The Integrator by INTEGRATOR MEDIA

JUNE 2022

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JUNE 2022

EDITORIAL

E-COMMERCE: SUCCESS RELIES ON CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE I

n simple words, “excellent customer experience” is what it takes to establish an e-commerce business! Perhaps, it is simple only to define and there is a tough journey awaiting an e-commerce enterprise to become the trusted choice of a customer, who makes an important decision to purchase a product online or repeat it. There are a few proven approaches, including dynamic pricing, fast delivery, platform competency, and personalized marketing, that can influence customers’ decisions and help improve the customer experience and, eventually, the market share of the business. The June issue of The Integrator evaluates global e-commerce business in length. While the cover story appraises the role that customer experience plays in the success of an e-commerce business, expert interviews and features amplify the voice of tech, payment, logistics, and other service providers. The Integrator is planning to host “Virtual Roundtable Sessions 2022” on the topic “SECURITY THREAT FOR BFSI SECTOR IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ERA.” The sessions will participate information security professionals (i.e., CIOs, CISOs, CSOs) of reputed banks in the Middle East and senior executives from tech enterprises, and security solution service providers to discuss all such matters of security concern in BFSIs. Simply write to m.muralidharan@ omaemirates.com, showing your interest, if you are bearing any of these capacities. We are excited to choose you as a participant and listen to your views on the subject. Thank you for the support and we are excited to receive your feedback on the publication.

Murali Margassery Assistant Editor

JUNE 2022

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COVER FEATURE

E-Commerce is Tough; Creating Market Share is Tougher The cover story discusses the role of customer experience (CX) in the global e-commerce business.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

Unified Payment: Ezetap Aims to Expand the Business Across the MENA Region

Comprehensive and Secure Payment Platform for Retail, E-Commerce, and Hospitality Sander Maertens, Head of Middle East at Adyen talks to The Integrator about the competencies of its e-commerce, retail, hospitality, and mobilitybased solutions.

Vivek Sharma Murali Margassery Faiz Ahmed Suneeta Dadwani

CEO Assistant Editor Graphic Designer Business Coordinator & Executive Assistant

Content 13

Exceptional Analytical and Marketing Measurement for E-Commerce Business

Conducive Partnerships to Give Customers a Simpler Way to Drive Their Digital Transformation

INTERVIEW

Savoye’s Introduces Advanced Supply Chain Software Services to the Middle East

INTERVIEW

FEATURE

The Evolution of Consumer Behavior: How Businesses Can Adapt and Thrive

Shipsy Helps Global Businesses Reduce Shipping Cost by 10% & Make Logistics Sustainable

NEWS BYTES

Spotlight on MITRE ATT&CK: Understanding the DNS Attack Surface

Zurich Middle East Consumer Report Reveals That Financial Planning is Critical

Al Ansari Exchange Debuts Cross-Border Visa Direct Remittance Service

EYE TECH

Airtight Kubernetes Security Policy

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BenQ Announces 4K Gaming Monitors in Sleek White Appearance

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 Disclaimer: While the publishers have made every attempt possible to get accurate information on published content in this magazine. They cannot be held liable for any errors herein.

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JUNE 2022

TECHNOLOGY

NEWS BYTES

TEXUB TO PIONEER THE FUTURE OF B2B IT AND MOBILITY TRADE

EXUB, a B2B marketplace has launched its services in Dubai. The mobility marketplace claims to be offering a safe, stable, and seamless digital ecosystem for global IT and mobility trade in the B2B space by taking care of endto-end business requirements and simplifying operations. An official release stated that the TEXUB model is a nonsubscription-based business, which offers unlimited access to business transactions for verified buyers and sellers. The platform enables sellers to upload multiple products with ease and sell globally across several hubs with the option to define regional restrictions if required. Buyers can purchase globally and enhance their supplier base, which helps them avail of globally competitive pricing options. It also offers local billing options, in-country trade, and

crypto options to amplify the trading experience and reduce operational costs for buyers and sellers. “TEXUB is an initiative to prepare for the inevitable where the postpandemic reality of business transformation has moved onto digital platforms. We aim to be truly global in our approach and offer our customers the choice to do business without borders. Dubai is the ideal

location for us to position ourselves as an online platform. Being set in the heart of a global trade hub, TEXUB ensures international connectivity” said Suchit Kumar, CEO of TEXUB. With a digital ecosystem and scalable cloud platform, TEXUB acts as a convenient platform that facilitates distributors, buyers, resellers, and brands within the industry.

ABSIS AND ELITEGROUP ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

litegroup Computer Systems (ECS) and ASBIS Middle East strengthen their relationship with a partner event scheduled to be held on 19th June 2022, in Dubai. Commenting on their partnership with ASBIS Jonathan Chuang, Sales Manager of Own Brand Business Unit at ECS said, “ECS is pleased to announce the partnership with ASBIS Middle East, a leading expert in the distribution of IT products in the Middle East. With experienced manufacturing and innovative design, ECS is committed to providing highperformance, reliable, and stable products, and long-

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standing partnerships. By cooperating with ASBIS, we believe this will bring mutual benefit for both parties and help penetrate the Middle East market and expand further in the future.“ ASBIS Enterprises is a known distributor and has partnerships with VARs and traditional dealers in countries across the region. It handles a wide-ranging portfolio of top brands of component, printing, and solution vendors. ECS has expanded its business model from motherboards and PC manufacturing to becoming a total solution provider.

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TECHNOLOGY

NEWS BYTES

COHESITY EXTENDS DATA MANAGEMENT AS A SERVICE TO THE MIDDLE EAST

ohesity announces the expansion of its data management as a service (DMaaS) offerings to customers in the Middle East. DMaaS is a portfolio of Cohesity’s “software as a service” (SaaS) offerings, which are designed to provide enterprise and mid-size customers with a simple way to back up, secure, govern, and analyze their data. Cohesity takes care of managing the underlying infrastructure while the service is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS). “With the threat of ransomware at unprecedented levels, being able to rapidly backup and recover is now a growing concern for the region’s IT leaders. Customers can now leverage our backup as a service offering as another way to enhance data protection and keep bad actors at bay,” said Brad Schwarz, VP,

Brad Schwarz VP, and GM - Data Management as a Service, Cohesity

and GM - Data Management as a Service, Cohesity. “With Cohesity, they can manage their data directly, utilize Cohesity’s DMaaS offerings, work with a Cohesity-powered partner, or a combination of all three.” Gregg Petersen, regional director, MEA, Cohesity, said, “not only does the expansion of our DMaaS-offerings to the Middle East empower customers to further simplify data management, but also allows our regional partners to add their unique value and resell the solution through a variety of distribution channels.” An official release stated that customers can subscribe to current and future DMaaS offerings through authorized Cohesity channel partners, distributors, and in AWS Marketplace.

NETAPP SIMPLIFIES HYBRID CLOUD OPERATIONS, PROTECTS AGAINST RANSOMWARE THREATS

etApp, a cloud-led, datacentric software company, has announced new capabilities including improved ransomware protection, hybrid cloud storage in a single subscription, unified management in a single user interface, and close collaboration with VMware to help transition workloads to the cloud. Walid Issa, Senior Manager, PreSales and Solutions Engineering - Middle East Region at NetApp says, “with NetApp’s simplified management and consumption experience, organizations can enjoy improved security, manageability, speed of operations, and cost savings - ultimately allowing them to be more responsive to the growing needs of their business by delivering

capabilities faster, and keeping data available and protected no matter where it lives.” NetApp’s hybrid cloud portfolio includes: • Hybrid cloud Storage-as-aService (STaaS) in a single, flexible subscription with Keystone. Organizations can flexibly move workloads to and from the cloud in a single contract. • In addition to managing and monitoring data storage, protection, governance, and tiering across multicloud environments, Cloud Manager can now manage Keystone services, track software licenses, monitor infrastructure health and provide proactive recommendations that optimize costs and data protection with automated actions. www.VARonline.com

Walid Issa Senior Manager, PreSales and Solutions Engineering – ME, Region, NetApp JUNE 2022

TECHNOLOGY

NEWS BYTES

LOOKOUT ACQUIRES SAFERPASS TO ADDRESS THE RISING THREAT OF IDENTITY THEFT

Jim Dolce CEO, Lookout

ookout, a provider of endpoint and cloud security solutions, has announced it has acquired SaferPass, a password management company that provides secure online identity solutions for both consumers and businesses. SaferPass delivers a solution for identity and password management to both consumers and businesses, enabling users to securely manage their passwords, banking, and other sensitive information across devices. The SaferPass solution provides an encrypted digital vault that stores secure login information used to access services through mobile apps and web browsers. Jim Dolce, CEO at Lookout says, “today, every password owned by an employee is a potential access

point to organizations both small and large. At the same time, largescale data breaches have leaked billions of consumer emails and passwords on the dark web, putting individuals at risk of identity theft and financial fraud. The SaferPass team shares our vision for providing seamless security solutions that address all access points and protect personal and corporate data wherever it may reside. This is an exciting next step in Lookout’s evolution.” SaferPass will now operate under the Lookout brand and leadership and the SaferPass team will be fully integrated into the Lookout organization. The financial terms of this transaction have not been disclosed.

