new products are integrated with AI and IoT and equipped to cater to the 5G demand. We are also seeing an increased appetite for these technologies from the customers’ end as they see and understand the benefits clearly. What sorts of network security competencies are currently presented to your enterprise customers? D-Link’s VPN Routers and UTM Firewalls offer secure, high-performance networking solutions to address the growing security needs of any business network. With advanced VPN features like Dynamic Content Filtering, to Enterprise-Class Firewall Security, there is a D-Link Network Security device for every business need.
13JULY 2022www.VARonline.com INTERVIEWD-LINK
Additionally, the G416 utilizes Carrier Aggregation technology to boost data speeds up to 300 Mbps. Carrier Aggregation provides the foundation for deploying 4G and 5G networks, with the capability to combine several frequency bands for higher peak rates and increased cell coverage.
D-Link UTM Firewalls combine the best of both worlds by integrating a mature and proven firewall with next-generation technologies. They offer advanced Deep Application Content Control that allows customers to control how applications are being used in a proactive and “zero-day” approach. Customers now have intelligent, robust security within reach with D-Link UTM Firewalls.
The EAGLE PRO AI series also includes 4G AI Routers G415 and G416, as well as entry-level models G403 and G412, all with two built-in external LTE antennas.
Elaborate on the strengths and channel strategies that keep D-Link ahead of its competitors
At D-Link, our channel partners are our family, they are our representatives in the market. We work very closely with our partner ecosystem to deliver pioneering products and solutions to help customers grow in the digital era. As a partner-led company, building partners’ businesses continue to be our top priority. We provide them with all the relevant resources they need to grow their operations. The distributed environment and hybrid work models have led us to create stronger digital initiatives to help partners reach their customers at any time and from any place. Besides having a robust partner ecosystem as our strength, D-Link also ensures to have innovation and creativity as part of our DNA. We understand customers’ immediate needs while also assessing their long-term requirements and offer comprehensive solutions. Explain the sustainable and green technology initiatives of D-Link
Climate change is having an adverse impact on the planet, which is why D-Link remains firmly committed to protecting the environment along every step of its product supply chain.
SUPPORTS MEDICAL IMAGING ANALYSIS AI is used as a tool for case triage. It supports a clinician reviewing images and scans. This enables radiologists or cardiologists to identify essential insights for prioritizing critical cases, avoid potential errors in reading electronic health records (EHRs), and establish more precise diagnoses.
COVER
Dr. Jassim Haji Chairman, IGOAI
Acute kidney injury can be difficult to detect by clinicians but can cause patients to deteriorate very fast and become life-threatening. With an estimated 11% of deaths in hospitals following a failure to identify and treat patients, the early prediction and treatment of these cases can have a huge impact to reduce life-long treatment and the cost of kidney dialysis.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare was not adequate and much less compared with commercial verticals especially in modern societies, such as the United States, China, and Europe. Had there been the modern technologies used efficiently in hospitals, research labs, patient care units, and drug development centers earlier, we could have saved many lives that the COVID-19 pandemic claimed. Concerns from similar and diverse angles had been raised by global expert communities and they were inviting the attention of various government authorities, state agencies, and private companies. Incorporating all of it, the International Group of Artificial Intelligence (IGOAI), a community of academics, students, CIOs, members of global AI associations, and professionals who engage with AI, successfully hosted a virtual summit on “The Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare” on 29th June 2022 with the theme of “AI simplifies the lives of patients, doctors, and hospital administrators by performing tasks that are typically done by humans, but in less time and at a fraction of the cost.”
Making sense of human language has been a goal of AI researchers since the 1950s. This field, NLP, includes applications such as speech recognition, text analysis,
14 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com COVER STORY
ACHIEVE HEALTH EQUITY WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
FORECAST KIDNEY DISEASE
FEATURE
PROVIDES VALUABLE ASSISTANCE TO EMERGENCY MEDICAL STAFF
BUILDS COMPLEX AND CONSOLIDATED PLATFORMS FOR DRUG DISCOVERY
During a sudden heart attack, the time between the 911 or 999 call to the ambulance arrival is crucial for recovery. For an increased chance of survival, emergency dispatchers must be able to recognize the symptoms of a cardiac arrest to take appropriate measures. AI can analyze both verbal and nonverbal clues to establish a diagnosis from a distance.
The AI and ML industry has the responsibility to design healthcare systems and tools that ensure fairness and equality are met, both in data science and in clinical studies, to deliver the best possible health outcomes. With more use of ML algorithms in various areas of medicine, the risk of health inequities can occur.
NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING
The following article refers to the key areas of AI that were analyzed during the summit and they would ideally catalyze further discussions on the subject.
TECHNOLOGY
SUPPORTS HEALTH EQUITY
AI algorithms can identify new drug applications, tracing their toxic potential as well as their mechanisms of action. This technology led to the foundation of a drug discovery platform that enables the company to repurpose existing drugs and bioactive compounds.
Dr. Jassim Haji, chairman of the International Group of Artificial Intelligence (IGOAI) and a researcher in technology and AI, writes a cover feature on the transformational prospects of the healthcare sector besides the adoption of AI into patient care.
Expert systems based on collections of “if-then” rules were the dominant technology for AI in the 1980s and were widely used commercially in that and later periods. In healthcare, they were widely employed for “clinical decision support” purposes over the last couple of decades and are still in wide use today. Many electronic health records (EHR) providers furnish a set of rules with their systems today.
PHYSICAL ROBOTS
International Group of Artificial Intelligence (IGOAI) was established in 2021 to create global awareness about artificial intelligence (AI).
PATIENT ENGAGEMENT AND ADHERENCE APPLICATIONS
RULE-BASED EXPERT SYSTEMS
translation, and other goals related to language. There are two basic approaches to it: statistical and semantic NLP. Statistical NLP is based on machine learning and has contributed to a recent increase in the accuracy of recognition. It requires a large “corpus” or body of language from which to learn.
