Varmea nov2015

M I D D L E Issue 198

www.VARonline.com

A N D

A F R I C A November 2015

What’s New - Pg 24

In Focus - Pg 12

News - Pg 4

Dell iron 15 Inspiron 7000 Series

Showcasing Innovation: LG

Kaspersky’s Showcase at GITEX 2015

Mobility drives the handheld market

Atef Ibrahim President ViewSonic

E A S T

Handheld market is exponentially evolving and need for mobility is driving this change. Atef Ibrahim, President, ViewSonic, emphasized on the key drivers of mobile handheld device market and also his company’s flagship product portfolio for the Middle East market. ...continued on P - 6

A purposeful storage giant: Western Digital World’s leader of storage drives business - Western Digital is known as a trend setter of the storage industry. Khwaja Saifuddin, Senior Director, Components Division, India, Middle East & Africa, Western Digital shared as overview about the storage trends in the market.

Saifuddin also spoke about WD’s new campaign by the title of “Every drive has a Purpose”. ...continued on P - 4

Khwaja Saifuddin Senior Director, Components Division, India, MEA, Western Digital

2 | November 2015

November 2015 | 3

Editorial

In Focus

WD

...continued from P - 1

Future Ready VAR While we talk about industry’s transformation, we observe that over the years, consumer behavior and retail processes have changed. When we do such analysis, we try to understand, how the future of ICT and ICT retail will look like. The evolution of ICT channels shown us a great journey from box pushing to an advanced solution driven approach.

The current time is dedicated towards diversification and versitality of channels.

Recently, we witnessed a successful 35th Anniversary of Gitex Technology Show, which showcased newer technologies and most importantly the participants have experienced a great interest from the market. Experts and industry veterans have even said that the Gitex Technology Show 2015 have shown overwhelming response from the market. This feedback indicates that in the Middle East region undercurrent for technology industry is strong.

With the advent of newer technologies, we are experiencing a strong demand for change in an overall perspective. World’s leading product organizations like Panasonic, Toshiba and many more are gradually focusing solutions. Home automation is making strong alarms for the industry.

Interestingly, cloud is getting on to the level of distributors and VARs. Industry segments such as SMBs (Small & Medium Businesses) are becoming fatal attraction for the industry.

In addition to this, with respect to the Middle East region, the emergence of business geographies such as Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon also showing lucrative business opportunities for ICT industry.

KSA is getting bigger on ICT adoption at all levels.

Moreover, Iran is also showing some strong signs of potential. Overall, the business geography of the region is looking promising.

Now, in order to respond to these market changes, VARs need to upgrade and diversify from the old school ideology. But basic rules of the game are the same. The role of VAR was earlier to provide coverage in places the direct sales team couldn’t reach. Now, the need of the hour is to stronger and deeper connect with the customer. The need of the hour is also about having diversified skill set towards developing tailor-made solutions. All this, collectively will make today’s Value Added Reseller – Future Ready VAR. Faiz Askari Senior Editor

CEO: Vivek Sharma Senior Editor: Faiz Askari Art Director: Faiz Ahmed Business Development Manager: Mallika Rego Sr. Sales Manager: R. Subramanyan Sales Manager: Christopher David Sales Coordinator: Smitha Jithesh Published by:

VAR MEA Magazine 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.

4 | November 2015

How is the market evolving in the storage space?

Capacities are continuously increasing. People are saving more data, accessing more data and interestingly sharing more data as compared to last few years.

However, the relevance of data has also increased exponentially. Data is getting saved in the form of memories. Hence, it becomes highly important and critical for it’s users.

What are the new market trends that are driving this space?

The tendency to share the data has become very dynamic.

New applications, be it personal or enterprise the need of always connected has become very dynamic. Now, the next level of always connected leads to high amount of data sharing. Secondly, the process of data generation has also become very automated. From surveillance to corporate applications to private cloud storage solutions, the storage requirements are becoming highly dynamic.

memories, in the form of pictures or movies. This campaign will highlight the fact that every drive comes with a specific purpose or specific reason.

How do you witness Cloud as a trend?

Cloud has become very important trend for the industry.

There are various kinds of Cloud environments, depending upon the scale of use. But, the common fact remains that cloud has become a fast growing trend in terms of market acceptance.

Western Digital offers cloud based solutions which allow home users to create their private cloud storage solutions. Since computing devices are growing exponentially, smart phones are growing. Hence the home environment requires a solution which simplifies the storage aspect of data.

What are your observations on evolution of IT channels?