DRAGOS LAUNCHES OT-CERT; RESOURCE FOR INDUSTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURES

ragos, a leader in cybersecurity for industrial controls systems (ICS)/operational technology (OT) environments, has announced the launch of its new Dragos OT-CERT (Operational Technology - Cyber Emergency Readiness Team), a cybersecurity resource designed for industrial asset owners and operators to help them build their OT cybersecurity programs, improve their security postures, and reduce OT risk. Delivered via the OT-CERT portal, member organizations will have free access to OT cybersecurity best practices, cybersecurity maturity assessments, training, workshops, tabletop exercises, webinars, and more. In addition, OT-CERT will coordinate with OEMs regarding disclosures for vulnerabilities discovered by Dragos threat intelligence researchers, as well as cyber threats detected by Dragos

JUNE 2022

targeted at the OEMs’ products. Dawn Cappelli, Dragos’s newly appointed OT-CERT Director says, “our goal for Dragos OT-CERT is to be a useful, relevant, and actionable community resource for industrial asset owners and operators by aligning them with the resources, training, partnerships, and community needed to make securing their OT environments possible.” Organizations of all sizes are eligible for OT-CERT membership. Larger organizations will benefit from free resources such as OT bestpractices blogs and OT vulnerability disclosures from Dragos’s industryleading Threat Intelligence team. An official press release stated that in launching this new resource, Dragos partnered with the National Association of Manufacturers, which represents 14,000 manufacturing companies. www.VARonline.com

Dawn Cappelli OT-CERT Director, Dragos

INTERVIEW

EZETAP

UNIFIED PAYMENT: EZETAP AIMS TO EXPAND THE BUSINESS ACROSS THE MENA REGION Ezetap has been a pioneer in transforming payment processes for merchants across sizes and sectors in India and the UAE. Vineet Suneja, Chief Revenue Officer at Ezetap Mobile Solutions explains the Middle East strategies of the company to The Integrator. How far have you advanced with your foray into the Middle East market? Ezetap forayed into the UAE back in 2019 and has significantly expanded its presence in the last four years. Today, we boast marquee clients across the enterprise, retail, and government sectors. Our bank partners include Mashreq and Network International. We are eagerly looking at expanding across other countries in the MENA region, which was the reason behind our presence at the Seamless event. How does Ezetap maintain its edge ahead of others as there is tough competition in the market? Ezetap has been leading the technology transformation in the payments industry in India for the past 10 years. Ezetap has a proven track record of working with marquee clients across sectors which include telecom, modern retail, e-commerce, logistics, NBFCs across the enterprise as well as traffic police, municipal corporations, utilities, and ULBs in the government sector. We at Ezetap believe in customer centricity and in constantly evolving with the latest technology. Both allow us to quickly adapt to the needs of our merchants and banking partners, giving them cuttingedge technology solutions in the quickest possible time with the best-in-class service. Thus, Ezetap ensures a superior payment

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experience for the customers and a smooth payment process at the backend with high uptime. Give insights into your customer offerings in terms of products and services and what uniqueness you boast about them? Our USP is our payment platform as a service solution that comes with a wide range of offerings that can be tailored to the needs of all types and sizes of organizations ranging from retail stores to large enterprises, which are looking to digitize and streamline their customer payments processes. Add to that the power of integration and value-added services such as reconciliation and analytics, digital Khaata, BNPL, merchant rewards, loyalty, etc. bringing you an elevated payment experience like no other. What sorts of opportunities do you www.VARonline.com

encounter at the Seamless Middle East 2022 exhibition? Seamless event gave us access to the overall payment ecosystem in the UAE under one roof. We connected with our existing as well as potential partners and customers, helping us strengthen our relations and explore possibilities of expansion into new countries via mutual synergies. Explain the distinct security that is part of Ezetap solutions? Owing to its nature, the payments industry is heavily regulated across the world. Ezetap, being a payments player for over 10 years now, has been fully compliant with all local laws, and regulations across both India and the UAE. We have all necessary certifications across networks, and banks and also meet the required PCI guidelines.

INTERVIEW

ADYEN

COMPREHENSIVE AND SECURE PAYMENT PLATFORM FOR RETAIL, E-COMMERCE, AND HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES Adyen is a Dutch fintech company that allows businesses to accept e-commerce, mobile, and point-of-sale payments. Sander Maertens, Head of Middle East at Adyen talks to The Integrator about the competencies of its e-commerce, retail, hospitality, and mobility-based solutions. Elaborate on the significance of Adyen’s payment platform in a merchant store When users attempt to make payment at a merchant store or e-commerce website, their data flows through different breakpoints, usually handled by several companies in the process. This model has been the default for over two decades and it is failing for many reasons. So, Adyen built an all-in-one payments solution to ward off any difficulties that either merchants or customers face. For example, if a merchant sells flowers online, we provide them with the payment gateway, APIs, an antifraud solution, the processing solution, and more. This in itself is already a big step up for merchants because we are working end to end to optimize their business. Could you elaborate on the competitive advantages of using Adyen solutions compared to other platforms in the market? With end-to-end payments, data, and financial management, we provide customers with best-in-class solutions. Businesses will have lesser breakpoints when they choose to work with Adyen and they will get to know the customer behind each payment. In addition, we offer them efficient risk management to keep fraudsters out of their stores. Our unique approach helps businesses solve many of their payment challenges. From there, we evolved into the financial technology platform of choice for the world's leading companies. Adyen’s system is flexible for adjustments and the amount of control we give to the merchants is incredible. Similarly, if we make changes, it reflects everywhere across the platform. Tell us about how well you could configure Adyen solutions to the existing applications and software the merchants use Good question. Global merchants have middleware in their payment structure that can connect to Adyen. Therefore, we can

JUNE 2022

Sander Maertens Head of Middle East, Adyen

work with multiple applications and customers get to control the entire activity internally alongside hasslefree integration to their existing systems. We also have off-the-shelf integrations that merchants can decide to use, which saves a lot of implementation time. What are your stakes in hospitality and mobility solution verticals? The good thing about the versatility of the Adyen platform is that it can cater to a wide variety of industries. Both of these industries have their specific needs and we use different features and products to help those businesses get better at accepting payments. When it comes to serving mobility and micromobility businesses, we are helping them to keep their customer base accurate while making the signup process very smooth and also cutting down on fees, contracts, and partners. In hospitality, we have a different scenario that includes prompt check-ins and check-outs of guests and payments at restaurants, spas, bars, etc. Many businesses have very specific payment needs. If you take the example of unmanned gas stations, where users get to pay upfront and fill their vehicles after an approved transaction, it is completely different from what other industries require in terms of payment service.