ROBOTIC AUTOMATIONPROCESS
This technology performs structured digital tasks for administrative purposes, i.e., those involving information systems, as if they were a human user following a script or rules. Compared to other forms of AI they are inexpensive, easy to program, and transparent in their actions. Robotic process automation (RPA) doesn't involve robots – only computer programs on servers. It relies on a combination of workflow, business rules, and “presentation layer” integration with information systems to act like a semi-intelligent user of the systems. In healthcare, they are used for repetitive tasks like prior authorization, updating patient records, or billing.
Patient engagement and adherence have long been seen as the ‘last mile”’ problem of healthcare – the final barrier between ineffective and good health outcomes. The more patients proactively participate in their well-being and care, the better the outcomes - utilization, financial outcomes, and member experience. These factors are increasingly being addressed by big data and AI.
Physical robots are well known by this point, given that more than 200,000 industrial robots are installed each year around the world. They perform pre-defined tasks, such as lifting, repositioning, welding, or assembling objects in places like factories and warehouses and delivering supplies in hospitals. Recently, robots have become morearedesiredthemtrainedarewithcollaborativemorehumansandmoreeasilybymovingthroughthetask.Theyalsobecomingintelligent,as other AI capabilities are being embedded in their “brains.”
15JULY 2022www.VARonline.com COVER FEATURE TECHNOLOGY
learning, and data analytics in healthcare is very impactful in the healthcare sector. Healthcare experts now have access to previously unavailable data. This makes it possible to monitor patients remotely, fill patient charts faster, and optimize diagnosis and treatment time-frames.
Dr. Sana Farid, Co-Chair at VRAR Association (VRARA), is an AR VR strategist in the MENA region. As an avid researcher in the field of immersive technologies* or extended reality (XR), she believes, the adoption of XR will radically enhance patient care as healthcare providers get to explore new avenues for advanced techniques in the management and treatment of diseases.
INTERVIEW VRAR ASSOCIATION
16 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com
EXTENDED REALITY IN HEALTHCARE WILL BE A GAMECHANGER
The VR AR Association is an international organization working incessantly to bring the global XR communities closer together enabling a robust and fruitful interaction between likeminded entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts and a chance to learn and acquire knowledge from each other, and helps develop VR/AR industry best practices. These global initiatives taken in the field of technology are paving the way for predictive and preventive healthcare solutions.
The use of XR in healthcare is proving to be a gamechanger in clinical practice. The fact that no physical or geographical boundaries stand in the way of this technology, is the reason alone for its huge impact.
Add to that the element of safety and cost-effectiveness and you have a win-win combination, resulting in improved quality of care in effective time. How impactful are the latest technologies, i.e., AI, data analytics, remote patient monitoring, for improving patient care?
Why do you think the adoption of immersive technologies radically changes patient care? How extensively can we use them?
The use of today’s technologies including AI, machine
Discuss the role of the VR AR Association in fostering XR in the health sector
The adoption of immersive technologies radically enhances patient care because it assists healthcare providers to improve current procedures and explore new avenues for advanced techniques in the management and treatment of diseases.
The following is an exclusive interview with Dr. Sana.
With my professional background in medicine and extensive research in immersive technologies, I have contributed to various XR programs, some of the strategies are:
*Immersive technologies, also termed Extended Reality (XR) is an umbrella term for virtual, augmented, and mixed reality.)
Dr. Sana Farid Co-Chair, VRAR Association
17JULY 2022www.VARonline.com
Can you give some insights into a recent healthcare strategy that, you devised or collaborated with, brought significant results in patient care?
The usage of an approved system that bears standardized hardware and software: A higher degree of match between the content, device, and human will result in favorable clinical outcomes and lower probabilities of any side effects. Furthermore, ease of usage and physical ergonomics like the wearable device size and weight are among other essential criteria for selecting a VR or AR system. Moreover, simplicity is predominantly essential.
More about Dr. Sana Farid:
Clinical implementation of XR is quite similar to that of other clinical equipment: Accompanied by thorough research and investigation. A clinical protocol needs to be designed which is a medical document that bears the design, objective, and methodology of particular equipment. The ultimate goal of any XR program is to enhance the patient’s experience. A thorough understanding of the patient’s history and current status and defining the goals of using new tools are vital
VRAR ASSOCIATION
I feel overwhelmed and humbled. With various recognitions and appreciations, I sense a very serious responsibility to continue on the path of learning new ways technologies help us improve human life. My advice for everyone is to be open-minded and resilient about the changes as they come, whether in the shape of challenges or simply how things are evolving, in your personal or work life or the world.
How do you feel about being a known representation of women in the tech world? What advice do you have for women who aspire to a big and bold career in the tech industry?
• Her instrumental contribution includes creating guidelines for the XR industry and designing implementation strategies, while also defining standards for the safe use of XR
INTERVIEW
• Dr. Sana Farid has been named one of the top 100 voices in XR worldwide • She pioneered the establishment of immersive technology-based programs for pediatrics, the critically ill, and special needs
Tell us about Callsign’s Middle East presence, market share, focused industry verticals, and prospective association with enterprises?
Callsign is an artificial intelligence-based authentication platform for enterprises, financial institutions, and consumer-facing digital services. Saeed Ahmad, Managing Director, Middle East and North Africa at Callsign shares their regional strategies with The Integrator.
Organizations want consumers to interact and transact with their online services, but it is hard to know who to trust online. Simple pins and passwords do not prove the person is who they say they are. A bad actor using a legitimate username and password looks like a genuine consumer accessing services. So how do we build trust online again? We need to be able to prove beyond doubt who someone is online. To do this, organizations need to challenge the ubiquity of traditional log-in methods, such as usernames and passwords, and instead introduce different ways of validating digital identity to provide the public with confidence in using their services.Oneway to do this is to use biometrics, behavioural biometrics add no friction to the user journey and are unique to the user. With a simple swipe of the phone or typing on a keyboard, a user’s identity can be confirmed. It’s extremely hard for a fraudster to mimic the muscle memory of a user, so even if they have genuine credentials, technology will prevent them from gaining access to the services they are trying to game. Once consumers and organizations have confidence in the technology to do this, we start to build trust. We can trust that the technology we are using online proves who we are beyond doubt, and the digital economy will grow. How to choose the best authentication method? There are two different types of authentication methods that organizations can put in place to overcome the shortcomings of relying on usernames and passwords: native biometrics and behavioral biometrics. However, native biometrics cannot be changed, so if compromised, problems arise. They also add friction, using facial recognition during a payment journey may discourage the consumer from completing the transaction. But using facial recognition to transfer large sums of money may be appropriate friction, it’s a large transaction and so the authentication methods and friction need to be relevant.
