VAR Magazine by INTEGRATOR MEDIA

M I D D L E Issue 237

E A S T

A N D

A F R I C A January 2020

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In Focus - P 6

News - P 7

News - P 9

At Lenovo, we are committed to bring latest innovations

E Sports in the UAE

Dare to Leap for the Young realme Officially Launched

Kaspersky makes Android app testing tool publicly available for mobile developers Kaspersky has opened access to its Android Automated Testing Framework. The tool, named Kaspresso, takes advantage of flexible settings and is easy to use. ...continued on P - 4

5G And Edge Computing Are Bringing The Next Layer Of Fast Data As the data universe continues to expand, big data and the cloud have completely changed how we use data and opened new possibilities for insight and always-on accessibility. ...continued on P - 2

Khwaja Saifuddin Senior Sales Director Western Digital Corporation

News

Editorial

Kaspersky

...continued from P - 1

Kaspersky makes Android app testing tool available Technology steals the Spotlight As we enter into a new decade, technology will continue to accelerate. I always enjoy reflecting on the past year and also looking ahead to what the next year has in store. In 2019, many technological innovations have emerged that have had a leading role in society affecting other areas such as labor, cultural, commercial and even political. Our industry is facing one of the most exciting times in its history. With the launch of 5G, the Industrial Revolution 4.0 is right around the corner. Technologies such as 5G, Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain will be protagonists in 2020 and will transform our lifestyle in the coming years. It is time for Intersec 2020 where business, technology and innovations come together. The world’s leading security, safety, and fire protection trade show, will open doors in January 19-21 with a long list of dedicated features set to complement a packed exhibition floor featuring more than 1,100 exhibitors from 50 countries including two-thirds of the world’s top 50 security manufacturers. We are witness to the latest in technology and innovative solutions that will likely disrupt the digital world forever.

With Kaspresso, mobile developers can significantly reduce the amount of time needed for application testing without the fear of overlooking a bug, therefore speeding up the application release process. The tool has already received positive feedback at two major technology conferences – Mobilization IX and Codemotion Berlin 2019. Nowadays, there are many frameworks and tools for conducting automated tests, such as Espresso and Appium. However, these frameworks can’t solve all Android developers’ problems, like their concerns around readability, flakiness, logging, and architecture of UI-tests. The issues mentioned above prevent mobile developers from writing clean, stable, maintainable, and understandable UI-tests. In order to solve existing problems with the convenience of UI-tests, Kaspersky has introduced a new Android app testing tool, named Kaspresso. The tool is based on two libraries for creating automated Android tests – Espresso and Kakao. Thanks to the inclusion of the Kakao library, serving as DSL wrapper over Espresso, Kaspresso improves the readability of UI-tests, which brings test descriptions to a new level, and makes them more understandable. Kaspresso also solves the problem with flaky tests and logging. Flaky tests are cases in which the test result is unpredictable, and has different reasoning behind each failure, despite the functionality working without malfunctions on the developer’s device. As for Espresso’s existing logging problems, as it does not log its actions, the new tool can show all Espresso activities. Therefore, the tool provides a simple and convenient way to manage interceptors, which are the entry point for

LG TVS first to exceed official industry definition for 8k ultra HD TVS

The edition would not be complete without information about new product launches, announcements and various initiatives that have kept the market buzz. Promising to keep you updated on the latest and introduce business opportunities to all our readers. Till then take good care and happy selling!

Vivek Sharma Managing Editor

Managing Editor: Vivek Sharma Commercial Director: Mallika Rego Content Lead, Print & Online: Deepti Israni Art Director: Faiz Ahmed Published by:

JNS Media International MFZE P.O. Box: 121075, Montana Building 404, Zabeel Road, Near GPO, Karama, Dubai-UAE Tel: 04-3705022 Fax: 04-3706639 sales@var-mea.com or info@var-mea.com 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.

all the API requests that tests call. Kaspresso presents a rich set of default interceptors for handling flaky tests and improving the logging process. Finally, Kaspresso offers the best practices which mobile developers at Kaspersky have gained following many years of experience. “We decided to make the Kaspresso framework publicly available as the creation of a framework for autotests requires a lot of effort and resources. Furthermore, self-testing tools for Android simplify mobile developers’ lives. We tried to combine the best resources and practices into one tool and put our own best practices and experience into it. We hope that with the help of Kaspresso, mobile developers will create better and more reliable Android applications. We also consider that users and the entire industry will benefit from this,” comments Victor Yablokov, Head of Mobile Products Development at Kaspersky.

LG Electronics (LG) announced that its TVs are the first in the world to exceed the strict requirements established by the Consumer Technology Association to define the new gen-eration of 8K Ultra HD products and services delivering four times more detail than 4K TV and 16 times more than HDTV. The official industry 8K Ultra HD designation and logo were developed by the U.S.-based CTA to set a clear definition for retailers and consumers to help better identify products that meet key 8K Ultra HD requirements. LG’s Real 8K TVs, which will make their debut at CES 2020, are the first to

exceed CTA’s specific requirements including those related to resolution, digital inputs, high dynamic range, and upscaling, bit depth and measurement methodology. The CTA based its 8K definition on the threshold specified by the International Commit-tee for Display Metrology. The measurement guidelines based on contrast modulation (CM) state that resolution must meet a 50 percent minimum CM threshold along with at least 33 million active pixels in order to qualify as 8K UHD. Starting in January 2020, every LG 8K TV will display CTA’s 8K UHD logo. New 2020 models build on LG’s leadership position as the only manufacturer offering Real 8K TVs in two categories – OLED (LG SIGNATURE OLED 8K) and LCD (LG 8K NanoCell TV) – all delivering CM values in the 90 percent range, while some other models in the industry remain in the low double digits. Third-party testing by the global product testing and certification organization Intertek verified that the 75-inch LG NanoCell 8K TV far surpasses the CM measurement require-ment set by ICDM, with the unit returning an impressive 90 percent CM horizontally and 91 percent CM vertically.

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4 | January 2020

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News

OPPO to Launch 5G Smartphones Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon OPPO announced during the annual Qualcomm Snapdragon Tech Summit, it will become one of the first companies to launch their flagship 5G smartphone powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform in the first quarter of 2020. OPPO has also announced that the all-new Reno3 Pro, launching this month, will be equipped with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.’ next-generation Snapdragon 765G Mobile Platform with integrated 5G, becoming the brand’s first dual-mode 5G handset. “By powering our devices with Snapdragon 865 mobile platforms, we are bringing premium flagship 5G smartphones with better experiences like camera, gaming and artificial intelligence with enhanced performance for consumers around the world. The Reno3 Pro, featuring the Snapdragon 765G, will allow users to experience the superior 5G connectivity, Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite Gaming, and outstanding performance in its ultra-thin form factor. OPPO plans to roll out more 5G products in the future, driving the large-scale adoption of 5G around the world,” said Ethan Xue, President, OPPO MEA. The ground-breaking Snapdragon 5G mobile