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INTERVIEW

APPSFLYER

EXCEPTIONAL ANALYTICAL AND MARKETING MEASUREMENT FOR E-COMMERCE BUSINESS Discuss the capabilities of AppsFlyer’s analytics for the growth of enterprises As the global leader in marketing measurement, analytics, and engagement, AppsFlyer sets businesses up for success in this mobile-driven economy. Our solutions enable marketers, developers, and product managers to accurately measure the success of their work and create relationships with their customers based on trust. Could you describe the service AppsFlyer offers e-commerce web portals and apps? AppsFlyer provides e-commerce apps with the marketing measurement and analytic tools they need to grow their user base, increase the lifetime value of existing customers, and deliver an exceptional customer experience across all channels without compromising on privacy. As an example, we offer deep linking technology that allows brands to create and measure personalized, contextual journeys from any channel, including web, email, TV, in-store, and out-ofhome (OOH) advertising, directly to the relevant point in an app, or the app store if the user doesn’t have it installed. E.g., Let’s say a brand is running an influencer marketing campaign on Instagram. Each influencer is given a dedicated link for promoting a product, and when a user clicks on that link, they will be taken directly to the product page in the app or to the app store. Not only does this offer the customer a seamless experience from Instagram to the mobile app, but brands can also measure which influencers are driving the most traffic and purchases. What support do you offer to the

AppsFlyer is a SaaS mobile marketing analytics and attribution platform, which provides customers with privacy-preserving measurement, analytics, fraud protection, and engagement technologies. Samer Saad, Regional Manager – Middle East at AppsFlyer discusses the company’s offering to the e-commerce sector.

online marketing needs of an enterprise? Many marketing campaigns today have countless moving parts and span multiple channels, including mobile, online, out of home, and more. AppsFlyer helps businesses keep track of and make sense of it all with holistic, cross-channel insights throughout the entire funnel. Our suite of solutions enables marketers to:  Measure effectively by delivering full visibility into the www.VARonline.com

source of conversions, and which campaigns bring in the best customers across every channel, platform, and device  Analyze and therefore make better, faster marketing decisions at every stage of the customer journey with a unified view of campaign performance  Engage more effectively with customers by providing seamless customer experiences across channels and audience segmentation, while getting accurate measurement data for all campaigns  Protect marketing budgets by staying ahead of every threat, before, during, and after installation with industry-leading fraud protection  Connect the dots by syncing attribution and marketing analytics data with internal platforms, using our comprehensive APIs and raw data solutions. Speak about the strengths of AppsFlyer in identifying ad fraud? Globally, mobile ad fraud is responsible for wasting billions of dollars in marketing budgets. Fraud tactics like malicious bots or device farms directly impact marketing campaigns by draining advertising resources on fake users who pose zero value. AppsFlyer enables organizations to counter this threat with our Protect360 anti-fraud solution. This employs a real-time, multi-layered approach that includes cluster analysis, personalized validation rules, in-app fraud rules, and post- attribution fraud detection. Protect360 analyses hundreds of mobile sensors to differentiate between humans and bots and determine authentic customers, not only at the time of installation but also for in-app usage and CPA (cost per action) fraud protection. JUNE 2022

TECHNOLOGY

COVER STORY

E-COMMERCE IS TOUGH; CREATING MARKET SHARE IS TOUGHER Successful positioning invites customers’ attention to a brand or product relative to competitors.

early 20 percent of the sales in retail account for e-commerce and it is projected to grow by 25 percent in 2025, which is $11 trillion in five years. No dispute that e-commerce is becoming an indispensable part of retailing with impending digitization and technological advancements in the industry. Today, there is a scope for every retailer or product manufacturer to start their e-commerce venture. Nonetheless, the desirable market share and positioning of e-commerce companies - estimated 12 million across the globe - is obscure next to the dominant players, such as Amazon, Alibaba, eBay, Rakuten, etc. Since co-existence is not well appreciated in the business world, the only choice is to keep the competitive spirits high no matter whether you are a newcomer or an established enterprise.

DISCUSS CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE, NOT PRICING Experts say, “to stand up against the competition, e-commerce enterprises should enhance customer experience instead of reducing the product prices from reasonable levels. However, dynamic pricing should be appreciated.” Most e-commerce companies are presumably paying high costs for infrastructure, logistics, IT, and payment services. Reducing the margins of revenue not only invites failure but also ceases their potential for futuristic investments. If surveys are reliable, the e-tail business is growing at a record pace and a large chunk of buyers are added every year with bigger buying potential and bargaining power. According to Statista.com, “as internet access and adoption are rapidly increasing worldwide, the number of digital buyers keeps climbing every year. In 2020, over two billion people purchased goods or services online, and during the same year, e-retail sales surpassed 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars worldwide.” These trends simply suggest that organizations should work on a war footing and focus on improving investments in user experience – starting from product search to delivery.

EASY SEARCH, FILTERING, AND FAST DELIVERY For an e-commerce customer, the experience starts from the moment she or he opens an e-commerce portal or a mobile app, not to mention that m-commerce has about

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73 percent market share. So, the e-commerce companies should aim to win the foremost battle of listing products and convenient filtering and navigation features based on the keyword input. Voice-based searches and image scans are add-on features in the latest platforms. The caliber of an e-commerce business is put to the test, time and again, in the delivery of products to customers. Every customer will seek fast and on-time delivery of products even if it has to import from another country. Therefore, the establishment of logistics infrastructures (incl. warehousing, shipping, and handling) should be based on a well-thought-out plan - the same applied to the return of products. As multiple agents are involved in this process, efficient coordination is needed; failing which, is nothing lesser than losing a customer.

CUSTOMER RETENTION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER Loyalty isn’t an impressive term any longer in free-market societies and even loyal customers should be ideally labeled as regular or returning customers. Regular customers help a business thrive even if that is small in number. Experience of buying a quality product and its smooth delivery influences a buyer to revisit the portal whenever the need arises. That underlines the importance of what types of products are to be listed and how efficiently they have to be presented to potential customers. Smartphones overwhelmingly impact the buying practices of customers as they give customers extremely personalized experiences of using shopping apps. From product comparison to live tracking, everything is easily possible in shopping apps. Apart from that, payments are flexible through smartphones if that is done from debit/ credit cards and unified payment interface (UPI) apps. With efficient tracking and analysis of user data, the marketing teams can reach customers uniquely in terms of running customized ads, offering exclusive prices, sending push notifications on viewed or cart items, etc. Reports said, the mandate of Apple, along with iOS 14.5, raised the eyebrows of marketers as it categorically states that apps must show their users a pop-up and track them only if they decide to “opt-in,” or to “allow tracking.” It appears that tailored cross-platform advertisement campaigns are not possible anymore as Apple wishes to bring in another layer of safety net for user data.

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When you look on the bright side of it, online shoppers’ data needs to be safeguarded, and so does their buying behavior. Users’ data (combining PII) are valuable beyond becoming dashboard insights in a third-party application. Anyways, marketing professionals should figure out more creative concepts to retain customers.

AI, DATA ANALYTICS, AND AUTOMATION AI-powered tools are gearing success in several areas, such as chatbot customer support, product suggestions, logistic handling, delivery-process notifications, etc. In addition, e-commerce companies can invest further to analyze data (excluding PII) to arrive at solid conclusions about the buyers’ interests, nature of buying, payment patterns, etc. Based on these parameters, they can persuade customers to buy relevant items at exclusive pricing. Similarly, e-commerce ventures, especially warehouse and logistic companies, are attempting to automate their operations from packaging to consignment shipping with shared benefits, such as increased profit, elevated reputation, reduce workforce, quick process completion, etc. However, the significant questions are: Is it costeffective? Who can afford to have it? The incurring cost to e-commerce business is based on numerous levels including staffing, platform, cloud solutions, infrastructure, and logistics. Not all e-commerce businesses can afford to handle all of them within their organization but can get them on lease or contract. We often come across marketplaces that simply operate e-commerce websites, take care of staffing, install IT systems, and rely on suppliers, external warehouses, and logistics service providers to handle the rest. Whereas large e-commerce enterprises (i.e., Amazon, Alibaba, eBay, etc.) handle much of the tasks within the organization and outsource

some for convenience. Such e-commerce companies would be dominating the industry and tactically superior to others. Shopify Disruption: It is an e-commerce platform that helps customers, predominantly independent retailers, build online shops quickly. Shopify serves 1.7 million merchants globally. Immersive technologies (AR and VR) are expected to involve in the e-commerce sector as they promise to provide customers with a virtual experience or preview of the product in their environments.