Why there is a need to identify ourselves digitally? From retail shopping to mobile banking and social media platforms, we need to prove we are who we say we are online. This is amidst a context of diminishing trust between organizations and consumers due to the growth in fraudsters purporting to be from trusted organizations scamming consumers out of money and
Saeed Ahmad Managing Director, MENA, Callsign
goods – demonstrating we can’t currently trust the identity of who we interact online. Digital trust is eroding. How can we build trust using digital identities?
CALLSIGN HELPS ORGANIZATIONS WITH A SOLID DEFENSE AGAINST ONLINE BAD ACTORS, SCAMS, AND FRAUDS
INTERVIEW CALLSIGN
18 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com
Callsign works with large global banks including many in the middle east region, but we also work with many other industries, because identities are required for all online interactions.Ourfocus is to empower organizations and consumers to know who they are interacting with online and provide a solid defense against bad actors and their sophisticated scams and fraud without adding undue friction to the customer journey. Behavioral biometrics are a key technology in this area.
An official release stated that the Partnering for Sustainability Program is a continuation of Schneider’s initiatives to empower its extensive ecosystem of partners to move toward a more sustainable future. It includes comprehensive education and training, a simplified product portfolio, an open and collaborative support ecosystem, and access to expertise and resources on digital transformation.
EMERSON, NOZOMI AGREEMENT TO SECURE INDUSTRIALCRITICALPROCESSES
Edgard Capdevielle CEO, Nozomi Networks
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC LAUNCHES INAUGURAL GLOBAL RECOGNITIONPARTNERPROGRAM
“We are teaming with Emerson to address the growing cybersecurity concerns that are an everyday reality for modern automation processes,” said Nozomi Networks CEO Edgard Capdevielle. Nozomi Networks’ full suite of OT and IoT cybersecurity solutions is now available globally through Emerson.
Schneider Electric, the provider of the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has announced the launch of the inaugural Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Awards, a first initiative from the Partnering for Sustainability Program.
Emerson will offer Nozomi Networks’ advanced solutions for industrial control system cyber resiliency and real-time operational visibility to customers worldwide. The agreement combines Nozomi Networks’ industry-leading OT & IoT security and visibility capabilities with Emerson’s DeltaV distributed control system (DCS), consulting, and professional services.
20 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com BYTESNEWS NOZOMI NETWORKS
The Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Awards will recognize a wide range of partners in two categories:
Software and technology provider Emerson and Nozomi Networks, a provider of operational technology (OT) have announced that they have established an agreement to meet the growing demand for OT cybersecurity services and solutions in the specific industries both companies serve.
“By teaming with Nozomi Networks, Emerson is enhancing our customers' immediate access to OT network visibility, security, and asset intelligence that integrates seamlessly with our DeltaV DCS and is fully supported by the Emerson Cybersecurity Services organization,” said Alexandre Peixoto, Cybersecurity Business Director of Emerson’s Process Systems and Software business.
AVEVA, a leader in industrial software has announced the addition of powerful industrial datasharing capabilities to its AVEVA Connect industrial cloud platform for hybrid SaaSWithsolutions.thislatest addition to AVEVA's cloud services, customers can now access AVEVA Data Hub, a secure, cloud-native service for aggregating, managing, and sharing operations data to gain new insights and improve operating performance. AVEVA Data Hub lets industrial companies selectively share operations data with trusted stakeholders such as key suppliers, equipment providers, data scientists, enterprise business analysts, and other authorized partners.
STRENGTHENEDCONNECTWITH DATASHARING CAPABILITIES
Rónán de Hooge EVP, Cloud Platform Business, AVEVA
21JULY 2022www.VARonline.com BYTESNEWSAVEVA PROGRAM 1. Sustainability: Impact on my company: for partners who exhibit sustainability leadership in decarbonizing their operations, 2. Sustainability and Efficiency: Impact for customers: for partners who demonstrate sustainability leadership by helping customers to achieve their decarbonization goals. Eligibility requirements Partner organizations need to be one of the following business types to take part in the 7)6)5)4)3)2)1)program:HomebuildersITPartnersPartnerBuildersDesignFirmsContractorsSystemIntegratorsEcoXperts 8) OEMs 9) Industrial Automation System Integrators 10) Machine Integrators 11) Industrial Automation Distributors The deadline to submit is 25th November 2022. All nominations and submissions will be shortlisted for the Regional Awards, before streamlining further for the Global Award.
The industrial cloud platform also enables search, data access and configuration API, community data sharing, and reference content. The ability to aggregate data in the cloud from on-premises and third-party systems supports streamlined collaboration over digital twins. Digital twins are virtual replicas of physical assets such as power plants or manufacturing facilities.
Rónán de Hooge, Executive Vice President, Cloud Platform Business, AVEVA says, “AVEVA Connect is an open and agnostic platform that can be scaled up or down to support business flexibility while enabling a more collaborative and efficient industrial ecosystem.”
With AVEVA Connect, industrial owners, operators, engineers, and integrators can engage digitally, sparking collaborative innovation to turn opportunities into business value, an official release stated.