Snapdragon 765G Mobile Platform with integrated 5G and built on 7nm process technology, the upcoming Reno3 Pro will exceed what is expected by providing an outstanding 5G experience to consumers. OPPO has always been committed to pioneering and promoting 5G smartphones. In May, the brand officially launched the Reno 5G in Switzerland, making it first commercial 5G phone in Europe. The widely praised smartphone was subsequently rolled out in Australia, U.K. and Italy. Utilizing Reno 5G, OPPO, Qualcomm Technologies and Ericsson were jointly awarded the “Best 5G Network Development in Europe” award in this June. Within the GCC, the smartphone was unveiled in September. The OPPO Reno 5G continues the Reno series’ use of innovative technology to elevate photography and mobile entertainment to all-new heights, with the added power of 5G’s super-fast connectivity. A key contributor to the standardization of 5G, OPPO had announced its “5G Landing Project” with leading operator partners in the GCC earlier in 2019 to accelerate the commercialization of 5G products and services worldwide OPPO values its long-standing collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies. In 2018, OPPO launched its

“By powering our devices with Snapdragon 865 mobile platforms, we are bringing premium flagship 5G smartphones with better experiences like camera, gaming and artificial intelligence with enhanced performance for consumers around the world.” platforms enable OPPO to power its flagship smartphones with the best-in-class cellular connectivity, performance, and power efficiency while supporting the state-of-the-art form factor design of its devices, providing users with the next-generation of ultimate video, photo and gaming experiences. Powered by the

flagship Find X integrating the Snapdragon 845. The device, which proved to be a big success for OPPO in the European market, provides consumers with gamechanging experiences thanks to its ground-breaking design, innovative entertainment and connection capabilities. In 2019, OPPO unveiled the Reno 10x Zoom,

a 10x hybrid zoom smartphone featuring Snapdragon 855, and the Reno Ace, powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus, with both becoming a big hit among consumers due to their superior photography and gaming performance respectively. In the era of 5G and intelligent connectivity world, OPPO will continue to invest in 5G technology, product research, and application scenarios. With Qualcomm Technologies and other partners in the industry, OPPO will continue to explore and bring more 5G values and possibilities to users around the world.

Kodak Alaris Claims Prestigious 2020 Scanner Line of the Year Award Buyers Laboratory (BLI), the world’s leading independ-

Kodak Alaris are class leaders that can add tremendous

ent evaluator of document imaging hardware, software,

value to any business, earning the company its fourth

and services, today announced that Kodak Alaris has

Line of the Year award in five years, and its fifth overall.”

won BLI’s coveted 2020 Scanner Line of the Year award

To determine the Scanner Line of the Year award

for the fourth time in five years. Given once a year, this

recipient, BLI analysts consider current scanners in the

award recognizes the vendor whose product line is

OEM’s line that have been submitted to BLI’s lab for

deemed best overall based on its rigorous laboratory

testing. To judge the overall quality of the line, the

evaluations.

analysts look at the overall rating a scanner received

“Scanners from Kodak Alaris enable businesses of all

after testing, as well as the ratings in key categories such

shapes and sizes to extend business process automation

as Reliability, Productivity, Media Handling, Image

to the point of capture. Across the entire line, customers

Quality, Ease of Setup, Drivers/Utilities, OCR Performance,

can expect highly integrated onramps for entering all

and Value.

paper-based information to the systems that drive their

“Kodak Alaris is by far the most-awarded scanner

business. Each device is characterized by its exceptional

manufacturer in BLI’s 62-year history, with 30 Pick and

media handling, top-notch image enhancement and OCR

Outstanding Achievement awards along with the five

capabilities, flawless reliability, and a simple user experi-

Line of the Year honors,” said Don Lofstrom, President and

ence.” said Lee Davis, Keypoint Intelligence’s Senior

General Manager, Alaris, a Kodak Alaris business. “As we

Editor, Scanner Analysis and Software Evaluation. “Whether it’s a small desktop unit or a production scanner—and everything in between—scanners from

kick off a new decade with this prestigious award, we Don Lofstrom President & General Manager, Kodak Alaris

look forward to innovating, delighting customers and growing with our partners for many years to come.”

January 2020 | 5

In Focus

Lenovo

At Lenovo, we are committed to bringing the latest innovations to Middle East services, implementation services, Truscale Infrastructure and support services has made Lenovo the industry leader in server support.

Dr. Christopher Cooper DCG Director, Lenovo MEA

In terms of data center solutions and software defined infrastructure and enterprise application. How is Lenovo driving its channel strategy? Lenovo Data Center completely embraces our Channel. What differentiates Lenovo when it comes to working closely with channels and vendors is our commitment to creating opportunities for our partners to succeed through the Lenovo Partner Engage Program. This is the foundation of our joint success and a powerful force to help our customers exceed their business goals. Through this program, we are heavily investing into the platforms used by the channel partners to increase the sales experience and create an easy to use environment for all interaction. For instance, last year we announced ‘Velocity’, a project to simplify the way Lenovo does business with partners. Such projects are geared towards providing more consistency and predictability in partners’ engagements with Lenovo. By reducing friction for partners in

“The ThinkPad X1 Fold is constructed of lightweight alloys and carbon fiber, covered in a leather folio cover. Beyond its classic style, it also offers the durability consumers have come to expect of the ThinkPad brand.” Lenovo offers a complete product and service portfolio from connectivity devices to data center solutions and everything in between. Has this provided Lenovo a competitive edge? Our industry-leading portfolio of hardware, software and services are all created with exactly that in mind - to give our partners and clients an edge in their respective sectors. We tailor our solutions to work seamlessly and in tandem with emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data & Analytics, Cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and many more to provide engineered, tested, and certified solutions to accelerate our clients’ and partners’ business growth. Furthermore, our solution

their day-to-day relationships with Lenovo, ‘Velocity’ has successfully made us faster and more responsive with all our channel partners. With the launch of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold at CES 2020 when can we anticipate this product in the region? At Lenovo, we are committed to bringing the latest innovations to Middle East – a region which is quick to embrace new technologies and adopt the latest trends. We anticipate the ThinkPad X1 Fold to launch locally towards mid-2020 and look forward to seeing how it will revolutionize the PC experience for local users. We will be sure to update you as we move closer to the official launch date.

How ThinkPad X1 Fold will give an edge over competition to Lenovo? We are extremely proud to be introducing a revolutionary form-factor to the market, in the shape of the world’s first foldable PC. The ThinkPad X1 Fold is constructed of lightweight alloys and carbon fiber, covered in a leather folio cover. Beyond its classic style, it also offers the durability consumers have come to expect of the ThinkPad brand. Our research has shown that users who frequently shift from smartphone to tablet and laptop are often seeking a solution which can be molded to suit a range of environments. With the ThinkPad X1 Fold, as the needs of the user change, the PC morphs seamlessly with them. Crucially, this is not just a gimmick – we have been working closely with Microsoft to develop Windows 10 mode-switching software, meaning that the screen adapts in an intuitive manner and truly offers a new type of experience. What are some of the innovative products on demo at Intersec 2020? In line with Lenovo’s strategy to empower and facilitate ‘Intelligent Transformation’, our participation at Intersec follows the company’s recent announcement of entering a strategic partnership with Pivot3, a leading provider of intelligent infrastructure solutions, to develop, market and sell a new set of converged computing and storage solutions optimized for mission-critical smart city security applications. The integrated appliances feature Lenovo DCG’s ultra-reliable ThinkSystem servers and are powered by Pivot3 HCI software. As cities around the world compete for the title of the smartest and safest city, much of the market growth is being driven by mission-critical security initiatives that rely on information collated from an array of city sensors and databases combined with video data and analytics, including facial recognition, behavioural analysis, license plate recognition and many others. Effectively collecting, analysing, storing and acting on all this information in real-time is dependent on the capabilities of the latest advances in reliable, efficient and always-available computing and storage solutions.