CONCLUSION Commercial transactions on the internet would bring significant changes in the retail industry besides transforming economies worldwide. With extensive sourcing, storage, warehouse, and shipping potential besides investments, some enterprises would rule the market while others strive to succeed. One thing is certain, each of them should consistently improve and enhance the customer experience in their platform.

www.VARonline.com

JUNE 2022

TECHNOLOGY

COVER STORY

INTERVIEW

NUTANIX

CONDUCIVE PARTNERSHIPS TO GIVE CUSTOMERS MAXIMUM BENEFIT The Integrator engages Christian Alvarez, Senior VP - Worldwide Channels, and Adam Tarbox, VP - Channel Sales EMEA at Nutanix in a conversation regarding their enhancing partnership and regional focus. That’s what’s behind the Nutanix Elevate Service Provider Program. It helps providers pursue partnerships that can improve customer experiences, competitiveness, and profitability.

Christian Alvarez Senior VP - Worldwide Channels

What should channel partners do to remain relevant and successful in a Hybrid Multicloud World? CA: We see customers' reliance on and expectations for enterprise cloud capabilities intensifying. Many are building the future of their businesses on hybrid multi-cloud IT operations, which blend private and public cloud services. This paradigm shift in customer expectations and cloud acceleration is leading prudent service providers into new partnerships. You can’t do it alone. Scaling a business and sustaining profitability requires working on creating partnerships that give customers a simpler way to drive their digital transformation. That involves consulting, design, new products, integration, customization, and 24x7 support. Partnerships can provide the expertise needed to promote, sell, design, integrate, customize, deploy and support new applications onpremises, in the public cloud, or hybrid cloud architectures.

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How have you updated your channel program to align with modern-day trends? CA: “Channel Autonomy” is one of our key objectives when it comes to our channel program. We wish to empower our channel ecosystem so that they can independently drive our business with minimal involvement from our sales team. We want to train them and make them true champions of Nutanix and in this way the partner and distribution community will be a true extension of our company. What are some of your immediate priorities in your role? AT: The key priority at the moment is on building on the existing deep relationships we have with partners. We are also focusing our efforts on being even easier to do business with by investing in the simplification and automation of our processes to allow partners to transact faster. Another area of focus is enabling each partner’s differentiation with a platform that enables partners to build not only traditional deployment services but also stand-up new practice areas. What is Nutanix’s mission or goal in EMEA? AT: Our mission in EMEA is the same as our overall corporate mission which is to ‘Delight customers with a simple, open, www.VARonline.com

Adam Tarbox VP - Channel Sales EMEA, Nutanix

hybrid, and multi-cloud software platform with rich data services to build, run, and manage any application’. Our vision is to “Make clouds invisible, freeing customers to focus on their business outcomes.” What are some of the main challenges facing you and the business today? AT: The past year has brought many changes to the channel partner ecosystem and subscription and consumption are on everyone’s mind. This is creating uncertainty for the channel ecosystem as it looks for new ways to sustain profitability. Many vendors have announced that they are moving towards subscription but haven’t provided insight to partners on what this means aside from some new incentives. As many vendors have taken renewals ‘direct’ - we have not and will not, we have always and will continue to be committed to the channel and our distribution partners.

INTERVIEW

TERRAPAY

TERRAPAY OFFERS SOPHISTICATED B2B, B2C PAYMENT SERVICES TerraPay, a Netherlands-based global fintech enterprise, offers cross-border payment services for mobile wallets and bank accounts. Bassem Awada, GM - MENA & VP Global at TerraPay speaks to The Integrator on its businessspecific services at Seamless 2022, Dubai

We understand that you offer lots of B2B Payment Services. Can you explain that to me in a very comprehensive way? Response: Today as we speak, whatever goes under payments requires a lot of regulations and at the same time a lot of diligence. The question is what kind of payments are we doing? What kind of money movement and where is this money moving from? These are some criteria that need to be added to the equation. TerraPay is licensed and regulated by 26 different licenses across the world. And we do answer to the regulator payments perspective. We are an infrastructure that connects the dots between two parties- sending and receiving and we would like to consider ourselves as a payment highway so at any moment any entity would like to move money, we are the solution for that. We have rails that give them through the single API, the highway to several products, be it B2B transactions, person to person, business to consumer, etc. From a business perspective, TerraPay today has capabilities to payout across 100 countries- in bank accounts and wallets through our partner network.

Tell me about the API integration you offer. Is it available with all the ERP solutions available in the market? Response: From a connectivity perspective, our technology is an inhouse technology. We built it from scratch. We did not buy off the shelf. We have limitations for instance, in adjusting or being accommodative to requests. We build it from scratch and accordingly this gives us several attributes to the technology itself. As the technology is very adaptive, scalable, and extremely flexible, we are also available through ERPs by getting capabilities. Speak about the Middle East prospects you have. What are the key integrations or partnerships you have made in the Middle East? The Middle East is a magnet for any payment infrastructure and the UAE is extremely advanced and extremely eager to keep evolving with the transition that is happening not only at the level of the commercial side of things but as well as the regulation side. Our strategy is to make sure that our expansion moves across all our portfolios because the region is so fertile. www.VARonline.com

What about your partnerships with other payment parties in terms of cards or UPI service providers? One of the main visions of our CEO is to provide financial inclusion through our technology. Build capabilities as affordable and agile as possible. Hence the operators themselves reflect this affordability to their customers and bring them to the legal and legitimate channels. From a partnership perspective, today, we are in a strategic partnership with Visa and eventually, we're going to be getting into a new partnership with Mastercard. Through this, we will be offering them capabilities to get connections between them for the product on their platform through our interoperable technology. We have recently signed an agreement with Network International and launched a product called “request to pay,” which is the capability to enhance financial inclusion for mobile wallets across Africa. Imagine this product users of those mobile wallets can now pay through their mobile to a wallet outside of their own country. Our partners can enjoy the capabilities of sending money regardless of how the money is sent. This helps everyone to become competitive in everything. JUNE 2022

INTERVIEW

TEXUB

TEXUB BRIDGES THE GAPS WITHIN THE IT AND MOBILITY MARKET TEXUB, a Dubai-based IT start-up and global B2B marketplace, offers a secure technology for global B2B IT and mobility trade. It is a digital platform that allows businesses to exchange commerce by offering a list of best-selling products for verified buyers through verified sellers and reduces analytical work. Suchit Kumar, CEO, TEXUB speaks to The Integrator on its scalable cloud platform for brands, distributors, resellers, and all key partners. assists businesses, both large and small, in establishing themselves in worldwide marketplaces and provides opportunities for expansion by diversifying sources.

Suchit Kumar CEO, TEXUB

Elaborate on the unique qualities of TEXUB as a B2B marketplace compared to the traditional eCommerce marketplaces? When cultivating the concept of TEXUB, we wanted to bridge the gaps within the IT and mobility market. Wherever we saw a B2B marketplace, they were either a general B2B marketplace that did not have a niche in terms of what was sold, or they were regionally specific and restricted to one country or geography. We did notice a few IT-specific marketplaces, but they always had subscription models. Finally, no marketplace connected businesses across borders. Our TEXUB model is a non-subscription-based business that provides verified buyers and sellers with unlimited cross-country access to commercial business and IT transactions. Sellers can easily upload numerous products on the platform and sell them globally across multiple hubs, with the flexibility to set geographical limits if they want. Buyers can expand their supplier base by purchasing globally at competitive prices. The platform

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Speak about the relevance of a non-subscription-based model in online marketplaces The subscription model is normally adopted as a customer retention model when software is provided as a service. However, in a marketplace or e-commerce business, the subscription model has not had the desired traction and, therefore, retention has failed. We did intensive research before deciding to make TEXUB a non-subscription-based online marketplace. The subscription model works well in these scenarios: repeat buying of entertainment content from streaming companies, a subscription to a news or music streaming service, or a software product to be used. In the business model of E-commerce and marketplaces, the focus is on acquiring new customers and retention is a byproduct of how business transacts. Marketing, transaction value, acquisition, traffic generation, and facilitating the buying and selling successfully are some of the key parameters for the success of a non-subscriptionbased model in online marketplaces. What sorts of businesses and industry verticals can use TEXUB to enhance their trading? TEXUB is a global managed B2B marketplace for both IT and Mobility. Our focus is on brands, distributors, and resellers of IT and Mobility. Our digital ecosystem helps these businesses reach new markets with our global opportunities. Discuss pricing options you offer to SMEs and small businesses We are a managed B2B marketplace and the verified sellers who are onboarded will be offering the prices. We do not sell to consumers. That is to say, if an onboarded seller has relevant products they can offer at a saleable price to buyers, and if buyers can scout around for products and pricing to match their requirements, those become the relevant pricing options, not only for SMEs and small businesses but for all users who are registered on the platform.