Over a period of time, the penetration of IT has become

“Western Digital understands evolving market trends and also understands that the data has become high value asset for it’s user. We have launched a new campaign by the title of “Every drive has a Purpose.”

What are key business priorities of Western Digital?

Western Digital understands evolving market trends and also understands that the data has become high value asset for it’s user. We have launched a new campaign by the title of “Every drive has a Purpose”. This campaign is designed considering the fact that data has a different meaning for its users. For typical home users, we save

highly versatile. In addition to this, IT products have become part of life. And, the IT channels have also transformed.

Specially for the consumer oriented products, IT channels have become highly versatile. Over last few years, we have witnessed new channel streams entering into the game. For example: stationery shops are selling IT related products. All of this shows the strong consumer demand.

Kaspersky’s Comprehensive Product & Services Showcase at GITEX 2015 At GITEX Technology Week 2015, Dubai, Kaspersky Lab showcased its comprehensive portfolio of Enterprise and Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) security solutions and services, and launched the socially important Kaspersky Safe Kids service that helps parents create safe ways for children to explore the digital world.The company’s experts also presented an overview of the changing cyberthreat landscape in the Middle East, with a focus on corporate threats.

“Kaspersky Lab’s mission is to secure everyone –home users and their families, small and large businesses, governments and organizations with critical infrastructure. We provide award-winning security solutions and services based on Kaspersky Lab’s more than 18years of expertise in the field. We are delighted to be able to present these at GITEX, where we have met lots of current partners and customers, and made a good number of new connections,” said Ovanes Mikhailov, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab Middle East.

Kaspersky Lab provides organizations of all sizes with multi-layered protection from known, unknown and advanced threats. Complex enterprise IT security challenges can be addressed with technologiessuch as Kaspersky Endpoint Security for Business, Data Center Security, DDoS Protection and Fraud Prevention, Security

Intelligence & Assessment Services, Industrial Cyber Security and protection against targeted attacks. SMBs can benefit from endpoint, mobile and cloud-based security solutions.

Kaspersky Safe Kids is an easy-to-use freemium solution for home users;simple to register - on the My Kaspersky portal, set upthe child profile, and install the application on the relevant device. It is available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. The information received while using Safe Kids gives parents the ideal opportunity to talk with their child more specifically about threats, to correct possible mistakes, or to intervene at the right time to offer help or protection.

November 2015 | 5

In Focus

News

ViewSonic

...continued from P - 1 Please share an overview on the evolution of handheld market in the gulf region?

The handheld market in Middle East is experiencing a shift to mobile broadband with the increased adoption of 3G and, more recently, 4G network technology. Users will continue to rely on 3G/4G networks for data transmission and communications. This will also inevitably lead to an increase in demand for mobile data and mobile data services.

What are the key drivers of this handheld market?

There are several key drivers impacting mobile technology acceptance. Recent disruption in ICT segment and the shift to handheld at the device from conventional computing devices are some of the key trends that have impacted the market. In addition, the erosion of more traditional voice and messaging services and also lack of fixed broadband infrastruc-

several fields and continues to win several prestigious technology and channel awards worldwide.

How consumer buying patterns are changing in the handheld market segment?

Consumers are increasingly performing tasks, once delegated to fixed desktops, on their handheld devices.

Buying patterns will shift from desktops to handheld mobile devices and the accessories needed to perform tasks such as scanning, printing etc. In addition, fixed landline devices for communications, ie. traditional telephones, as well as mobile phones, will be replaced with mobile smartphones.

What are the business priorities of ViewSonic?

We are noticing a shift from tablets to smaller form factors and smartphones. Consumers are finding they no longer need two devices and the inconvenience of tablet on the

“ViewSonic has long been known as a leader in the display technology market. We are now able to harness the strength of this display technology and bring it to handheld devices.” ture can be considered key drivers to the mobile broadband shift.

How is ViewSonic geared up for this market? What are the unique attractions of ViewSonic?

ViewSonic has long been known as a leader in the display technology market. We are now able to harness the strength of this display technology and bring it to handheld devices. In Plane Switching (IPS) screens and OGS (One Glass Solution) touch panels on our tablets allow for better color clarity and vibrancy in our displays. ViewSonic is also a technology leader in

one hand and a phone in the other has led to the increased demand of single device, the so called "Phaplet" or smartphone. ViewSonic introduced a new Phaplet and has plans for the development of a whole new line of smartphones in sizes ranging from 4.5” to 5.5” and we hope to launch this product line in the near future.