AVEVA
In line with our commitment to give quality logistics and supply chain services, we are also adding temperaturecontrolled vehicles for its cold chain solutions. This will be particularly important for perishable goods such as food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
EMIRATES POST REDEFINES E-COMMERCE BUSINESS IN THE UAE WITH ITS LATEST SERVICES
Explain the vendor partnerships that you are looking for in an e-commerce From a partner perspective, we cater to the whole different types of vendors. We have been handling the last-mile delivery services of Amazon, Landmark, and other companies in the Middle East and North Africa. At this juncture of the visible and rapid growth of the e-commerce business, we approach the market from an entrepreneurial perspective. Besides creating a suitable ecosystem, we foster business for SMEs and small enterprises to establish their business. We offer to help businesses with marketing and financial partnerships through our network, and shipment handling.
Emirates Post is the official postal and e-commerce logistics provider for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As a leading operator, it connects communities and businesses of the UAE to the rest of the world. Emirates Post recently launched a few e-commerce-based services aiming to enhance customer experience, flexible pick-up, and drop-off options, and faster delivery. Steve Stanton, Chief Business Officer - Parcels & Express at Emirates Post speaks to The Integrator about the new e-commerce services the company has launched to help e-commerce businesses in the UAE.
Emirates Post is an established enterprise in the UAE, which handles both domestic and hubslargesttheweofparcels.internationalWiththelaunche-commerceservices,arestrivingtomakeUAEoneofthee-commerceintheworld.Wealreadyhave the most extensive last-mile network in the UAE and are truly a pan-UAE service provider with around 1300 people in the carrier-handling team at the moment. So, the e-commerce business would be an extension of the service point. We are also launching the new elements predominantly around sustainability including electrification and sustainable packaging. For regular and corporate customers, we are launching a new portal that facilitates easy interaction and a simple dashboard to trace all necessary information. E.g., shipment tracking.Fortransit, we launched an app that is predominantly driven towards the end consumer and it gives the consumer control over the volume or control over their shipping. They can decide when they want delivery, and how they want delivery.
What are the competitive advantages that businesses can expect from Emirates Post?
Emirates Post focuses on quality, service, commitment, and consistency. Everything that we invest in terms of frontline, backline team, and supporting technologies would ideally help us achieve great performance and we expect it to be the differentiator. Regarding the service commitment, we are aiming to provide customers with same-day or next-day delivery services. We have to go to the right network to handle it. Apart from that, the parcel lockers will be available at post offices and selected petrol stations, while the service points will be at petrol stations and partner locations, adding further time and place simplicity and convenience to the customer experience.
Steve Stanton Chief Business Officer - Parcels & Express, Emirates Post
22 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com INTERVIEW EMIRATES POST
What ambitions of Emirates Post will be fulfilled with the launch of its orientede-commerce-services?
Speak about collaborationsMontyPay’swithcard providers, eWallets, and others Our strategic acquiring partners are selected carefully to provide merchants with a broader selection of payment solutions. We build relationships based on trust and professionalism. We aim to cover all the payment methods that our merchants need. E.g., In Bahrain, we provide Mastercard, Visa, AMEX, Mada, Benefit Pay, and Apple Pay. Describe the competitive benefit that a customer gets after choosing MontyPay Our competitive advantages are our team and technology! We differentiate ourselves from the competition through the tailored services that we provide to our merchants, a dedicated account manager, and one-to-one technical and operation support. Moreover, we offer a live chat feature to our merchants so they can communicate with our team directly from their platform. On the other hand, our technology is both advanced and user-friendly. It is built to be intelligent. Our research and development (R&D) team is keen on implementing the latest payment trends and features to improve our platform. Apart from that, we built a lot of security tools and the platform is AI-powered to monitor effectively and prevent fraud payments. What are your regional focuses and the industry verticals you want to explore? When it comes to focusing on verticals, we do not limit ourselves but offer services to all industries. Plus, our platform is configured with features that are suitable for startups and large businesses. Regarding the expansion plans; So far, we are providing payment services in over 50 countries and have global ambitions. Our business development team is working aggressively to cover more countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and North and South America.
MontyPay offers different payment methods including online checkout (different plugins for e-commerce platforms), mobile checkout (iOS and Android), and pay-by-link for businesses that provide services or they do not have online stores. We also have the recurring payment feature (i.e., a subscription model like Netflix), where the customers authorize the merchant to pull funds from their accounts automatically at regular intervals for the goods and services provided to them on an ongoing basis.
Give some insights into the aspects of integrations you offer as a payment service provider
INTERVIEWMONTYPAY
Noel Moukheiber General Manager, MontyPay
MontyPay is a global payment gateway based in the UK with offices in Lebanon, Jordan, and Nigeria. We are covering more than fifty countries and supporting merchants to collect their online payments, domestically and internationally. Besides acting as a hub of Wallets, bank transfers, card payments, and crypto, we function as an aggregator between the merchants and acquirers.
MontyPay is a global payment gateway headquartered in the UK with an international presence in multiple countries including, Cyprus, Lebanon, Jordan, Nigeria, and Indonesia. It offers payment gateway solutions and aims to help merchants grow and develop their payment methods and their revenues.
IMPROVED PAYMENT METHOD AND ENHANCED REVENUE; MONTYPAY’S OFFER TO MERCHANTS
23JULY 2022www.VARonline.com
Noel Moukheiber, General Manager at MontyPay interacts with The Integrator on its expansion plans in the Middle East and the Asia Pacific regions.
Tell us about MontyPay and the opportunities you found at Seamless Middle East
SMBS AS AN INDIRECT AVENUE OF CYBER ATTACKS
HOW CYBERSECURITY
Written by - Ram Narayanan, Country Manager at Check Point Software Technologies, ME. security. It is now more important than ever for SMBs to implement strict security hygiene and effective cybersecurity processes to ensure their business is prepared for the event of cyber attacks happening.
Ram NarayananCountry Country Manager, Check Point Software Technologies, ME
24 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com FEATURE CHECK POINT
Supply chain attacks aren’t new. If the past couple of years have taught businesses anything, it’s that the impact of supply chain cyber attacks is now, universal, from the fallout of the SolarWinds software breach, to the exposed Apache Log4j vulnerability and Kaseya last year. Unfortunately when such supply chain attacks hit smaller businesses who are usually the suppliers to larger enterprises, their impact is especially prohibitive.