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NEWS BYTES

ZURICH INSURANCE

ZURICH MIDDLE EAST CONSUMER REPORT REVEALS THAT FINANCIAL PLANNING IS CRITICAL Wilson Varghese Operations Head, Zurich

urich International Life (Zurich), part of Zurich Insurance Group, has released the seventh edition of its Customer Benefits Paid Report for the Middle East. The report, generated from living and life cover benefits claims made to Zurich between January 2019 to December 2021, aims to raise awareness and educate customers about the need for life insurance and critical illness protection to ensure greater financial preparedness and security. According to the report, cancer was the leading cause of critical illness benefits paid (48%) over the three years. Lifestyle diseases such as heart attack and stroke were the leading causes of life cover benefits paid (35%), followed by COVID-19 (24%). Overall, men accounted for two-thirds or 66% of critical illness claims, and women were 34% of the claimants. Men also accounted for the larger share of life cover claims representing 78% and women 22%. Cancer was the leading cause of both critical illness (84%) and life cover claims among women (41%), while among men, heart attacks and strokes were the leading sources of both critical illness (62%) and life cover claims (41%). Speaking on the results of the report, Wilson Varghese, Head of Operations, Zurich, said, “Our customer base is a cross-section representing the wider UAE community in all its diversity. Our findings can be extrapolated as a reflection of changing health risks faced, especially after the pandemic. It is critical for people with financial dependants to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

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SERVEU ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH MICROSOFT TO UPGRADE THEIR CAFM SYSTEM

erveU, a leading facilities management (FM) solutions provider in the UAE and a subsidiary of Union Properties, has announced its partnership with Microsoft to upgrade its Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) system. The company has also revealed its partnership with NSquareXperts, to configure and customize its Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Services. ServeU’s CAFM System aims to focus more on automation and client self-service. The company has been using MicrosoftDynamics as an ERP System for several years, and this recent upgrade is part of a long-term

NEWS BYTES

HYKE

HYKE HELPS B2B PARTIES UNLOCK SPEED AND EFFICIENCY

H plan to upgrade other company systems to MicrosoftDynamics which includes, transportation management, IoT systems, training systems, and Microsoft Guides. Gary Reader, General Manager of ServeU said, “ServeU has already been using Microsoft Field Services for more than a year for its B2C Division. However, our recent partnership with Microsoft is set to enhance our position in the industry, as well as manage the massive workforce, especially when it comes to automation and client self-service.” In addition, ServeU is developing a B2B customer app on the same Microsoft System, making it a first-of-its-kind concept in the B2B FM industry. “We are looking forward to this partnership and providing our services to ServeU. We are delighted that ServeU chose Microsoft Dynamics for their system upgrade,” commented Haider Salloum, Small, Medium, and Corporate Director at Microsoft UAE.

YKE, an app-based digital distribution platform, provides instrumental assistance, in-depth market research, real-time data visibility, and efficient communication tools to manufacturers, retailers, and distributors to help them connect seamlessly. The developers of the platform claim, “HYKE allows its users to get all the technology, supply chain infrastructure, and market reach they require in a few simple clicks or taps. In addition, the platform offers a substantial benefit for any supplier wanting access to this retailer base, as it currently has 10,000+ retailers and in-store employees from the merchants' side.”

OTHER MERITS OF THE PLATFORM INCLUDE: •

• •

•

Manufacturers get a bird's-eye view of the entire value chain, real-time knowledge on sales, inventory, and market demand credit to retailers as well as support for maintaining consistent quality of operations and data access across all markets Distributors have access to complete market reach, real-time data insight, and last-mile credit with HYKE Retailers with HYKE enjoy the copious benefits of a single location where they can access all suppliers and categories, simple ordering procedures, interact with customers and communicate, and pay without any hassle Hyke has also launched its B2B Marketplace, which enables retailers to list and distribute their products using the Hyke App across UAE & KSA

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JUNE 2022

NEWS BYTES

AL ANSARI EXCHANGE

AL ANSARI EXCHANGE DEBUTS CROSS-BORDER VISA DIRECT REMITTANCE SERVICE

l Ansari Exchange, the UAE-based foreign exchange and money transfer company, has rolled out its new crossborder remittance service, Visa Direct, in collaboration with Visa, a leader in digital payments. The solution will allow Al Ansari Exchange customers to transfer funds to Visa cards globally in near real-time. With this partnership, Al Ansari Mohammad Bitar Exchange becomes the Deputy CEO, Al Ansari Exchange first exchange company globally to enable the Visa service for secure funds transfers to overseas bank accounts. Al Ansari Exchange is planning to enable Visa Direct, Visa’s payment platform, for 25 countries in the MENA region, Europe, and Asia, with plans to expand its reach to more countries. Mohammad Bitar, Deputy CEO at Al Ansari Exchange comments, “Visa has been one of our long-standing partners for years sharing our values and working closely with our team to find innovative and seamless solutions that benefit our end user. We are proud and honored today to launch Visa Direct service, the latest addition to our growing portfolio of services and solutions launched to deliver faster, more secure, and convenient remittance processes for customers who trust Al Ansari Exchange for cross-border remittance and payout needs to Visa cards.” “With the rise of digital payments, this partnership strives to bring digital-first solutions and we will continue to provide services that enable seamless money movement globally – and with Visa Direct, Al Ansari Exchange customers have access to our billions of cardholders worldwide and the backing of our trusted global network for fast and secure transfers,” says Shahebaz Khan, Visa’s General Manager for UAE, Bahrain, and Oman.

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TREND MICRO STRENGTHENS DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION JOURNEYS OF ENTERPRISES

rend Micro Incorporated, 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. The one-day event explored business and technological advancements brought to the region’s organizations by utilizing 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.

NEWS BYTES

JEDOX

JEDOX, MICROSOFT PARTNERSHIP TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES J

“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. 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. 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. Enterprises will gain increased visibility and consistent security throughout their entire digital infrastructure.

edox, a provider of EPM solutions has announced a transformative partnership for Microsoft customers on enterprise data. Designed for a workforce accustomed to Microsoft Excel, Jedox is the EPM platform that enables the planning cycle using data from across the Microsoft environment to extend and enhance planning insights. With seamless Microsoft Florian Winterstein integration, Jedox facilitates CEO, Jedox collaborative planning by bringing together finance, sales, marketing, HR, and other business functions to build a plan that supports the ambition of the business. “The Jedox and Microsoft partnership enables businesses to leverage the power in their existing Microsoft stack to create rapid, accurate plans and make decisions with confidence. Jedox was specifically designed to enable effective collaboration, improving the quality of the plan and ensuring it reflects and adapts to the way your business moves, quickly improving business performance,” says Florian Winterstein, CEO of Jedox. Jedox facilitates planning within your current Microsoft environment by maximizing investments in Microsoft technologies, allowing any data source to contribute to a more accurate plan. Combined with native integrations from an Excel add-in, Dynamics 365 Connector, and integration with Power BI, businesses benefit from instant, real-time planning using the data that matters. “Jedox brings agility and collaboration to the planning process by leveraging Microsoft technologies to deploy and connect our EPM platform. We are very proud to announce this collaboration with Microsoft to support businesses of all sectors and sizes to anticipate their markets and outperform their plan,” added Andrew Bale, Global Strategic Partnerships Leader at Jedox. www.VARonline.com

JUNE 2022

INTERVIEW

SAVOYE

SAVOYE’S INTRODUCES ADVANCED SUPPLY CHAIN SOFTWARE SERVICES TO THE MIDDLE EAST Savoye is a global provider of supply chain solutions with a large portfolio of solutions that combine hardware and software. Alain Kaddoum, Managing Director, Savoye Middle East speaks to The Integrator regarding their experience at Seamless Middle East and the outcome of participation.