News

BenQ Introduces New Esports Gaming Monitor, ZOWIE XL2731 With Black eQualizer And Colour Vibrance BenQ’s e-sports entity ZOWIE has just introduced their latest gaming monitor XL2731 across the Middle East. The BenQ ZOWIE XL2731 is a 27-inch e-Sports monitor for PCs with a native refresh rate of 144Hz that has been designed prioritizing gamers’ demands around visual clarity and colour. Equipped with a Black eQualizer and Color Vibrance technology, it comes with a height-adjustable stand and works with computers that can operate at up to 144fps. The BenQ ZOWIE XL2731 is part of the Esports entity’s XL-series that comprises of premiere monitors for PC Esports that have been specifically made to guarantee smooth and responsive gaming experiences. With spectacular image quality, the XL2731 is here to equip you better for your online battles. Spot Hidden Enemies - BenQ ZOWIE XL2731 enables gamers with a better vision to target hidden enemies with its Black eQualizer. This feature significantly increases visibility during dark gaming scenarios without overexposing the brighter spots to give gamers a better sense of visual clarity.

Optimize Gaming Precision - Equipped with Colour Vibrance technology, the XL2731 has high colour grading definition and empowers gamers with the flexibility to select their preferred colour tone. Gamers can optimize their gaming precision with 20 different levels of Colour Vibrance settings that allow them to make changes according to their specific viewing requirements and preferences for all types of gameplay. Comfort For Long Lasting Gaming - Understanding that long hours of practising and gaming can lead to eye-strain, BenQ ZOWIE has equipped the XL2731 with flicker-free technology that helps reduce eye strain considerably and lets gamers practice their gameplay for extended hours without discomfort. Personalize Viewing Angles - The XL2731 also comes with a height-adjustable stand that allows gamers to adjust the height of the monitor easily so that they can personalize their viewing angles and play comfortably. The stand can be operated with just one finger, making it super simple for users to make adjustments as and when needed.

6 | January 2020

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News

E Sports in the UAE (400-500) The video games industry in the Middle East is estimated to be worth more than US$1 billion annually and is expected to rise to US$4.4 billion by 2022. Is this an untapped potential, I would say it is and is poised to grow at a faster rate as compared to the other parts of the world that are now reaching saturation. In the Middle East, eSports is still largely in its infancy. Despite this, the Middle East’s large youthful demographics, high penetration rate and the fact that eSports can be played in all climates means that the Middle East market has big potential for eSports. Dubai had hosted the first main stream, large scale tournament in the region, in 2015 with the ESL ESEA Pro League invitational where the prize money at stake was US$250,000, and the common consensus is that eSports will take off across the region as technology continues to advance globally. Major tournaments have been regularly arranged in the region and both hardware and software manufacturers as well as major sponsors are actively participating to encourage this vertical. The DGC E Sports Summit in Dubai to be held on the 1-2nd of April 2020 brings Industry leaders from across the world showcasing their products and solutions. Last year DGC projected the current market to be at US$1.5 billion across the GCC and the event is poised to attract more audience than it has in the previous years. With four separate shows during the two days, Mobile Games

Kazi Najib Ashraf Cheif Creative Officer Summit, Esports Summit, VR/AR Summit & Blockchain and Games Summit, the show is going to bring together a variety of audience from gamers to the solution providers. Insomnia Dubai, the regions largest gaming festival was held in October last year and was an absolute hit

among the attendees. Insomnia Dubai’s launch was part of the expansion of the IMSOMNIA Gaming Festival’s global footprint in the Middle East. INSOMNIA started off 20 years ago in the UK as a large LAN event, where gamers came together to play their favourite games. INSOMNIA Dubai hosted 14 of the most popular games for gaming enthusiasts to ‘Turn Up & Play’, apart from mobile gaming, VR, tabletop games, cosplay, esports finals, and diverse stage shows. The mega event was launched in Dubai as part of a multi-year partnership with Dubai-based events company, Global Event Management (GEM). Esports is set to expand across the Middle East with Korean non-profit International Esports Federation (IESF) recently announcing plans to enter the region. IESF has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the UAE’s Motivate Media Group, parent company of Gulf Business, to expand regionally. Currently, the Esports category has over 300 million gamers across the Middle East alone. Other than the UAE, Saudi Arabia is also taking a lead in holding international E Sports competitions on a regular basis. The League of Legends Competition for 2020 is now planned with a total of US$2 million prize money. As businesses in hardware see a slowdown, gaming is now a leading vertical to investigate for classical local and regional IT firms.

Top 5 Technology Trends to Impact the Digital Infrastructure Landscape in 2020 Equinix, Inc. the global interconnection and data center company, released its top five technology trend predictions for 2020. Its expansive footprint across more than 50 global markets, and its position as a leading meeting and interconnection point for ecosystems of networks, clouds, enterprises and nearly 10,000 customers, give it a unique and holistic lens to view critical digital infrastructure trends.

Equinix’s 2020 technology trend predictions include: 1) Distributed infrastructure and edge computing will accelerate hybrid multicloud adoption There is a seismic shift underway across many industries as businesses are embracing edge computing and hybrid multicloud architectures. Increasingly, businesses are moving computing from centralized data centers to a distributed infrastructure and toward the edge, where data exchange and interconnection between businesses and cloud services are growing at an exponential rate. The advent of edge computing has also become a

set of use cases, requiring increasingly complex and more real-time-sensitive processing of large data sets originating from multiple sources. An airplane with thousands of equipment sensors, an autonomous vehicle producing telematics data, or a smart hospital monitoring patients’ well-being can each generate several terabytes of data a day. About 75% of enterprise AI/analytics applications will use 10 external data sources on average. To meet the scale and agility requirements of the above, Equinix believes businesses will continue to leverage public cloud service providers, while most will likely find ways to use an optimal set of AI/ML capabilities from multiple CSPs—effectively deploying a distributed, hybrid architecture for their AI/ML data processing.

3) The rise in cybersecurity threats will require new data management capabilities The World Economic Forum has ranked breaches in cybersecurity as one of the top risks facing our global community. No company or individual is immune to the cybersecurity challenges we face today or will face in the

“In 2020, Equinix believes we will see further complexity in protecting personal data as global trends toward stricter or new data privacy regulations continue to gain momentum, making it more difficult for global companies distributed across multiple markets to navigate.” foundational enabler for other emerging technologies such as 5G mobile communications, which will allow internet of things (IoT) and other edge devices to take advantage of faster connectivity to data and compute resources with single-digit-millisecond network latency. 2) AI and IoT will drive new interconnection and data processing requirements at the edge Equinix predicts that enterprises will accelerate the adoption of AI and machine learning (ML) for a broader

future. The financial loss attributed to cyberattacks continues to impact economies worldwide and is estimated to cost $6 trillion USD annually by 2021. With the increase in cybersecurity attacks and data privacy and protection regulations, most companies are now moving toward accessing cloud services over private networks and storing their encryption keys in a cloudbased Hardware Security Module (HSM) at a location that is separate from where their data resides. In 2020, Equinix predicts that new data processing

capabilities such as multiparty secure computation, fully homomorphic encryption and secure enclaves will move toward mainstream and will allow enterprises to run their computation in a secure manner. 4) Data regulation will influence enterprise IT strategies Today, many enterprises buy and sell data in order to get a competitive advantage, but these enterprises must adhere to government regulations for personal data privacy and protection. What started with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is now transcending into other local regulatory frameworks such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) among many others, and is putting more pressure on enterprises to ensure data compliance. In 2020, Equinix believes we will see further complexity in protecting personal data as global trends toward stricter or new data privacy regulations continue to gain momentum, making it more difficult for global companies distributed across multiple markets to navigate. 5) Digital transformation will provide a foundation for a more sustainable world According to an Equinix Survey, 42% of IT decisionmakers agree that the “greenness” of a company’s suppliers has a direct impact on their buying decisions. Equinix anticipates that with increasing pressures on the world’s resources and the increasing desire by many companies to cut emissions, digital transformation could begin to set the world’s economy on a progressively sustainable footing. In 2020, sustainability will likely be an initiative for world-class organizations as stakeholders increasingly look to digital businesses to lead and innovate in areas of environmental responsibility and sustainability. Equinix further predicts that digital and technology innovations will provide companies with the opportunity to overcome barriers, such as the geographic dispersion of supply chains to the complexity of materials and deconstructing products.