HOW SMBS CAN PREVENT SUPPLY CHAIN ATTACKS
FORREADINESSCYBERSECURITYISPARAMOUNTSMBS
The key factor to preventing cyberattacks is threat prevention. With minimal time and lack of cyber expertise or manpower, SMBs must adopt a prevention mindset to minimise potential cyber attacks and threats.
WHY
The reality is threat actors have taken advantage not only of the nowentrenched remote working model to target organisations, but also the usual limits preventing SMBs from bulking up on their cyber security defences, mainly lack of budget and expertise. SMBs often do not have a dedicated IT or security department, meaning with no in-house security expertise and reduced focus on security patching, these companies are easier to socially engineer and infiltrate. Adding to this, SMBs usually have employees doing multiple roles, and thus a wider access to valuable areas of the business and information is given to them, and so if breached, they pose a threat to multiple areas within the business.
Threat actors often target SMBs as low hanging fruit for their vital role in supply chains. This is especially so as such attacks wreak havoc on not only one organisation but entire businesses within the supply networks. By leveraging tactics such as phishing, cybercriminals gain access to an organisation to launch a malware attack, steal data and credentials or instigate a ransomware.
For SMBs already feeling the prolonged impact of the pandemic, the added pressure of dealing with sophisticated and frequent cyber attacks in real time, are a heavy burden, as they try to protect their business against financial, legal and reputational damage, as well as their own suppliers and larger clients’ READINESS PREVENTS SMBS FROM FUELLING SUPPLY CHAIN ATTACKS
By applying stronger cyber defences, SMBs are in a position to provide larger organisations with assurance that larger companies they supply to will not be compromised via the SMB partner or third-party vendor.
Beyond the immediate financial impact and reputational blow as a trustworthy, reliable partner, SMBs can also face legal or regulatory repercussions, operational disruption, flow-on costs for system remediation and cyberattack response, customer churn, and the loss of competitive advantage that can make or break a smaller business. In fact, a tarnished reputation as an avenue of attack can be even more detrimental to an SMB organisation, as the loss of trust with a larger organisation could mean a loss of potential business and revenue down the line with them or other new, potential customers.
HYGIENE
Another important point is not to install random stuff on your computer for which you don’t know the legitimacy. When traveling, sometimes you need different kinds of tracking software, especially if you are in different countries, and especially now with a lot of countries asking for certain kinds of trackers at airport immigration for example.
network. You don't know who is on this network or what they are doing, because you don't control the security. If the network has bad security, then you now enable your system to be scanned directly by other people on this network.
If threat actors can gain access to your specific device, then they can gain access to your corporate network. With this, threat actors have a foot inside the network, which allows them to move laterally through the networks and scan the network from inside. This often leads to ransomware down the line at the later stage of an attack. What can travelers do to protect themselves against cyber-attacks? I think the most important point is to patch your systems. This is something that should be something of high priority whether you are traveling or not. A good example
Social media becomes popular during travel. What should employees avoid when using social media to stay cyber safe?
One thing I try to avoid is using social media accounts to log in to certain kinds of platforms. My recommendation to avoid this is to create a throwaway account for traveling. This account can be used for the specific purpose of connecting to Wi-Fi without any sensitive information being involved.
By Jonas Walker, Security Strategist at FortiGuard Labs
25JULY 2022www.VARonline.com INTERVIEWFORTIGUARD LABS is when you open the App Store or Google Play Store and update the apps on your smartphone. Next time you do this, check out the release note and why the vendor is recommending you update their app. More often than not, it is not about a feature or a new UI. In most cases, it's about security features, it's about a bug that has been fixed. If you don't update these apps, threat actors who are aware of these issues as disclosed by the vendor can take advantage of these vulnerabilities.
Why is practicing cyber hygiene essential for travelers? Cyber hygiene is like personal hygiene, it is all about having a daily routine. That includes good practices to ensure that your environment stays clean, especially when traveling.When you travel, you typically carry a device, a computer or smartphone, with you. These devices are known as endpoints. The nature of endpoints is that they connect to different networks, whether that be a hotel, a corporate network, public Wi-Fi, or at a conference. Endpoints are thus the last stage of a network, making them the most at risk.
How can employees continue to work from anywhere while traveling and connecting to their essential networks? If possible, don't connect to public Wi-Fi, especially if a lot of people are around the network. If you can connect to a public Wi-Fi, pretty much anyone in that area can as well, and you are not in control of what is happening on this CYBER
As Covid-19 infection rates shift and countries re-open their borders for tourism, travel in some places has returned at an even higher rate than pre-pandemic. With expanding travel comes expanding cyber risks, it is as important as ever for those heading abroad this summer to practice cyber hygiene.
Jonas Walker Security FortiGuardStrategist,Labs
A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO PRACTICE PROPER
What about Geidea’s collaborations with financial organizations, mainly banks in the region? One of the notable bank partnership has been with the First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB). It has a fintech spinoff by the name of Magnati and we have signed up with them as a PSP. We have a few more partnership conversations going on in the region in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman for similar arrangements across multiple products. We will announce these shortly.
How do you deal with the competition and what edge ahead Geidea has against its competitors? We would not focus too much on the competition but values we deliver. Our value proposition is very strong and simple – make payments easier at a cheaper cost by bringing the best technology to both the smallest and largest merchant in the market.
Sailesh Malhotra, General Manager - GCC at Geidea shares the company’s expansion plans in the UAE.
GEIDEA OFFERS MERCHANTS EASIER AND CHEAPER PAYMENT OPTIONS
Do you collect user data as part of the business? If so, where do you keep it and handle it?
We collect information and follow all the standard requirements of Central Banks in the country of operation. We are very rigid and maniacal about following regulatory requirements and ensuring all customer data is well protected. We have our own data centers are these are closely monitored by our team. We follow and ensure all payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCIDSS) are followed and we stay compliant.
INTERVIEW GEIDEA
availability/requirement. As of now, our focus is on the established markets, i.e., Egypt, UAE, and Saudi Arabiawe are doing phenomenally well in Saudi.