Alain Kaddoum MD, Savoye ME

What are the new products and solutions Savoye presents to the Middle East market? We provide advanced software services such as order management systems, warehouse management systems (WMS), transport management systems, warehouse control systems, B2B integration platforms, and ODATIO, a combination of warehouse management systems and transport management systems. Other technological services of Savoye include goods-to-person and goodsto-robot preparation, mobile robot solution, plug-and-play conveyor, packing machines, automated pallet storage, picking tools, and robotic lockers.

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Our key solutions:  ODATIO offers an end-to-end visibility platform ensuring that the entire supply chain process is managed from manufacturing to delivery while controlling the cost and risks of wholesale distribution, logistics, and retailing.  HAIPICK solution: it features autonomous and intelligent functions such as robots that pick and place boxes or bins on storage shelves which can be up to five to seven meters high.  X-PTS goods-to-person solution: A supply chain solution, which is designed to enhance the operational efficiency of microfulfillment centers of grocery e-commerce in the Middle East. Can you speak about the outcome, in terms of new partnerships, MoUs, etc., at Seamless Middle East? It was a good opportunity for SAVOYE Middle East to participate in the Seamless Middle East for the first time. We showcased our HAIPICK solution at the event which attracted interest from many companies, especially 3PL companies and e-commerce. We are currently organizing meetings to go into indepth discussions to build the most suitable solutions, combining both software and automation systems. Explain the constraints the logistic www.VARonline.com

industry faces in the post-pandemic era and how Savoye can resolve them. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgency to adopt digital innovations and automation to sustain business operations, driving organizations to increase investments in smart technologies. Our priority is to further develop innovative and sustainable supply chain solutions, addressing the challenges and complexities of logistics operations. We offer robotic solutions that help tackle the challenges of the increasing demands by consumers in the supply chain. Logistic automation is considered to be one of the radical steps the industry takes, today, and what is your take on it? As the business landscape has become increasingly competitive, we can see a need for timely and standard delivery. This has led to a greater demand for automation systems and artificial intelligence tools. Automation is now one of the highly preferred technologies among industry stakeholders. It helps speed up logistical operations meeting consumer demands and saves a significant amount of cost and time. Automated logistics provides a major advantage of real-time access to loading and data analysis.

INTERVIEW

SHIPSY

SHIPSY HELPS GLOBAL BUSINESSES REDUCE SHIPPING COST BY 10% & MAKE LOGISTICS SUSTAINABLE Harsh Kumar, Chief Strategy Officer at Shipsy, speaks to The Integrator about the company’s growing regional presence and how it is helping businesses build resilient supply chains. How can Shipsy be a competent partner for the logistic operations of SMEs and large enterprises? Regardless of size, an enterprise can opt for Shipsy's AI-powered logistics management platform to automate their export operations, rate procurement operations, handling of large orders, documentation processes, and track bulk shipments in real-time. In both domestic and crossborder shipping, we empower customers to reduce their freight costs by up to 10 percent through enhanced route planning of shipments and intelligent procurement processes. Shipsy also helps businesses build sustainable supply chain operations by reducing miles traveled, shrinking empty miles, reducing trip volumes, and enabling enterprises to monitor CO2 emissions actively across air, water and land. We ensure end-to-end granularlevel visibility of goods and parcel movement to empower businesses to drive accurate decision making, identify cost optimization pockets, mitigate transportation risks, boost compliance and enhance customer experience. What are the industry verticals that Shipsy is focusing on? The Shipsy platform empowers global businesses across industries to optimize, automate, track and simplify end-to-end logistics and supply chain operations. Some of

our customers include the secondlargest tire manufacturer, the largest petrochemical company, a global Fortune 100 retailer, a leading steel manufacturer, the world's most popular pizza chain, and many more. Since its inception, Shipsy has been consistently helping manufacturers, FMCG businesses, food delivery providers, restaurant chains, D2C brands, on-demand delivery providers, express logistics companies, healthcare brands, retailers, and many more to optimize logistics costs and boost customer service. Is the Shipsy platform a standalone solution or does it allow integration of customers' existing applications? Either way, it works perfectly! Our platform can seamlessly integrate with existing IT infrastructure. It can also be customized based on a customer's unique needs and challenges to the greatest of degrees. What are the competitive advantages an enterprise gets when it chooses Shipsy? Technology adoption in the logistics industry is at a nascent stage. There are multiple solutions available in the market that only address specific parts of the entire ecosystem. Shipsy, on the other hand, delivers robust, data-driven, intelligent, and automated capabilities to improve logistics operations starting with export/import until a product is delivered to a customer's doorstep. Also, we are not just technology www.VARonline.com

Harsh Kumar Chief Strategy Officer, Shipsy

providers but are partners to customers, and take immense pride in their growth. Excellent. Beyond the product, what is the story of Shipsy? How did banking professionals come together to form a logistic platform? That's an interesting question. Even though we studied in different institutions, we had the same background — banking. At one point, we used to operate on a platform used by departments like finance, trading, sales, research, brokering, etc. It gave us the idea of creating a robust operating system to unify supply chain and logistics networks and all their stakeholders on a single platform. JUNE 2022

FEATURE

HMD GLOBAL

MIDDLE EAST ENTERPRISES SHOULDN’T IGNORE HUMAN SIDE OF CYBERSECURITY Written by: Sanmeet Singh Kochhar, Vice President - India & MENA at HMD Global.

nterprise security that doesn’t properly consider the end-user is doomed to failure. According to the ''Middle East & Africa BYOD & Enterprise Mobility Market 2023” report, BYOD and enterprise mobility market is projected to grow at a CAGR of more than 19% by 2023. This happens on account of rising smartphone and internet penetration as well as surging demand for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and enterprise mobility solutions across various sectors in different countries of the region. With more devices in the hands of employees than ever before organizations risk exposing themselves to cyber threats if their security solutions and services don’t factor in how individuals will use them. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, every industry has embraced hybrid working to some degree, and COVID-19 has changed the way we work forever. Every industry is embracing some form of hybrid working and according to Robert Walters 2021 survey, 32% of those surveyed in the Middle East said they would like a hybrid working model, spending at least 50% cent of their time working remotely. Combining traditional office environments with unprecedented levels of remote work means digital solutions - and the devices that run them securely – will play an integral role. Done right, this improves productivity, efficiency, and, ultimately, profitability. Company-owned smartphones have boosted collaboration between colleagues working miles rather than meters apart. But there are potential pitfalls if enterprises don’t use technology that is simple, up to date, and accounts for how employees interact with it. A failure to factor in the disconnect between how technology expects endusers to behave and what the end-user does will limit enterprise security. Individuals don’t always follow guidelines. Proofpoint’s 2021 Voice of the CISO Report revealed that 70% of CISOs in the Middle East believe that users are one of the primary risks to cybersecurity within their organization. And they’re worried about things like unidentified devices, unidentified tools, and the security around data that people are working with. This reality leads to weak entry points for cybercriminals and accidental information leaks. Out of sight cannot be out of mind. As work borders expand beyond the office, it is important to have an

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Sanmeet Singh Kochhar VP - India & MENA at HMD Global

Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution that is proactive rather than reactive. Devices and solutions that limit security breaches caused by a lack of employee understanding (or patience) are needed in this hybrid working world. For instance, HMD Enable Pro, our EMM solution, supports Work Profile, which allows enterprise IT to separate company and personal applications and data to different profiles within the same device. Work Profile helps end-users to get the company apps they need for their work as they become automatically installed through the EMM solution, as the company and personal profiles are kept separate, it reduces the risk of personal privacy and company security infringements. The actions of individuals can scupper security plans if those plans don’t factor in the way end-users behave. The key is implementing enterprise security that is robust but doesn’t deter end-users from using the digital solutions that can boost efficiency and productivity in the modern way of working.