January 2020 | 7

News

W7Worldwide is AVAYA’s Communications Partner

As part of its vision to enhance business and communications strategies, AVAYA, Avaya Holdings Corp. a global leader in solutions to enhance and simplify communications and collaboration, announced W7Worldwide Marketing Communications Consultancy Agency, as its new corporate communications partner in Saudi Arabia. W7Worlwide was selected among a number of regional and international agencies due to its unique corporate communications capabilities and deep understanding of the local media and communications market in the Kingdom. In addition, W7Worldwide enjoys an extensive experience in developing effective communications and marketing strategies and creating innovative approach to content which will reflect

positively on sustaining AVAYA’s image and reputation in the local market. AVAYA is a global leader in providing integrated unified communications and contact centers technologies directly or through its partners across the globe, with more than 100 years of experience and innovation in business communications. Zouheir Diab, Managing Director – Saudi Arabia, Avaya, said: “We are proud to partner with W7Wordwide, the first local agency to enter the market with global capabilities and standards and we expect to achieve positive results through the Agency's innovative corporate brand image and reputation management capabilities which can provide us with competitive advantages in a rapidly changing market” On their part, Co-Founder at W7Worldwide, Abdullah Inayat, has stated “We are honored to have signed the partnership with Avaya which reflects the agency’s presence at the forefront of the communications market. Our extensive work and experience have given us the proficiency to engage in number of vital sectors in communications, corporate image and reputation management”. It is worth mentioning, that W7Worldwide has accumulated experience in the field of media and strategic consulting, and serves a number of government, civil and third sector sectors due to its local, regional and international knowledge. W7Worldwide offers a diverse map of modern communication services that include public relations, brand building and solutions, reputation management, social media, creative design and website development and digital solutions.

Kingston Technology Releases EnterpriseGrade Data Center NVMe SSD Boot Drive Kingston Digital Europe Co LLP, the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced the availability of a new data center SSD, the DC1000B M.2 NVMe boot drive. The new drive is ideal for servers shipping with one or two M.2 NVMe slots dedicated for boot purposes and thus preserving valuable front-loading 2.5 drive bays for additional data storage. DC1000B is designed in a 2280 form factor that includes onboard power-loss protection and is engineered with 0.5DWPD4 endurance for extended service life. Kingston’s DC1000B boasts incredible performance with speeds of up to 3.2GB/s and 205K IOPS2 and is designed for booting, as well as caching and logging applications. “While the M.2 form factor was originally designed for client machines, it’s small physical size and high performance make it attractive for server use,” said Tony Hollingsbee, SSD business manager, Kingston EMEA. “DC1000B is purpose built for the latest servers from both white box and Tier 1 server OEMs that utilize M.2 NVMe SSDs for boot purposes, as well as the ability to be configured as a local cache drive.” DC1000B is a high-performance M.2 NVMe SSD using the latest Gen 3.0 x 4 PCIe interface with 3D TLC NAND. DC1000B offers data centers a cost-effective boot drive solution with the reassurance they are purchasing an SSD designed for server use. Ideally suited for use in high-volume rack-mount servers as an internal boot drive(s) as well as purpose-built systems where a high-performance M.2 SSD is needed that includes on-board power-loss protection. DC1000B is designed to deliver enterprise-level performance consistency and low-latency features typically not found on client SSDs.

Dynabook announces the world’s lightest 13.3” Notebook with Intel 10th gen processors Dynabook announces the Portégé X30L-G, the world’s lightest 13.3” fully featured business laptop with Intel® 10th generation processors. Uniquely designed for portability – weighing just 870g – yet packed with features to enhance connectivity, performance, security and user experience, the new device meets and exceeds Microsoft’s Modern Device standard, the benchmark for modern computing devices. The Portégé X30L-G has been engineered to be the perfect companion for the modern day professional, both in the office and on the move. Balancing mobility and durability, its magnesium chassis is incredibly light but also robust, having been carefully engineered for rigidity. Dynabook engineered the Portégé X30L-G to cover extreme environmental variables with the MIL-STD-810G standards. The laptop is put through military-grade drop, temperature, humidity and dustproof testing to demonstrate its overall robustness, ensuring it can withstand the challenging demands of today’s mobile workforce. Its Sharp-developed non-reflective 13” IGZO FHD LCD screen offers high brightness with 470NIT but with reduced power consumption compared to a standard LCD. The combination of its 14.5 hour battery life and a Quick Charge function which provides 4 hours’ battery on just 30 minutes charge, means that users don’t need to worry about conserving battery while on the move.

Light in weight but not in performance Despite its ultra lightweight and compact form factor, the Portégé X30L-G doesn’t compromise on offering the best user experience, in any location. The latest 10th generation Intel Core Processors and a wide selection of SSD storage options including SATA, fast PCIe and Intel Optane enable rapid workflows and increased productivity. In addition, a Micro SD card reader gives further portable storage options. “The launch of the Portégé X30L-G demonstrates our continued commitment to developing devices which are built with the modern day enterprise workforce in mind. The device is a testament to our engineers and their ability to pack powerful business-oriented components into increasingly compact devices”, commented Damian Jaume, President, Dynabook Europe GmbH. “The next generation off lightweight devices is here and we’re excited to be at the forefront of this innovation.”

Extensive connectivity and front-line security The device benefits from an extensive range of network and peripheral connectivity options. A USB Type-C port enables users to charge, connect to displays or transfer data through one connection. Although ultraslim in design, the

device is also equipped with a full-size HDMI port and 2 x USB 3.0 ports so users don’t need to worry about carrying adaptors when on the move. An optional USB-C dock also allows one-click connection to minimise cable clutter and rapid hook up to peripherals. When it comes to network connectivity, the latest Intel® 802.11ax (WiFi 6) + BT 5.0 WiFi module supports faster speeds and increased bandwidth, while a Gigabit-LAN port powers easy, high speed access to network resources back in the office.