What are the key business geographies in the Middle East region that are getting focused by Viewsonic?

Our primary market is the Middle East and Africa.

However we also have plans to expand into the Asian subcontinent, India and Pakistan.

AMD Appoints Darren Grasby as President of EMEA AMD has announced that Corporate Vice President Worldwide Component Channel, Darren Grasby, is now the President of AMD EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).

“EMEA is a key region with a broad set of important customers, partners and markets for AMD. Darren is a proven leader who is ideally suited to drive deeper customer, partner, and stakeholder relationships across EMEA as a part of helping AMD accomplish our long-term business goals,” said Dr. Lisa Su, President and Chief Executive Officer, AMD. “Over the past eight years Darren has proven to be an effective and results-driven leader. This new role will allow him to broaden his influence and reach in supporting AMD’s customers, partners and employees while also promoting and enhancing our regional reputation and prominence as an innovative technology pioneer.”

Darren Grasby, President, AMD, EMEA, said, “I am honored to take on this role, particularly as it allows me to promote AMD’s technology leadership and highlight the innovation that is central to AMD’s business philosophy across a broad geographic region. At our core, AMD is focused on building great products to the benefit of our partners and customers. EMEA is widely renowned as a stronghold of opportunity and I’m excited to expand our pipeline for success across the region.”

Epson launched versatile high-definition projectors at GITEX 2015 Epson’s new series of versatile and mobile projectors is ideal for both the home and office (EB-U32, EB-U04, EB-W32, EB-W31, EB-W04, EB-X31, EB-S31, EB-S04).

Whether watching films, viewing family photos or delivering important presentations, the range has the flexibility that all the family will love. With high-quality images, easy-to-use features and a stylish and portable design, the only thing you need to worry about is avoiding arguments over who gets to use it next. GITEX Technology Week visitors experienced new projectors from Epson at the company’s stand in the Gitex Show.

Whether at home or in the office, everyone wants to watch high-quality content with striking colours that look great, even in brightly-lit rooms. Benefitting from 3LCD technology and an equally high White and Colour Light Output, these projectors are a massive three times brighter than 1-chip DLP projectors. Not only this, but content will have the finest detail with crisp, clear blacks creating clearly defined shadow detail, all thanks to the 15,000:1 contrast ratio available across the whole range.

Create a spectacular cinema-style occasion for friends and family and enjoy high-quality images on a huge screen up to 300 inches. Films, sporting events and once-in-a-lifetime spectacles will all appear sharp and clear, and for those wanting vivid Full HD content, the EB-U04 provides the ultimate viewing experience.

Khalil El Dalu, General Manager, Epson Middle East, said: “Mobile projectors need to be versatile enough to allow them to be used in a number of locations and we wanted this range to be enjoyed by the whole family.

These projectors can not only be used by mum and dad to deliver high-quality presentations in the workplace and in the home office, but the kids will also be able to use them for watching content in their rooms. The whole family can even come together at the end of the day and use the

6 | November 2015

Khalil El Dalu General Manager, Epson Middle East

projector to watch a film or view family photos in the living room.”

With fuss-free set up, the whole range allows users to get started quickly. Moving the projector from room to room in the house or office is easy with an included carry bag and, thanks to both vertical and horizontal keystone

correction, the projector can be set up in a number of positions without distorting the image.

Once installed, connecting to the projector using a smart device is as easy as scanning a QR code. By simply downloading the iProjection app, users can begin projecting photos and documents from their smart devices. All models in the range also feature an HDMI input for broadcasting high-quality digital and audio content easily.

Epson understands that users don’t want to waste time on maintenance and with this range, they won’t have to. In fact, even if using the projector to watch a movie every day, it would be 15 years before the lamp or filter would need to be changed.

While the whole range can be used wherever you need them, the EB-U32 and EB-W32 are especially suited to office environments. The versatile EB-U32 has a WUXGA resolution, providing the flexibility to show corporate content in its native resolution, including Full HD. They also allow users to get started right out of the box with a range of connectivity options built-in to help create collaborative and productive meetings.

Both office models have the versatility to broadcast presentations to multiple projectors on a network, allowing it to be seen in various locations. Users in these locations can even share their own content wirelessly from their devices to everyone in the meeting. All these great functions are also available across all other models in the range with the addition of an ELPAP10 Wireless LAN Key. For families who cannot agree on what to watch and multi-tasking workaholics, the addition of split-screen functionality allows users to broadcast two things at once and even combine work and play.