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JUNE 2022

FEATURE

SALESFORCE

THE EVOLUTION OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR: HOW BUSINESSES CAN ADAPT AND THRIVE Written by: Thierry Nicault, AVP - Sales, Salesforce

Thierry Nicault AVP - Sales, Salesforce

n a digital-first post-pandemic world, consumer expectations and needs are evolving fast. While businesses used to be seen solely as institutions that provide goods and services, customers now also expect them to provide a seamless customer experience and be driven by purpose and values. In this accelerated digital era, businesses must remain agile to the needs of their customer base. Brand loyalty is no longer enough, and companies must not only continue to optimize their customer experience (CX), but also exhibit strong ethical and environmental values to retain customers.

THE EVOLUTION OF TRUST AND LOYALTY IN CUSTOMERBRAND RELATIONSHIPS The latest Edelman Trust Barometer indicates that consumers are looking to businesses to lead in times of uncertainty. Companies that align with a customer’s values can seal the deal against the competition. When

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values are misaligned, customers are not hesitant to change. But it’s not just about value alignment, businesses must ensure they practice what they preach when it comes to ethical and sustainable practices. Retaining trust is just as important as building it, and authenticity is crucial in maintaining an engaged customer base. Ultimately, though trust is rising, there is room for improvement. Building a company that has strong values and can thrive in a trustbased economy is a crucial part of any long-term business strategy.

MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF PERSONALIZATION Amid accelerated digital transformation and purchase personalization, an increasing number of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs when purchasing online. However, this comes at a cost. The optimization of new digital business models and scaling personalized services both hinge on data. And with increased data comes the need for reassurance around privacy. This presents a balancing act. On one hand, customer data is needed to build trust, since it underlies functionality that addresses customer needs. But given the consequences of data misuse (security breaches and invasive marketing practices), customers understandably are cautious when it comes to trusting companies with their data. In a world where consumers want both personalization and privacy, companies must only collect the personal information that they www.VARonline.com

need, driving transparency around data protection to ensure consumers feel like they are in safe hands.

CONSUMERS ARE REASSESSING THEIR RELATIONSHIPS Amidst evolving personal priorities, the rising cost of living, and global supply chain issues, according to the Salesforce report, a majority of consumers have either switched to new brands or are considering doing so. This presents both an opportunity and a danger for brands, as they have new ways to reach people but are also at risk of shaking up existing relationships and loyalties. Tactics like loyalty programs, social media engagement, and personalized email marketing, can incentivize retention amongst regular customers. On a larger level, brands can bolster customer loyalty by not only selling through retailers but also selling directly to the end consumer.

KEEPING CUSTOMER CONNECTION FLEXIBLE When engaging with companies, customers seek out flexibility and ease, and so are leaning into digital channels and online experiences to ensure quick and efficient communication. This isn’t a one size fits all approach. From service teams, for example, customers expect immediate responses from informed agents, but also selfservice options for easily resolved queries. But many, notably older, less tech-savvy generations, still demand human-to-human business connections.

FEATURE

INFOBLOX

SPOTLIGHT ON MITRE ATT&CK: UNDERSTANDING THE DNS ATTACK SURFACE Written by: Mohammed Al-Moneer, Regional Director, META at Infoblox

THE MITRE ATT&CK FRAMEWORK

MITRE ATT&CK TECHNIQUES THAT USE DNS

The MITRE ATT&CK (Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge) framework was developed and released by the MITRE Corporation in 2015. It is a comprehensive knowledge base of cyber attacker TTPs gathered from the observation of attacker behavior. MITRE is a non-profit organization that works with U.S. government agencies in a wide variety of areas. As an important knowledge base, MITRE ATT&CK enables anyone on a cyber defense team to review and contrast attacker activity and then understand the best options for defense. In addition, there is also MITRE PRE-ATT&CK, which helps cyber defenders prevent an attack before the attacker can gain access to the network.

Let's take a close look at the Reconnaissance tactic: gathering information that can be used to plan future attacks. MITRE ATT&CK defines two techniques (and multiple sub-techniques) that attackers employ extensively to use DNS: • T1590: Gathering Victim Network Information Information might include administrative data (such as IP ranges and domain names) and specifics about the network’s topology and operations. o .001 Domain Properties: Information might include the domain(s) the victim owns, administrative data (such as names and registrars), and more directly actionable information, such as contacts (email addresses and phone numbers), business addresses, and name servers. o .002 DNS: DNS information might include registered name servers and the records that outline addressing for a target’s subdomains, mail servers, and other hosts. o .004 Network Topology: Information might include the physical and/or logical arrangement of both external-facing and internal network environments. This information might also cover specifics about network devices

MAPPING THE DNS ATTACK SURFACE WITH MITRE ATT&CK Everything on your networks, whether on-premises, in the cloud, internet of things (IoT), or mobile, will need to use DNS services. DNS provides centralized visibility and control of all computing resources, including users and servers in a micro-segment, all the way to an individual IP address. Cyber attackers can leverage unprotected DNS services in many ways.

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(such as gateways and routers) and other infrastructure. o .005 IP Addresses: Public IP addresses might be allocated to organizations by block or as a range of sequential addresses; adversaries might attempt to determine which IP addresses are in use. IP addresses can enable an adversary to derive other details about a victim, such as the size of the victim’s organization, the victim’s physical location(s), the internet service provider, and/or where and how the victim’s publiclyfacing infrastructure is hosted. • T1598: Phishing for Information Adversaries send phishing messages to elicit sensitive information that can be used during targeting. Phishing for information attempts to trick targets into divulging information, frequently, credentials, or other actionable information. Phishing for information is different from phishing in a general sense: the objective of the former is to gather data from the victim, but the objective of the latter is to execute malicious code. DNS security works at the ground level—that’s why we say it is foundational. It is designed to prevent users or devices from connecting to malicious destinations, and to detect anomalous behaviors in the network. JUNE 2022

FEATURE

CHECK POINT

AIRTIGHT KUBERNETES SECURITY POLICY Written by: Saad Nizam, Cloud Security Architect at Check Point Software Technologies, Middle East

ubernetes gives developers a lot of power in terms of automating the deployment, management, scalability, and availability of containerized apps. According to data from 2021, the industry's preferred container orchestration engine is now used by over 5.6 million developers. Kubernetes and containerization, on the other hand, present additional complexities that pose new security challenges. Security remains the top concern in container strategy, according to Red Hat's 2021 State of Kubernetes Security study, with 94 percent of respondents reporting at least one security incident in their Kubernetes settings in the previous 12 months. It's vital to employ Kubernetes within the framework of an appropriate security strategy to retain the agility obtained by containerized development and to ensure security issues don't creep into production environments. But how would such a policy be implemented? Read on to get four top tips for ensuring airtight Kubernetes security.

Saad Nizam Cloud Security Architect, Check Point

Detected misconfiguration: The declarative nature of container orchestration lends to significant misconfiguration risks that opportunistic threat actors could exploit. These risks may increase the attack surface for your cloudnative applications or even expose sensitive data.

WHAT ARE KUBERNETES’ MOST COMMON SECURITY CONCERNS? Returning to the Red Hat report mentioned earlier, real-world data sheds light on the most prevalent security risks with Kubernetes. The four most prominent security issues with Kubernetes environments mentioned by DevOps, engineering, and security experts were:

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Security incident during runtime: The second most prominent concern makes sense given that many of the misconfiguration errors in the build phase will only become evident during runtime after containers have been deployed. Major vulnerability to remediate: Major vulnerabilities are severe flaws that could lead to the worst business outcomes, such as data loss/breach or extended application downtime. Failed audit: An audit of Kubernetes logs can uncover compliance issues in your container ecosystems.

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT KUBERNETES SECURITY The first reason to be concerned about Kubernetes security is that it directly influences your work as a developer. When security concerns start interfering with build and deployment procedures, the agility promised by container orchestration soon diminishes.

APPOINTMENTS

BCG / BEDU

BCG APPOINTS PABLO MARTINEZ TO HEAD THE MIDDLE EAST REGION A

mana Capital, one of the trading specialists in the MENA region, has announced two new appointments to its product leadership team aiming bring better user experience to customers in line with the company’s digital transformation. The firm has named Matt Carstens as the new Director of Product Experience and Justin Biebel as Director of Product Implementation. Matt Carstens will lead the Amana app’s product functions and design, making sure the app is easy to use and includes innovative tools compelling to customers. He brings to Amana over two decades of crossindustry expertise, grounded in an entrepreneurial and commercial track record. Matt Carstens has acted in advisory and consultancy roles for Gain Capital, ThinkForex, UrbanStat, Ninja Trader, and Finalto. Justin Biebel will oversee backend and infrastructure development for Amana’s digital offerings as Director of Product Implementation. Justin holds a background in risk management, market-making, and product development with a unique expertise in multi-

Pablo Martinez Firm’s Head, ME Region

asset derivatives. He began his trading career as an independent market maker at CBOE in 1999 and has since held roles as an FX options trader, quantitative product developer, portfolio manager.