8 | January 2020

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Dare to Leap for the Young realme Officially Launched in UAE Usher the era of Quad-Camera with 5G and AIoT on the horizon with X2 Pro, 5 Pro and C2 debut. Realme, the fastest growing smartphone brand, announces its official entry into UAE with three premium products: realme X2 Pro – 64MP Quad Camera Full-Speed Flagship, realme 5 Pro – 48MP Quad Camera SpeedMaster, and realme C2 – Entry-Level King with mega display and mega battery. With realme X2 Pro and 5 Pro, the brand will bring Leap-to-Quad-Camera experience. Inspired by Dare-to-Leap spirit, realme has made it to the TOP 7 in 18 months and has already achieved 25 million users since its founding in May 2018. UAE has significant influence over the world, also is one of the most tech-advanced markets, especially in the 5G network era. realme sees great opportunities here for a tech company, and all ready to disrupt UAE. realme comes to UAE with a strong strategy of three products for the different price range. Each one with the aim to appeal its own target: realme 5 Pro, the SpeedMaster, realme X2 Pro, the first truly affordable flagship in the market and realme C2, the entry-level quality king. realme 5 Pro is a SpeedMaster priced at AED 699 onwards. It combines outstanding performance and beautiful design to make a powerful mark in the mid-range. It features 48 MP Quad Camera, Snapdragon 712 AIE Mobile Platform - that improves comprehensive performance by 10%- and 20W VOOC Flash Charge 3.0., becoming the best choice for the young. It also features a 6.3-inch FHD screen (2340×1080) which offers a wider and clearer vision with the elegant "dewdrop design". realme X2 Pro, the brand´s Full Speed Flagship arrives with the aim of becoming realme's truly flagship model. It combines speed, power and performance, with a very attractive design. With Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform -that ensures a powerful performance- its 50W SuperVOOC Flash Charge -that can be fully charged in 35 minutes- and a 90hz refresh rate screen –that will give users a totally fast and immersive experience. realme X2 Pro will become one of the most competitive flagships in the market. It also features 64MP Quad Camera with -for the first time in UAE- a 20X hybrid zoom with a 115º wide-angle, a telephoto lens and a portrait lens. It is

available with 12G+128G, starting from AED 1,799. realme C2, the entry-level king, is of 4000mAh battery and 6.1'' HD+ display. With 19.5:9 display, the screen body ratio, reach up to 89.35%. With the mega display, you could more enjoy the fun of gaming and video. The realme C2 is priced at AED 399 onwards. Josef Wang, President of realme Middle East and Africa, said on the event: "We are very happy to be launching this whole portfolio of products in UAE. Following our motto, Dare to leap we arrive in UAE –and GCC- hoping to provide young consumers with more surprising products within at each price range, and exceed their expectations, whether in design, performance, or quality. We want to offer a full range of dare-to-leap experiences in terms of performance, design, quality and service realme is committed to leap for the future with UAE together, bringing Quad-Camera experience for everyone. Also, we will soon introduce 5G and AIoT (AI + IoT) products to be a tech popularizer." To be a tech popularizer, realme will continue to encourage the young in UAE to pursue their dreams, just like it did in many markets. Believing changing the world doesn't need seniority, realme launched "Proud to Be Young: realme Design Contest" and "Shot on realme Global Contest", aiming to help the young show their talents and inspiration all over the world.

As tech-trendy, realme dare to leap for everyone As a Tech-Trendy Brand, realme always make all endeavours to build products based on the real needs of the young. It focuses on performance, design and quality. All

efforts are made by realme to bring cutting-edge technology into each price segment. It is the first to bring the combination of 64MP Quad Camera + 50W SuperVOOC + 90Hz Ultra Smooth Screen into Emirates. It keeps quality as its lifeline, successfully maintaining our repair rate at an extremely low level. realme will also provide 360 degree after-sales for all consumers with 9 service centres in 6 cities. Never compromising on stylish taste, realme cooperate with the world's leading experts favoured by the young, like Eddie Opara, the partner and chief designer of Pentagram, and a TOP design master Naoto Fukasawa. In January, it launched a series of lifestyle accessories withe Classic Blue, the Pantone Color of 2020. UAE is one of the most promising markets in the world and for realme. realme will invest more to cooperate with local operators and partners to bring consumer here the technology of the future that integrates intelligence, strong performance and stylish design

XTOUCH launches a series of new devices this DSF Leading mobile phone brand, XTOUCH aims at expanding its market share in 2020 Dubai- headquartered leading mobile phone brand, XTOUCH has announced the expansion of its product portfolio with the launch of several new devices this DSF. The launch includes a wide range of new feature phones and smartphones. In addition to feature phones and smartphones, the company also added all new range of Smart Watches and XPod to its portfolio. Commenting on the launch of new products during DSF the vice president for XTOUCH, Mr. Farhad Khan said, “ XTOUCH has been at the forefront of launching innovative and quality devices to cater the demand from different segment of customers spread all across the Middle East and Africa region.” The XTOUCH feature phones series comes in four models; F10, F20, F30 and F40. Priced between AED 49 to AED 99, all the models comes in different sizes and specifications including a clamshell senior phone. The price range for 4G smartphones varies from

Farhad Khan Vice President, XTouch

AED 99 to AED 499. All the four models for XTOUCH smartphones; S10, S20, S40 and X40 comes with various specifications ranging from 5” IPS display, 1GB+16 GB priced at AED 199, 5.5” IPS display with 2GB+16 GB priced at AED 249 and 6” waterdrop model with 4+32 GB priced at AED 399. The three new models of XTOUCH Smart Watches launched this DSF sports different styles and specifications are priced between AED 99 to AED 299. Another exciting product the launched is XPod, which is dual TWS with wireless charging, XPod Solo is with single TWS and XPod 2 in1 is car charger with TWS. All are priced between AED 49 to AED 99. “We are committed to provide the best in the class products built with latest technology innovations and high quality manufacturing capabilities that is offered at most affordable prices, ensuring satisfaction and happiness to our customers. We are confident the launch of these new devices will help us expand our marketshare,” concluded Khan.

January 2020 | 9

News

Insight Partners to Acquire Swiss Cloud Data Management Leader Veeam Acquisition to Accelerate Expansion while Continuing to Cement Veeam’s Position as the Clear Global Market Leader Leading software investor Insight Partners announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Veeam Software, the leader in Backup solutions that deliver Cloud Data Management. Under the ownership of Insight Partners, Veeam will become a U.S. company, with a U.S.-based leadership team, while continuing its global expansion from offices in 30 countries and with customers in over 160 countries. The acquisition, which is expected to close during the first quarter of 2020, will enable Veeam to accelerate its Act II (Veeam’s evolution into Hybrid Cloud), expand into new markets and continue its growth trajectory. As part of the acquisition, William H. Largent has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - he previously held the role of Executive Vice President (EVP), Operations – and Danny Allan has been promoted to Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Following an investment from Insight Partners at the beginning of 2019, Veeam, the clear market leader with over $1 billion in annual sales and more than 365,000 customers worldwide, worked alongside Insight Partners’ business strategy and ScaleUp division, Insight Onsite, to

William H. Largent Chief Executive Officer, Veeam

“In a world where a business’s most valuable asset, its data, is constantly on the move and being created at unprecedented rates, data management has never been more critical, and more complex. Legacy solutions cannot keep up. Veeam’s software provides holistic coverage for the modern business.” expand its software-defined Veeam Cloud Data Management Platform. The company launched a number of new innovations over the last year, including Veeam Backup for Amazon Web Services (AWS), Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365 v4, Veeam Universal License (VUL) and announcing Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure – growing its share of the U.S. market, as well as cementing its position in the global market. The acquisition and bolstering of U.S. leadership will accelerate Veeam’s already impressive growth trajectory and expansion into adjacent markets. “Veeam has enjoyed rapid global growth over the last decade and we see tremendous opportunity for future growth, particularly in the U.S. market. With the acquisition, we are excited that our current U.S. workforce of more than 1,200 will be expanded and strengthened to

acquire and support more customers,” said William H. Largent, CEO at Veeam. “Veeam has one of the highest caliber global workforces of any technology company, and we believe this acquisition will allow us to scale our team and technology at an unrivaled pace.” At the core of Veeam’s strategy is delivering simplicity, flexibility and reliability to its global customer base (which includes 81% of the Fortune 500). During the last decade, Veeam’s approach has seen it collect more than 170 industry awards, named as a leader in three consecutive backup and data recovery Magic Quadrants by Gartner, boast a consistent leadership position in the Forrester Wave and also named as one of Forbes’ Cloud 100 companies for four straight years. According to the latest IDC Software Tracker, Veeam is the #1 market-share leader in EMEA and the #4 worldwide, after DellEMC,