The complete line-up of projectors (EB-U32, EB-U04, EB-W32, EB-W31, EB-W04, EB-X31, EB-S31, EB-S04) are now available.

November 2015 | 7

In Focus

News

Partner Tech

Making Retail Innovation POSsible: Partner Tech

Partner Tech is one of the worldwide leading organization for PC-based point of sale systems and the peripherals related to the retail sector. James Ko, Co-Founder of Partner Tech visited Dubai during the Gitex Technology Show 2015 and exclusively interacted with the VAR Magazine. In the interaction, James emphasized on the drivers of evolving retail industry from the perspective of POS (Point of Sales) solutions.

James Ko Co-Founder, Partner Tech

Please share a glimpse about the company background.

Partner Tech established in 1990, we have spent over two decades at the leading edge of POS development and supply. Across the world a significant number of businesses and consumers depend on Partner Tech’s flexible PC-based open-architecture POS terminals and peripherals for their daily transactions.

What kind of product portfolio do you cover as POS solution?

Partner Tech’s team of dedicated experts is focused on market-driven hardware development and capable of tailoring an innovative solution to our business partners’ retail, hospitality, service, or OEM needs. The comprehensive range of products manufactured at our facilities encompasses the full spectrum of POS hardware for virtually any application. Items produced by Partner Tech include: all-in-one POS terminals and mobile terminals,

What is the go-to-market model Partner Tech follows for the Middle East market?

We are a“Partner” driven organization. We work with system integrators and service providers who work closely in the retail sector worldwide, the business philosophyapplies also to Middle East market, besides existing partnership with distributors and customers, and we will remain focused towards adding new partners and enabling them with best suited technologies for the retail industry.

Which are the key areas where Partner Tech is likely to expand?

Fundamentally, all Partner Tech products are a direct response to market needs; both current needs identified through direct research and observation, and future needs predicted through analysis and understanding of trends.

When customers choose our products they are investing in the result of a unique, market-driven development process.

In IoT era, the fast changing technology and widely

TOUCHMATE unleashed new Windows Tablets at Gitex TOUCHMATE, the Dubai-based OEM mobile device brand and manufacturer of tablets, smartphones, 2-in-1 notebook PCs and accessories, has launched its Mega Matrix, 3G and Wi-Fi Windows 10 tablet, aimed at the mobile user.

The model has a 10.1-inch display and includes the latest Intel Quad Core processor. It runs Windows Windows 10, has Microsoft Office, 32GB built-in memory, 2GB built-in RAM, HDMI, Bluetooth and a 5MP rear camera. In addition, both the 3G and Wi-Fi model come with direct USB connection. According to the company, the Wi-Fi model is priced at AED699 while the 3G version is AED999 and exceptional battery life.

"The multimode 2-in-1 device makes sure users are able to [optimise] their work performance with the detachable keyboard with cover and stand, making work effortless," said Vasant Menghani, Founder and CEO at TOUCHMATE. "The Mega Matrix astounding mode, [including] regular laptop view and tablet mode when it’s detached from the keyboard allows for reading, working, gaming and entertainment."

Menghani said as one of the few OEM brands that work with Microsoft and Intel in the Middle East, it’s vital for TOUCHMATE to be at the 35th edition of GITEX Technology Week with a compelling 2-in-1 device that has been built using technology from the two IT giants. “We are delighted to have introduced in the market two Mega Matrix models, one with built-in 3G and the other WiFi device. We are optimistic partners coming to our stand will find these devices interesting and we are keen on hearing their feedback,” he said.

Menghani reiterated that GITEX is an important show because it offers TOUCHMATE to meet with its business partners. “We want to hear from our channel partners especially those that are coming from Africa as our tablet business has been growing phenomenally on the continent,” he said.

“Every GITEX we always launch new product.

What’s important for us is that we build new alliances, cement existing partnerships and promote the TOUCHMATE brand.”

He added that with the launch of the Mega Matrix 10.1-inch 2-in-1 device, partners will be able to target consumers, gamers and business users with the same device. TOUCHMATE showcased its wide array of mobile devices at the Gitex Technology Show 20 15.

“Mobility is getting adopted at various levels. The retail industry is showing great interest in mobile based PoS solutions. Similarly, touch based interfaces have also shown great penetration in the industry.” ordering terminals, mobile computers, thermal printers, scanners, keyboards, pole displays, kiosks, kitchen displays, and digital signage equipment.

What are the key trends you are witnessing in this industry?

The trend is definitely moving towards mobile.