Sailesh Malhotra General Manager - GCC, Geidea
At Seamless, we have been able to highlight Geidea at a very large scale and received an overwhelming response. We have well highlighted the value of Geidea to all our customers including merchants, banks, and other fintech companies.
How well did you persuade customers with your unique products at Seamless Middle East 2022?
26 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com
Speak about the businesses that you have interacted with and the industry verticals Geidea would be focusing on in the upcoming years. We want to focus on all Industry verticals – retail, F&B, utilities government and B2B business. We want to play a very large role in the supply chain management business as well. We see a large role of Geidea in converting cash to card and specifically in supply chain management business, We wish to replace that with a corporate purchasing card (card on file) and Geidea being the transaction acquirer.
Tell us about the expansion plans you have in the middle east region We want to go pan MENA. However, the selection of countries will be based on regulatory and technology Geidea, a Saudi-based digital banking technology provider, offers point-of-sale (POS) terminals and business management solutions to both financial institutions and small businesses. Besides serving over 150,000 merchants and providing more than 700,000 payment terminals, it holds about 75% market share in Saudi.
JULY 2022www.VARonline.com
Speak about the solutions Ciena introduced to transform the healthcare sector and their competencies Healthcare is one of the most important sectors globally, and its demands are constantly changing. Since the explosive growth of medical data due to advanced medical imaging and the digital transformation of paper records to digital data files, global healthcare institutions cannot provide the best care for patients without a highperformance communication infrastructure. This is where Ciena comes in, focusing on three key aspects of efficient data management: its secure storage, delivery, and precision. Our Electronic Health Record Network is built to handle massive capacities of data and respond to unpredictable bandwidth demands, aiming to refine the way that large amounts of medical information are stored and disseminated. Furthermore, its Ciena is a networking system, services, and software company that helps healthcare businesses in several aspects of data management, including secure storage, delivery, and precision.
Experts say, “effective patient care requires efficient technologies.” Can you articulate the statement with the context of solutions that Ciena presented to the industry?
CIENA MIDDLE EASTFEATURE
With the increasing quantity of data transferred to the digital world, the healthcare industry finds itself on the precipice of a massive data deluge. The security of information and disaster recovery are key, and Ciena plays a critical role in ensuring these demands are met. Our infrastructure ensures constant availability to the server, meets compliance requirements, and provides off-site data storage backup and retrieval - all of which contribute to better care for patients, ensuring safe telemedicine and telesurgery, fewer medical errors, as well as the protection of patient data from cyberattacks.
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY FINDS ITSELF ON THE PRECIPICE OF A MASSIVE DATA DELUGE
Azz-Eddine Mansouri, General Manager – Sales at Ciena Middle East explains Ciena’s competencies to The Integrator.
advanced medical imaging and digital video technology for telemedicine or telesurgery transporting highbandwidth fMRI, CT scans, and genome sequencing— preserving every detail.
28 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com
Tell us about the ongoing healthcare digitization projects of Ciena Ciena is currently focused on developing cutting-edge technology to provide remote access to healthcare, recognizing the pivotal role that 5G connectivity plays in their efforts. From remote doctor’s appointments to conducting telesurgeries so that patients may receive treatment from the comfort of their homes, most developments in the digitization of healthcare are likely to come from an increased expansion of highspeed optical network connect[ivity and low latency 5G networks.Theorganization also aims to provide large clinics and hospitals with a reliable ‘metro network infrastructure’ – or an interconnected network of smaller medical devices – to ensure quick, real-time transfer of information. These are further augmented by Edge centers, or small data hubs placed close to the hospital premises, enabling lower-latency data delivery and a more reliable network experience.
Azz-Eddine Mansouri General Manager – Sale, Ciena-ME
TOP CYBER THREAT CONCERNS FOR ENTERPRISE IT
Without a doubt, the escalating threat landscape is causing a broad array of concerns from respondents. Chief among them is the loss of sensitive assets and data followed by the disruptive impact of downtime or network lockdown. In response, there was an evident shift to a Zero Trust security approach. One-third (30%) of enterprise organizations said that they had already adopted a Zero Trust model. There is unlikely to be any relief from the pressures for enterprises and their IT practitioners, whether in infrastructure or security domains. We will be dealing with the impact of these recent pandemic-related changes for years to come. NETWORKS
NEW WORKING PATTERNS AND DIGITALIZATION PROMPT
architectures and IT strategies to meet the Askedchallenge.toratetheir concern about 11 different aspects of business resilience, nine out of 10 respondents expressed some level of concern about every issue. The top concerns were around the challenge of optimizing security tools to ensure competitive advantage, utilizing IT resources in the cloud, and enabling remote access and hybrid working while ensuring that staff feels supported in whatever work style they wish to adopt.
Even though we witnessed a rapid pivot to cloud in the last couple of years, plenty of on-premises environments remain. Twentythree percent of respondents have retained an on-premises environment and this is unlikely to change in the future. Private clouds were the preferred environment for 30 percent of respondents, while just under one quarter said their environment was in a public cloud with a similar percentage in SaaS environments.