Veritas and IBM. Today, Veeam is the clear market leader, delivering Backup solutions that enable Cloud Data Management, and has recently launched exciting new cloud-native solutions that will enable customers to manage, migrate, orchestrate and protect data across AWS and Microsoft Azure environments – core elements of its Act II. In the coming weeks, NEW Veeam Availability Suite v10 will be generally available, providing users with the most powerful software-defined data management solution in the industry. “In a world where a business’s most valuable asset, its data, is constantly on the move and being created at unprecedented rates, data management has never been more critical, and more complex. Legacy solutions cannot keep up. Veeam’s software provides holistic coverage for the modern business,” Veeam’s Danny Allan said. “While Veeam’s preeminence in the data management space, currently supporting 81% of the Fortune 500, is undeniable, this commitment from Insight Partners and deeper access to its unmatched business strategy and ScaleUp division, Insight Onsite, will bring Veeam’s solutions to more businesses across the globe.” “Veeam’s strong growth, coupled with high customer retention, unparalleled data management solutions and the opportunities to expand services into new markets, make Veeam one of the most exciting software companies in the world today,” Insight Partners Managing Director and Veeam Board member Mike Triplett said. “Veeam’s platform is the most advanced and complete data management solution available to businesses requiring a seamless blend of data backup and recovery, data protection, data security and data availability. We are committed to supporting Veeam’s next phase of leadership and growth in the United States, continued marketshare leadership position in EMEA and continued global expansion.” The Board of Directors will be immediately supplemented with seasoned software, government and business leadership as co-investor Nick Ayers, of Ayers Neugebauer & Company, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders and former Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States, joins Insight Partners Managing Director Mike Triplett and Veeam CEO, William H. Largent on the Board.

Huawei FusionServer Pro V5 Certified for SAP HANA Scale-Out Solution Huawei FusionServer Pro 2488H V5 rack servers and Huawei KunLun 9008 V5 mission critical servers have passed the SAP HANA certification for BWoH/BW4H/DM and S4H scale-out appliance solutions. In addition, the Huawei OceanStor Dorado V6 high-end all-flash storage powered by Huawei Kunpeng processors has passed the SAP HANA certification for enterprise storage. The Huawei SAP HANA solution family expedites real-time decision-making and enables faster data monetization for enterprise customers. The Huawei KunLun 9008 V5 mission critical server is configured with 8 Intel Xeon Platinum 8276 Scalable processors and 6 TB memory. It can be scaled to up to 16 compute nodes with 96 TB available memory. The Huawei FusionServer Pro 2488H V5 rack server is configured with 4 Intel Xeon Platinum 8276 Scalable processors and 3 TB memory, which can be expanded to 48 TB. The flexible scale-out solution protects customers' hardware investment while customers' data increases continuously.

The scale-up and scale-out solutions based on the latest SUSE 15.1 version are soon to be released. In the future, Huawei will deepen collaboration with SAP into the FusionServer Pro V6 series and expand into more innovative fields, together providing more integrated appliance solutions for industry customers.

The SAP Integration and Certification Center (SAP ICC) has released more than 300 Certified Appliances, 10 Certified Enterprise Storage, and 16 Certified IaaS Platforms based on Huawei SAP HANA solutions, providing customers with full-stack on-premises or Certified IaaS Platform solutions.

10 | January 2020

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January 2020 | 11

News

Mobily and Ericsson Reinforce Advanced IoT Solutions and New Generation Networks

Saudi Arabian communications service provider Mobily and Ericsson signed an agreement whereby Mobily will be leveraging Ericsson's cutting-edge products and solutions to support its drive to empower the kingdom's government and private sectors towards digital transformation, accelerate the deployment of digital services, and expand the provision of Internet of Things solutions, including the company's smart meter project that is driven by the Saudi Electricity Company. This comes in line with Mobily’s strategy to support digital transformation initiatives to achieve the kingdom's vision 2030 aspirations. The signing ceremony took place at Mobily’s headquarters in Riyadh in the presence of the CEO of "Mobily" Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Badran. The contract was signed by Alaa Malky, Mobily Chief Technology Officer and from Ericsson’s side, Ekow Nelson, Vice President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa. The end-to-end expansion of Mobily’s network will see the deployment of Ericsson products and solutions

spanning transport, core, charging and billing and radio access - including 5G products from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio. The Ericsson Radio System products will enable Mobily to boost spectrum assets and enhance customer experiences and operational efficiencies. Ericsson will also provide and integrate a next-generation operation to enhance Mobily's customer experiences, capture new opportunities and drive business efficiencies in addition to offering next-generation communications services for the digital era including 5G and machine-critical Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 use cases. Moreover, enhanced mobile broadband services for consumers - such as high-definition streaming, immersive virtual/augmented reality and gaming, and connected cloud computing – are other services offered by Mobily towards its subscribers. Alaa Malky, Mobily Chief Technology Officer at Mobily says: “We have a long and successful history of partnering with Ericsson whereby we strived to lead in

offering telecommunications services and technologies in the Kingdom including developing Mobily’s journey in the expansion of new generation networks and offering Internet of Things solutions. At Mobily, we strive to make our services and products a unique and viable choice for customers in the government and private sectors towards digital transformation. This is thanks to our reliance on the best technical solutions in the world to provide high quality and reliable services that our customers expect." Fadi Pharaon, Head of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: “Today marks another major milestone in our long-standing partnership with Mobily in Saudi Arabia as together we will launch 5G in the western region. 5G is set to revolutionize how we use and adopt technology and will have a huge impact on businesses and society in the kingdom. It will bring high speed, ultra-low latency and highly secure connectivity to a massive number of devices and is a technology that will unlock a vast array of new use cases through Mobily’s next-generation network.”

Juniper Networks Expands Enterprise Portfolio with Cloud-Managed SD-LAN and New CPE Devices Juniper Networks, a leader in secure, AI-driven networks, today announced several enhancements to the company’s enterprise portfolio that bring additional flexibility, scale and cost savings to campus and branch network environments. The same cloud-managed Juniper solution for deploying and managing highly scalable SD-WAN deployments has now been extended to also include SD-LAN operations. In addition, the company has expanded its robust family of SRX and NFX CPE devices to include even more options for secure and scalable network connectivity. “Juniper has a unique and innovative vision of unifying wired, wireless, SD-WAN and security under a common framework that delivers unparalleled automation, insight and actions to our enterprise customers,” said Manoj Leelanivas, Chief Product Officer at Juniper Networks. “These latest enhancements take us one step closer to that goal by expanding the breadth of our cloud offering and delivering even more deployment options for simple, seamless and secure campus and branch networks.”