Mobility is getting adopted at various levels. The retail industry is showing great interest in mobile based PoS solutions. Similarly, touch based interfaces have also shown great penetration in the industry. As an organization we are committed towards delivering best for the customers and accordingly we are set for every new opportunity that comes in our way.

8 | November 2015

growing diversity characterize retail and hospitality, for that reason, we are getting into not only provide more “Industrial class mobile devices” but also delving into payment solution area. Right now there is a huge scope of an efficient and payment solution processor in the market.

We are set to offer something really valuable for the customers in this domain.

How is the Middle East market look like for Partner Tech?

The Middle East region is looking great as industries tend to embrace cutting edge technology, which is good for Partner Tech, this kind of market response is what we are expecting and excited about for the region, as we are ready for whatever our partners need for their dairy business.

Vasant Menghani Founder & CEO, Touchmate

November 2015 | 9

In Focus

MEIT

Unlocking ICT distribution opportunities: MEIT

MEIT is new entrant in the IT distribution space and this new company is committed towards adding value to their potential market.

Paul Asli, Managing Director of MEIT and Gaurav Makin, Director, Sales and Operations of MEIT had an joint interaction with VAR magazine, and they highlighted company’s overview and evolving market dynamics.

Paul Asli Managing Director, MEIT

Gaurav Makin Director, Sales & Operations, MEIT

Please share organizational background of MEIT. Gaurav Makin: We are an IT distribution company, with our head office based in Beirut, Lebenon. MEIT was formed in 2005, with two gizmo freaks - Marc and Paul as partners.

Gradually and steadily MEIT made its presence strong in Lebanon region, taking calculated risks and adjusting to the evolving IT market and trends topping it up with the dynamism and aggression of the investors. Being the leaders in IT distribution in Lebanon, the next step was to open an office in Dubai. Hence in 2014, MEIT Dubai was formed. Paul is the Managing Director of MEIT Dubai. I joined MEIT Dubai in June 2015 and I have been given

brands for distribution, which should be with us before the year-end.

What is the channel partner strategy of MEIT? Also, please share the partner footprint of MEIT in the Middle East region.

Paul Asli: MEIT Dubai as you know is new company and we are having a cautious approach towards company’s expansion. Hence, the company is taking baby steps and consolidating our business in UAE. Currently we are focusing on dealer market, we have an active base of 75 plus dealers in our portfolio. These are hand-picked dealers

“Gradually and steadily MEIT made its presence strong in Lebanon region, taking calculated risks and adjusting to the evolving IT market and trends topping it up with the dynamism and aggression of the investors.” mandate to head the regional operations. While joining a young organization, I am excited to be part of the success story.

What are the flagship offerings of the company?

Paul Asli: Currently we have distribution rights for brands such as, Acer, Lge, Lenovo, Benq, Asus, Gigabyte, Thermaltake to name a few, we are in talks with couple of other

for our network and we consider our dealer network as our core business strength.

What are your business priorities for 2016?

Paul Asli: Our next step for 2016 is to get into corporate business, along-side dealer business. As far as current market situations are considered, the profit margins in simple box items are declining, hence it is

important for an organization like our’s to diversify and enter into the corporate business. Hence this expansion is our top agenda for 2016.

What are the benefits or challenges of being a new entrant into the Middle East market?

Gaurav Makin: Benefits being a new entrant in the market is the fact that we are offering both our vendors and customers some variety as there are very few broadline distributors left in UAE. In addition to this, we are a customer oriented company with a very focused team of professionals. There are several challenges in the market as the margins are decreasing, we need to keep inventing ourselves time and again in order to continue a value offering to our customers. On the other hand we need to secure our business and make sure we sell to the right partners, for which we have tied up with insurance company for credit.

Please share MEIT’s go-to-market strategy for next one year?

Paul Asli: Our focus for 2016 will be to consolidate our existing dealer channel and create a corporate division, which should be operational by Q2, and last but not the least to keep on adding new vendors with latest offerings, in our portfolio.

InnJoo ties up with Souq.com for KSA InnJoo, the fastest growing smartphone brand in Middle East, announced the launch of new 5.5-inch Full smartphone, Fire Plus. The new beautiful slim edge smartphone is equippedwith Full HD IPS smartphone screen that offers clear visual effect even under strong outdoor lighting conditions.

The company tied up with Middle East region leading e-tailer, Souq.com in an exclusive arrangement to sell Fire Plus smartphone only at Souq.com for SAR 399 to the customers in Saudi Arabia.