RETHINKING THE STRATEGY Resilience is a board-level discussion as senior leaders look to ensure that the business can cope with any future disruption. Our enterprise respondents said that digital transformation solutions, business continuity (technically and organizationally), and stronger security requirements have all become paramount. This puts tremendous pressure on IT professionals to rethink their
Today’s enterprises have faced many challenges with the pace of change over the last few years because of digital transformation, and the need for that transformation to be resilient and secure. These challenges have been amplified by the disruption of the global pandemic.Therehave been massive global macro-economic shifts that have fundamentally changed the way companies operate, from the rise of remotely working employees to the adjustments of customer engagement strategies. Remote work was in full swing before the pandemic and it already had an impact on IT strategy and the shift to cloud, including hybrid cloud. This trend has only accelerated due to the ease of remote deployment and accessibility of software, SaaS, and cloud options. With all these changes, the specter of security breaches is high. This explains the rise and popularity of Zero Trust as a framework for securing networks in these new realities and as an effective tool to drive cybersecurity initiatives within the entire enterprise.Allthismeans that in a postpandemic era, digital resilience is a top priority and cyber threats are only accelerating. As a result, we are witnessing a broad spectrum of concerns as enterprise organizations look to shore up their defenses. Analyzing the events of the last two years, it is an ideal time to explore enterprise perceptions about the future. To gain these insights, we Written by: Paul Nicholson, Sr. Director of Product Marketing at A10 Networks surveyed 2,425 senior application and network professionals from ten regions around the globe. Not surprisingly, we found high levels of concern around all aspects of digital transformation solutions and resilience with a strong focus on business continuity. The top findings we uncovered included: PRIVATE CLOUDS ARE THE PREFERRED ENTERPRISE IT ENVIRONMENT
Paul Nicholson Sr. Director of Product Marketing, A10 Networks
29JULY 2022www.VARonline.com
A10
FEATURE
ZERO TRUST, CLOUD, AND DIGITALWORKINGREMOTEDRIVERESILIENCY
TRANSFORMATIONAL ASPECTS OF EDGE-BASED STRATEGIES
3. The Pursuit of Digital Innovation and Excellence – The increasingly central role of digital technologies demands that we raise digital literacy across the organization and prioritize the rapid evolution of our digital capability to accelerate the adoption of a digital mindset and speed up the creation of digitally based products and services based on insights generated from data
T
Jacob Chacko Regional Director–ME & SA, Aruba, an HP Enterprise deliver experiments to drive 2x to 10x greater improvements across their businesses.
he C-Suite and business leaders understand the value of technology and the benefits it can bring to their bottom line, but there is one key technological shift on the horizon that they can’t afford to ignore. Networking at the edge.
1. User Empowerment – The technologies are enabling a fundamental redesign of the user experience – be they customer, student, patient, or employee –giving users the tools to define what they want, how they want it, and even how they want to pay for it.
A whole new range of possibilities emerges when we can engage with literally every device and build intelligence and connectivity into physical objects such as office furniture and clothing. The path to 2030 will spawn new customercentric businesses, enable entirely new industries and reinvent existing ones, challenge us to adapt and evolve, and facilitate greater access, equity, and inclusion across every aspect of society – this is the potential of the Edge. We define the Edge as the new experiences being enabled by edge technologies for customers, employees, students, patients, and any users of network services.
ARUBA
CALL TO ACTION
Smart meets digital at the Edge – smart conference rooms, smart assembly lines, smart menu ordering, smart stadiums, and a range of technology-enabled smart experiences. The opportunity at the Edge is driven by many things, including smart applications powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), mobile devices, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, data analysis, next-generation Wi-Fi, 5G communications, and “edge-tocloud computing.”
Over the next few years, organizations in every industry will experience change on an unprecedented scale as people, digital devices, smart technologies, and an ever-expanding network come together to transform commerce, work, education, healthcare, recreation, and more.
Edge-based strategies are driving five critical shifts shaping the future of business and work:
PREPARING BUSINESSES FOR THE NEXT WAVE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
30 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com FEATURE
4.collected.Embracing and Embedding Smart – The Edge is helping organizations embrace the true power of smart devices to deliver mass customization and deep personalization of a range of user experiences. Rapid advancements in AI and ML are enabling the establishment of smart spaces and creating the opportunity for smart personalization, adaptation, and continuous learning in the applications offered to users.
2. Transformational Leadership – The scalability and rapid capability enhancements of exponentially advancing technologies such as AI, ML, IoT, and cloud computing are enabling leaders to pursue and Written by: Jacob Chacko, Regional Director – ME and SA at Aruba, an HP Enterprise
5. Emergence of New Businesses and Industry Sectors at the Edge – The focus on solutions tailored to customer needs is driving opportunities from the creation of new businesses to the birth of new trillion-dollar industry sectors.
The opportunity at the Edge represents a new way of conceiving business – designing from the outside in and putting the organization’s focus on what happens at the edge to maximize value for customers and employees, while also driving operational efficiency.
Ransomware attacks cannot be detected by antivirus software or firewalls and cause tremendous losses, including lost productivity costs, forensic investigation costs, data restoration costs from backup, and the costs of hiring emergency consultants and crisis managers.
When combined with our Nutanix Data Lens SaaSbased data management and governance application, Nutanix Files delivers a full spectrum of ransomware protection aligned to key defense-in-depth and critical cybersecurity initiatives like a zero-trust architecture (ZTA) spanning the NIST cybersecurity frameworks of identify, protect, detect, respond, and recover.
C
Shared storage has been an especially rich target for cybercriminals to hijack valuable customer, financial or sensitive information and extort payment in return for access to the data. Hence, revving up ransomware defense is a top priority for CIOs and other business leaders who are actively looking for storage security strategies against malicious cyber-attacks.
What businesses need is a cyber-security and ransomware protection plan that is integrated with the storage system to detect, prevent, recover, and analyze cyber-attacks so that structured and unstructured data is protected, no matter where the data resides.
31JULY 2022www.VARonline.com FEATURE CREATE A DATA FORTRESS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST RANSOMWARE ATTACKS NUTANIX
integrated ransomware protection to help customers secure unstructured data. The latest version, Files 4.1, offers improved network isolation with network segmentation, better resource management with enhanced multi-network support, enhanced security with WORM support, and ransomware detection.
ybersecurity Ventures predicts that ransomware will cost its victims around $265 billion (USD) annually by 2031. Businesses will face a new attack every 2 seconds as ransomware perpetrators progressively refine their malware payloads and related extortion activities. The data suggests that it is not the question of if, but when a business is attacked by ransomware.
Ransomware is a type of malware that attacks storage systems by encrypting user file shares and volumes. Victims are denied access to the encrypted data and make the data unrecoverable without paying a ransom for a decryption key. There is substantial uncertainty that even if the ransom is paid that the data will be restored or that the attack is ended.