A complete SD-Branch and campus solution for unified operations Juniper offers a unique SD-WAN solution with unprecedented scale, robust security, an array of performance options for campus, branch and public cloud WAN connections, and both on-premises and cloud-managed service options for SDN control. Today, the Juniper cloud offering has been expanded to also include SD-LAN operations. From one portal, customers can now easily provision Juniper EX Series switches to manage LAN fabrics and configure LAN virtualization and security policies in the same way they operate their SD-WAN environments. This automated functionality simplifies operations to reduce costs, increase workflows and leverage the WAN and LAN network for connected security. “Juniper’s cloud-managed SD-WAN solution has been a gamechanger for us. As Australasia’s largest end-to-end bakery ingredients supplier, we needed a solution that could bridge boundaries across over 1,300 employees and more than 20 manufacturing sites, mills, offices and distribution centers, all while simplifying operations,” said John Khoury, CIO of Allied Pinnacle.

“With Juniper, we can now manage our local and wide-area networks from a single platform with advanced features like zero-touch provisioning, security policies and granular application service levels that deliver unprecedented ease, agility and assurance.”

New CPE platforms for added flexibility Juniper has expanded this portfolio even further with the following new options: NFX350: The NFX350 includes the latest in x86 horsepower, as well as increased storage and memory capabilities for secure SD-WAN and other branch-local applications. SRX380: The new SRX380 is the highest performing branch SRX. It comes with several leading performance features, including 1Gbps IPsec performance, four 10G ports, 16 PoE+ ports for greater wattage and density. Wi-Fi card for branch SRX: For more compact branch locations, Juniper is introducing a Wi-Fi card for our line of branch SRX next-generation firewalls and secure SD-WAN edge devices.

12 | January 2020

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CES 2020: Intel Brings Innovation to Life with Intelligent Tech Spanning the Cloud, Network, Edge and PC Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence that pave the way for autonomous driving. A new era of mobile computing innovation. The future of immersive sports and entertainment. Intel demonstrated all of these and more today at CES 2020, showcasing how the company is infusing intelligence across the cloud, network, edge and PC and driving positive impact for people, business and society. Intel CEO Bob Swan kicked off today’s news conference by sharing updates from its Mobileye business, including a demonstration of its self-driving RoboCar navigating traffic in a natural manner. The drive demonstrated Mobileye’s unique and innovative approach to deliver safer mobility for all with a combination of artificial intelligence, computer vision, the regulatory science model of RSS and true redundancy through independent sensing systems. Swan also highlighted Intel’s work with the American Red Cross and its Missing Maps project to improve disaster preparedness. Using integrated AI acceleration on 2nd Generation Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors, Intel is helping the American Red Cross and its Missing Maps project build highly accurate maps with bridges and roads for remote regions of the world, which helps emergency responders in the event of a disaster. “At Intel, our ambition is to help customers make the most of technology inflections like AI, 5G and the intelligent edge so that together, we can enrich lives and shape the world for decades to come. As we highlighted

today, our drive to infuse intelligence into every aspect of computing can have positive impact at unprecedented scale,” said Swan.

Intelligence-Driven Mobile Computing Mobile computing was an area of emphasis, as Intel made announcements spanning new products, partnerships and exciting platform-level innovations that will transform the way people focus, create and engage. Intel Executive Vice President Gregory Bryant announced the following: • First look and demonstration of the newest Intel® Core mobile processors, code named “Tiger Lake”: Tiger Lake is designed to bring Intel’s bold, people-led vision for mobile computing to life, with ground-breaking advances in every vector and experience that matters. With optimizations spanning the CPU, AI accelerators and discrete-level integrated graphics based on the new Intel Xe graphics architecture, Tiger Lake will deliver double digit performance gains, massive AI performance improvements, a huge leap in graphics performance and 4X the throughput of USB3 with the new, integrated Thunderbolt 4. Built on Intel’s 10nm+ process, the first Tiger Lake systems are expected to ship later this year. • Preview of first Xe-based discrete GPU: Intel’s Vice President of Architecture for Graphics and Software, Lisa Pearce, provided insight into the progress of the new Intel Xe graphics architecture, which will provide huge

performance gains in Tiger Lake, and previewed Intel’s first Xe-based discrete GPU codenamed “DG1.” • Significant updates on Intel’s “Project Athena” innovation program, including the first Project Athenaverified Chromebooks: Project Athena-verified designs have been tuned, tested and verified to deliver fantastic systemlevel innovation and benefits spanning battery life, consistent responsiveness, instant wake, application compatibility and more. Intel has verified 25 Project Athena designs to date, and Bryant announced an expanded partnership with Google that has already resulted in the first two Project Athena-verified Chromebooks, the ASUS Chromebook Flip (C436) and the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook. Intel expects to verify approximately 50 more designs across Windows and Chrome this year and deliver a target specification for dual-screen PCs.

Intelligence-Driven Business Transformation The data center is the force that delivers intelligence to businesses around the world and Intel Xeon Scalable processors continue to be the foundation of the data center. Executive Vice President Navin Shenoy announced that 3rd Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors, coming in the first half of 2020, will include new Intel® DL Boost extensions for built-in AI training acceleration, providing up to a 60% increase in training performance over the previous family.

AMD Unveils Four New Desktop and Mobile GPUs, including AMD Radeon RX 5600 Series: Ultimate 1080p Gaming, Breath-Taking Visuals and Game-Changing Software Features AMD introduced AMD Radeon RX 5600 series graphics products, harnessing the power of groundbreaking AMD RDNA architecture and innovative software features to provide the ultimate in high-performance, high-fidelity experiences for 1080p gamers. The new AMD Radeon RX 5600 series lineup includes the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT graphics card, available in custom designs from AMD board partners, as well as the AMD Radeon RX 5600 graphics card, available in pre-configured desktop systems, including the new Alien ware Aurora gaming PC. The new family also includes the AMD Radeon RX 5600M GPU, designed to deliver worldclass 1080p gaming for laptop PCs, including the new Dell G5 15 SE. AMD also introduced the AMD Radeon RX 5700M GPUs to power the most advanced high-performance gaming laptop PCs. Built on AMD RDNA architecture and industry-leading 7nm process technology, alongside high-bandwidth PCIe 4.0 technology and high-speed GDDR6 memory, AMD Radeon RX 5600 series graphics deliver ultra-high levels of performance and power efficiency. The flagship AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT graphics card delivers up to 20 percent higher performance on average across today’s top AAA games and up to 10 percent higher performance on average across popular esports titles versus the competition. “From heart-pounding esports competitions to eye-popping AAA blockbusters, today’s games demand more performance, higher framerates and lower latency than ever before,” said Scott Herkelman, corporate vice president and general manager, Radeon Technologies Group at AMD. “There are 90 million active users on Steam, and over 64 percent of gamers who participated in a recent Steam survey reported

playing at 1080p. We’re committed to providing all 1080p gamers with the raw horsepower and incredible features that enable the absolute best gaming experiences with all settings maxed out. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT more than delivers, powering the ultimate in 1080p gaming at a price point that is sure to delight gamers everywhere.” “Holding true to Dell and Alienware’s commitment to a no-compromise experience, the AMD Radeon™ RX 5600M GPU allows Dell G5 15 SE users enjoy high-quality, highperformance, immersive gaming on the go, using low power,” said Vivian Lien, vice president of Alienware and Dell Gaming. Delivering world-class performance and power efficiency, AMD Radeon RX 5600 series graphics offer all the capabilities and advanced Radeon Software features of the higher-end AMD Radeon RX 5700 series graphics, including: • AMD RDNA Architecture – Built for superior performance, scalability and power efficiency, and designed to power the future of gaming. • Radeon Boost – Delivers a performance increase during fast-motion gaming scenarios, including up to a 37 percent boost in Overwatch at 1440p, by dynamically reducing image resolution, increasing framerates and fluidity, as well as bolstering responsiveness with little to no perceptible change in image quality. • Radeon Anti-Lag – Radeon Anti-Lag significantly decreases input-to-display response times, including making Apex Legends up to 22 percent more responsive, and offers a competitive edge in gameplay. • Radeon Image Sharpening (RIS) – Brings crispness and clarity to in-game visuals that have been softened by upscaling and post-process effects in DirectX 9, 11, 12 and

Vulkan titles. When paired with Radeon GPU upscaling, RIS enables sharp visuals and fluid frame rates on high-resolution displays. • AMD FidelityFX – An open-source toolkit for game developers making it easier for them to add high-quality post-process effects that make games look beautiful while offering the optimal balance of visual fidelity and performance.