Metaverse: Bedu appoints Alexis Christodoulou as Vice-President of Creative Design for 2117 B edu, a Dubai-based of Metaverse solution provider, has announced the appointment of renowned digital artist Alexis Christodoulou as creative lead on the company’s pioneering Metaverse project, “2117”. “I work from a desire to see fantastic spaces come to life that echo a modern, clean aesthetic,” Christodoulou said. “Bedu is out in front in the Metaverse race, and I can’t wait to join the expedition to the Web frontier. Through the 2117 project, we have an opportunity to write the next chapter in humankind’s digital saga.” As a self-taught 3D artist, Christodoulou has spent the past 12 years building a collection of works focused on imaginary

Alexis Christodoulou VP, Creative Design, Bedu

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architecture. Christodoulou’s explorations have drawn the attention of brands around the world and his works regularly sell out on prestigious NFT platforms. In 2021, he opened a studio in Amsterdam, Netherlands, under the name Color C Design Studio, and he has been featured in prestigious design-focused publications such as Wallpaper, Ignant, Dezeen, Nowness, and Architectural Digest. Matti Zinder, Co-Founder and President of Bedu said, “we were struck by the hopeful aesthetic of Alexis’ architectural forms, such as his gardens and landscapes, and we cannot wait to see his endless creativity unleashed on our 2117 project. JUNE 2022

TECHNOLOGY

EYE TECH

BENQ ANNOUNCES NEXT-GEN 4K HDMI 2.1 GAMING MONITORS IN SLEEK WHITE APPEARANCE

enQ, a leading provider of display technologies, has announced EX3210U and EX2710U, news models of its MOBIUZ gaming monitors. Harnessing 4K UHD image quality, 144hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, 2.1-channel sound with subwoofer, remote control, and AI noise-canceling microphone, MOBIUZ claims to be enriching emphatic gameplay with image, audio, and control enhancements as well as proprietary BenQ Eye-Care. Offering 4K UHD image quality and HDMI2.1 output, EX3210U and EX2710U are equipped to

showcase the best of console gaming. Their sleek white styling aesthetically matches game consoles and peripherals. OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE: • HDRi technology • Light Tuner’s 20 color settings for different gaming genres • Black eQualizer for brightening dark corners and shadows • Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) technology

SEGWAY PLANS MIDDLE EAST EXPANSION, LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCT SERIES

ith the introduction of three new e-scooter lines, the mobility company Segway is furthering its position in the future of smart mobility in the UAE. An official release claimed, Segway is poised to become an essential player in making smart cities a reality across the world, with the introduction of a full range of transportation solutions - from personal transporter pods to tough longer-distance city transport vehicles and new kick scooter improvements that rethink the transportation experience. With cutting-edge technology, these new lines are not only safe and simple to use, but also equipped with connectivity that will make them suited for a Smart City. Segway is all geared up to amplify its footprint in the micro-mobility market with its latest innovations.

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The F Series boasts the following qualities: •

Instant Performance of up to 25 kilometers per hour

•

350 W powerful and silent engine

•

Resilient Frame and 10-inch Pneumatic tires

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Easy unfolding-folding system

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Full LED display with Bluetooth connectivity

www.VARonline.com

TECHNOLOGY

EYE TECH

BUPA BOOSTS DAAS DELIVERY AND MULTI-CLOUD READINESS

UPA adopts Nutanix solutions to address performance, scalability, and management issues impacting its business-critical Citrix environment that supports over 5,000 users. These issues are resolved by migrating from legacy infrastructure to the Nutanix Cloud platform and Nutanix Acropolis Hypervisor (AHV). Beyond this initial phase, BUPA has also begun using Nutanix Calm to fully automate the management of its DaaS computing system and allow for rapid deployment of this and other workloads to any cloud in accord with long-term multicloud strategy.

• •

AFTER THE INFRASTRUCTURE MIGRATION, BUPA ASSERTS THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES: •

The whole system becomes a lot simpler and easier to manage with on-demand scaling

•

Support has been streamlined with just one point of contact for all issues All can now be managed from the same console, eliminating the need for expert skills thereby freeing up staff to concentrate on other tasks Nutanix Calm automates all aspects of the application lifecycle

TEAMGROUP LAUNCHES STANDARD MEMORY MODULES RUNNING AT 5600MHZ

“

o meet the demand for all types of multi-tasking, highclock-speed experiences, and high-performance computing, we are releasing newly-updated ELITE SO-DIMM DDR5 and ELITE U-DIMM DDR5 5600MHz high-speed memory modules,” Teamgroup says in an official release. The memory modules boast higher frequencies and low power consumption and they will be available on Amazon in North America in early July 2022.

KEY FEATURES:

• • • • •

High clock speed for higher-performance Fully meets the needs of business, learning, and entertainment applications on desktop and laptop Low operating voltage of 1.1V Optimized IC structure Memory modules from 8GB to 32GB capacities

www.VARonline.com

JUNE 2022

TECHNOLOGY

RESEARCH TECH

OVER 90% OF BUSINESSES ARE UNABLE TO SUCCEED IN THE DATA ECONOMY

nly 6% of businesses globally use, access, and share data in a way that grants them all the business benefits provided by a robust data strategy, according to new research from Snowflake, the Data Cloud company. Moreover, the report highlighted that only 38% of businesses are in a position to extract value from their data and use it to inform the decisions they make, and just 55% say that data sharing can happen freely in their organization. The research went on to define ‘Data Economy Leaders’ – characterized by their ability fully unlock the power of their organisations data – and identified that 77% of these businesses experienced annual revenue growth over the past three years, while just 36% of ‘Laggards’ - the lowestperforming businesses surveyed can say the same. Moreover, 60% of Leaders saw their market share grow over this period, compared to only 31% of Laggards. “Successful organizations will attain the business advantage that comes from access to data, data services, solutions, and collaboration - which can only be found in the Data Economy”, said Jennifer Belisssent, Principal Data Strategist at Snowflake. “These organizations are capitalizing on data platforms in the cloud. They have strong, data-literate leadership that encourages an enterprise-wide approach to data innovation and

JUNE 2022

have established processes that make their data mutually available. As a result, these forward-thinking organizations are using all that the Data Economy offers to solve the most complex business problems, improve customer experiences, and crackdown on fraud.”

HOW ORGANISATIONS ARE LEVERAGING DATA 42% of organizations surveyed reported that they use data to identify risk and prevent fraud within their business - the most common use for how data is used - demonstrating a growing trend for businesses to use data in a preventative way, to protect themselves and their customers. 41% of organizations use data strategically to launch new revenue streams or pricing models and 40% do so to reveal new market opportunities.

THE ROAD TO DATA LEADERSHIP The report’s analysis of the Data Economy Leaders revealed several other areas in which these organizations considerably

outperform their peers, with their strengths exhibited across three main pillars: people, process, and technology.

PEOPLE • Strong leadership is essential if a business is to thrive in the Data Economy. For almost two-thirds (63%) of Data Economy Leaders, there is a C-level mandate to become data forward.

PROCESS • Leaders are better at aligning data objectives across teams, with 62% having a data or analytics center of excellence that coordinates data policies, and 54% enabling users to access all available data through a single system or application.

TECHNOLOGY • Twice as many Leaders as Laggards (50% vs. 24%) describe the data storage and management technologies they use as ‘easily scalable and elastic’. Leaders draw upon a greater volume of data, in different forms, while breaking down silos and collaborating with both internal and external partners.

METHODOLOGY: The survey was commissioned by Snowflake and was completed in November and December 2021. The 1,000 respondents consisted of C-level business executives and board members and senior technology managers from across eight countries. www.VARonline.com

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