NUTANIX FILES OFFERS INTEGRATED RANSOMWARE PROTECTION
The Nutanix Files software-defined storage solution has Written by: Tuhina Goel, Director of Product Marketing at MeetNutanixtheNemesis: Ransomware Tuhina Goel Director, Product Marketing, Nutanix
• IP66, IK10,
• Profiles
In the latest product update of Milestone System’s XProtect 2022 R2 video management software, Milestone introduces several new features and capabilities. These include managing and monitoring incidents with the click of one button, offering the Essential+ version of XProtect on AWS Marketplace starting on July 5, and improving license plate recognition to include style recognition. INCIDENT MANAGER
XPROTECT
Configuration OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE: • Light
• VAPIX,
32 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com TECHNOLOGY EYE TECH
STROBE SIREN
• 5-year
It enables users to capture any live feed with a single click. When the incident is over, users can stop the capture and start filling in incident details. Incident types are fully configurable, allowing users to define incident types and details for reporting. and sound in one IP-based device with different priority levels MQTT, and SIP integration NEMA-4X rated casing warranty also be added to an incident to strengthen the evidence.
AXIS INTRODUCES
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MILESTONE SYSTEMS INTRODUCES NEW XPROTECT INCIDENT MANAGER options include free text, drop-down lists, dates and time fields, and several other options. Previously recorded footage can
XIS D4100-E Network Strobe Siren claims to help deter intruders, ensure on-site safety and improve operational efficiency with the power of light and sound. Integrated through VAPIX, MQTT, or SIP, the device comes with various light and sound patterns to ensure the right level of protection for specific environments. Based on the open Axis platform, this product can be connected to any Axis device, Axis VMS, or thirdparty VMS and issue warnings and notifications with strobe lighting and/or siren alarms. For example, it can be used for perimeter protection together with thermal and/or radar cameras. Or, for improved parking entrance management with a license plate recognition (LPR) camera. Furthermore, it comes with first-class quality, support, and a 5-year warranty NETWORK TO HELP DETER
INTRUDERS
IMPROVED LICENSE PLATE RECOGNITION (LPR)
XProtect 2022 R2 features enhanced license plate style recognition. Different countries have distinct license plate types and formats for various types of vehicles. The updated LPR feature enables users to recognize, sort, and bundle license plate types by analyzing motor vehicles more efficiently. Depending on the country’s plate style, users will be able to distinguish trucks from private cars, or even police cars, limousines, trucks, and buses from each other. Similarly, some countries have separate plates for gasdriven or electric cars that will now be readily identified.
ohesity, a provider of data management solutions has announced the general availability of Cohesity FortKnox - a software as a service (SaaS) data isolation and recovery solution, adding to the company’s Data Management as a Service portfolio of offerings that run on Amazon Web Services (AWS).
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33JULY 2022www.VARonline.com EYE TECH TECHNOLOGY
COHESITY DELIVERS SAAS DATA ISOLATION AND RECOVERY SOLUTION, FORTKNOXB
FortKnox is a modern data isolation solution that can play a critical role in helping organizations minimize the impact of cyber attacks, such as ransomware. It is designed to provide an additional layer of off-site protection while dramatically simplifying operations and lowering costs compared to magnetic tape and self-managed data vaults. The SaaS offering also helps enterprises meet recovery service level agreement (SLA) requirements and regulatory requirements.
KEY FEATURES: FortKnox powers a modern 3-2-1 option fit for the cloud era Allows customers to simply connect, vault, and recover Secure connection via a configurable data transfer window Tamper resistance with immutability AI-powered anomaly detection
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MILESTONE XPROTECT ESSENTIAL+ ON AWS With the new release of Milestone XProtect 2022 R2, the Essential+ version of XProtect will replace the previous version in AWS Marketplace. Users will now be able to have all XProtect 2022 R2 product variants on AWS for optimized storage and transmission.
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• 66% indicate that it is now more difficult to be an Agent of Transformation
• 88% believe that what it means to be a technologist has changed • 84% say the skills and qualities that define an Agent of Transformation have evolved
34 JULY 2022 www.VARonline.com TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH TECH NEW CLASS OF POST-PANDEMIC TECH EXPERTS EMERGE TO TACKLE CRITICAL CHALLENGES: STUDY
• 77% believe it will be important to invest in application security over the next 12 months to meet customer and employee needs
• 71% think their organization will need to invest in observing cloud-native applications and infrastructure • 84% say that the need to maintain the performance of business applications is now more important than ever Liz Centoni EVP, Chief Strategy Offi cer, GM of Applications
• One in four say their organization remains stuck in reactive, “fire-fighting mode”
• While acknowledging the far-reaching consequences of this change, respondents in the Cisco AppDynamics report note that they need help navigating the technical and operational ambiguities of digital transformation. Specifically, they are looking for unified visibility into their IT environments to better manage and optimize application availability and performance.
The findings also include:
Cisco AppDynamics, a provider of observability and application performance monitoring technology, has published findings from Agents of Transformation 2022, the fourth annual report that analyzes the skills and attributes of elite global technologists.Thereport reveals the emergence of a new class of technology experts stepping up to meet critical challenges that are blurring the lines between business strategy and IT operations. It also cites the demand to make all products and services digitally available in the experience economy amid heightened security threats, increasing complexity, and the accelerated shift to hybrid work and the “Thesecloud.leaders are looking to better understand how issues in their respective domains impact the total experience of users and applications, adapting to change with solutions that positively affect the overall business,” said Liz Centoni, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, GM of AccordingApplications.tothe Cisco AppDynamics report, 74% believe that their experiences in recent years—particularly during the pandemic—have accelerated their careers, and 88% now consider themselves to be business leaders. However, just 10% of technology experts have reached the elite status of ‘Agents of Transformation’. These individuals represent top-flight leaders who are reimagining and delivering high-value applications and services that create the alwayson, secure, and exceptional user experiences now demanded by endusers and Respondentscustomers.citea fundamental change in the role of technologists, including the skills and resources required to operate effectively and proficiently. At the same time, they say they now contend with soaring complexity and volumes of data from across the technology stack and must integrate a massively expanding set of cloud-native services with existing on-premises systems and tools.