AMD FreeSync Premium and FreeSync Premium Pro The world’s largest adaptive sync display ecosystem, expected to reach 1,000 certified displays this month, has grown exponentially since its introduction six years ago. Simultaneously, the performance and variety of gaming components has increased dramatically while gamers’ expected experiences have evolved. Adding to the baseline AMD FreeSync tier, AMD is introducing new AMD FreeSync Premium tiers to make it easier for gamers to identify and select displays that deliver the best, high-refresh, ultra-smooth gaming experience: • AMD FreeSync Technology – Delivers smooth, tear-free and low-latency performance for monitors, laptop PCs and TVs that meet AMD’s comprehensive certification process. • AMD FreeSync Premium Technology – Building upon the FreeSync tier, equips serious gamers with fluid, tear-free gameplay at peak performance, with at least a 120hz refresh rate at minimum FHD resolution and support for low framerate compensation (LFC) technology. • AMD FreeSync Premium Pro Technology – Provides the true HDR experience, combining smooth gaming at peak performance with stunning high dynamic range (HDR) visuals.

January 2020 | 13

News

Proofpoint’s 2020 Predictions in the ME: Downloaders and botnets abound while supply chains and account compromises will drive phishing future attacks and lateral movement within targeted organizations. As cybercriminals are increasingly shifting their focus from targeting infrastructure to targeting people, in 2020 it is vital that organizations in the Middle East, as well as across the globe, recognize the human factor threat as any organization, regardless of its geography, is a target of those threat actors. Aligned with this, Proofpoint gathered the below top predictions for CIOs to watch out in 2020:

Ransomware

Emile Abou Saleh Senior Regional Leader - Middle East, Turkey & Africa During 2019, there were many trends within the threat landscape that help paint a picture of what we can expect in 2020. These include the results of widespread RAT and downloader distribution, significant evolution in impostor attacks, and increasingly sophisticated attacks on cloud applications. Notably, email will remain the initial threat vector of choice for most actors, driving credential phishing campaigns; targeted attacks with malware to establish a beachhead within organizations; and for widespread distribution of banking Trojans, downloaders, backdoors, and more. However, cloud-based email systems like Microsoft Office 365 and GSuite will themselves also be key targets for threat actors, providing platforms for

campaigns, malware, and phishing kits. Similarly, the widespread abuse of other legitimate cloud-based hosting services for malware delivery will continue, capitalizing on our conditioning to click through links for shared content and the inability for most organizations to blacklist services like Dropbox and Box. Finally, we predict malvertising activity associated with the Keitaro traffic distribution system (TDS) will expand and continue in 2020 based on its traffic statistics and the difficulty in blacklisting IPs associated with this type of service.

Despite its near absence as a primary payload in malicious emails, ransomware continued to make headlines throughout 2019, largely in so-called “big game hunting attacks.” We expect these types of attacks – in which threat actors focus on high-ransom attacks on servers and endpoints in mission-critical environments that are most likely to pay to decrypt their files for rapid recovery – to continue in 2020.

Brute force attacks get smarter

Complex infection chains

Supply chains expose vertical and horizontal partners

While most users have largely been conditioned to avoid attachments from unknown senders, the increasing prevalence of cloud applications and storage means that we are all conditioned to click through links to view, share, and interact with a variety of content. Threat actors will continue to capitalize on this in 2020, both because of its effectiveness in social engineering and because URLs can be used to mask increasingly complex infection chains that make detection more difficult than a simply linked payload.

Abusing legitimate services Threat actors will expand their abuse of legitimate services for hosting and distributing malicious email

As organizations continue to adopt cloud-based productivity and collaboration software, these platforms become increasingly attractive targets for threat actors. While traditional brute force attacks on these and other cloud services will continue in 2020, we expect these attacks to become increasingly advanced.

Supply chain vulnerabilities took center stage with the breaches of major retailers in 2013 and 2014. While threat actors have continued to exploit the supply chain for everything from credit card theft to business email compromise (BEC), we expect this tactic to become even more sophisticated in 2020. We also anticipate organizations will begin looking more closely at the wide range of suppliers with which they engage. Knowing who these suppliers are and requiring specific types of email security in vendor contracts will be critical to limiting threat actors’ ability to hop from one supplier to another until they compromise intended targets.

Lenovo Transforms Traditional Form Factors And Launches World’s First 5G PC At CES 2020, Lenovo continues its mission to deliver world firsts by unveiling a set of innovations that have the potential to transform lives, move industries forward and unveil new possibilities presented by our fast-paced era of connectivity. With a global vision to create smarter technology for all, today’s announcements are not only smarter, but bring a faster and more foldable future to everyone, everywhere.

PC1 – for the first time bringing 5G connectivity to a premium computing experience beyond smartphone technology. The Yoga 5G is an ultra-portable 2-in-1 laptop and the first-ever PC powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 8cx 5G Compute Platform. It delivers high-speed 5G network connectivity, that’s up to 10 times faster than 4G, through a 5G service provider2 when on the move and reliable WiFi access at home.

Foldable form factors

As the leader in bringing new form factors to market, Lenovo has once again transformed the laptop with the world’s first foldable PC, the ThinkPad X1 Fold. Using engineering excellence and customer insights to fundamentally re-think the portable form factor, the revolutionary new ThinkPad is built from a combination of lightweight alloys and carbon fiber and covered in a leather folio cover. With the durability and reliability expected from the ThinkPad brand, the X1 Fold is a fully functional laptop PC with a 13.3-inch folding OLED display and weighs less than 2.2 pounds/1kg. The X1 Fold is just one product that’s part of Lenovo’s wider commitment to a foldable future that includes the recently announced motorola razr.

Redefining personal productivity A fast future with 5G

With 5G set to continue disrupting the tech landscape and enable the likes of smart cities, smart infrastructure and smart IoT, Lenovo has launched the world’s first 5G

As the lines between laptop and smartphone usability come closer together and the next generation workforce frequently multitask across devices, Lenovo has launched ThinkBook Plus – a laptop with an innovative e-ink display on the cover to improve productivity and focus.

The display can be used to create illustrations and take notes with the Precision Pen, at the same time as receiving essential notifications when the lid is closed.

Portability + simplicity

Designed for those who love browsing through the latest apps, catching up on the latest entertainment or getting meaningful work done on-the-go, the new Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook is one of the lightest and thinnest Chromebooks in the world with a long battery life of up to 10 hours.3 The new Chromebook has minimalist design and optional USI stylus4 for intuitive handwriting, low-latency notetaking and figure drawing and a full-featured 2-in-1 detachable Chromebook it perfectly combines portability with simplicity.

14 | January 2020

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January 2020 | 15

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16 | January 2020