The Fire Plus comes in 3G and 4G LTE versions, and both the devices have 2GB built-in RAM that comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage and supports expandable storage via microSD card (up to 128GB).

"We are delighted to announce the launch of InnJoo Fire Plus in the kingdom. It is one of the most affordable 5.5-inches Full HD IPS screen Octa-core and Quad-core

10 | November 2015

smartphones in the market. This move will further consolidate our position in the market,” said, Tim Chen, Co-founder and CEO at InnJoo. “We will continue to disrupt the market in association with our strategic partnerSouq.com in achieving our mission to offer world class products at the most affordable price to the consumers in the emirates."

InnJooFire Plus is available in 3 colors, the shining gold, holy white and special customized natural bamboo. The handset is backed by along-lasting, fast charging3600mAh battery, which can deliver up to 22 hours of talk time and up to 330 hours of standby time. The new smartphone sports anAdvanced HD 13-megapixel rear camera, and dual-LED flash. There is also a 5-megapixel front-facing camera also onboard.

The 3G version of Fire Plus is powered by 64-bit Octa-core powerful processor to deliver consistent performance at faster speed and keeps multitasking with a

lower consumption. The Mali-400 MP GPU ensures great colour display and a feature rich user experience.

Whereas, the Fire Plus LTE comes w with enhanced ith it h en enha h nced 64-bit quad-core CPU and the improved Mali-T720 he impr prov oved ed M ali-T720 GPU to offer a speedy LTE connection nne ect ction upto 150Mbps download speed while le e surfing the internet highway on mobile.

The Fire Plus LTE works rks with the latest Android id 5.1 Lollipop, and comes with built-in stylish, extremely light smart desktop manager, FlyLanucherr to optimise the phone e and improves the overall and android ndroid phone experience like before. e never neve er be b fore.

November 2015 | 11

In Focus

News

LG

Showcasing Innovation: LG At the GITEX Technology Week 2015, LG unveiled world’s narrowest bezel video wall measuring at only 0.9 mm. It was global launch which became one of the key attractions of the this year’s Gitex. Discussing about this launch and overall market observation, Audai Altaie, regional director of B2B sales, MENA region, LG Electronics emphasized on the cutting edge digital display markets and LG’s unique offerings for this segment. LG Electronics has participated in Gitex for the first time.

Please share a glimpse about this newly launched product from LG and other key attractions from LG in this Gitex.

This premiere solution is world’s narrowest bezel video wall measuring at only 0.9 mm and has created a significant interest among regional enterprises for this solution. We have received great response so far from the market and this has been our key attraction in this year’s Gitex Show.

Other products which we have showcased at LG’s

Audai Alaie Regional Director, B2B Sales MENA Region, LG Electronics

“LG Electronics has made this global launch of the world's narrowest bezel video wall at Gitex, this has made our participation very important and critical for the market as well as for the company.”

Information Display booth during GITEX 2015 are catering to several industry verticals such as education, transportation, retail and hospitality. The products include the 98" Premium 4K Display showcasing Smart Retail Solutions; Hospitality TV's with multiple Global partners showcasing their impressive solutions and references worldwide; 84" 10 point touch UHD display targeting the Education vertical showcasing a Cloud Collaboration Solution. LG's webOS platform and many more leading solutions targeted at various verticals across the region. These are some unique technology based futuristic solutions.

and it becomes a key forum to showcase B2B products and solutions. Being the biggest IT tradeshow in the region, Gitex has enabled a widespread awareness of LG solutions to various players.

LG Electronics has made this global launch of the world's narrowest bezel video wall at Gitex, this has made our participation very important and critical for the market as well as for the company. This new innovation product solution is redefining the video wall industry as it's significantly slimmer than those in the market with a typical bezel dimension standing at 3.5mm.

How the digital display market is evolving in Middle East Market?

Digital display technology is gaining momentum as in today’s market, consumers are becoming more aware than ever about high-quality products. New technologies and innovation are getting high acceptance in this market.

What kind of expectation you have from this new product?

As I mentioned, the product has created a great buzz in the market. We have got great participation and involvement of potential customers. The product has strong potential for this product across several sectors including transportation, hospitality, retail and education.

As a matter of fact, in the retail industry, it is very crucial to capture customer's interest in a clear and effective manner that the video wall provides. In another example, for public transports such as Metro train stations and airports, efficient information display systems is needed to manage ever-growing passenger volume and authorities are under regular pressure to meet the customer demands of maintaining and ensuring high level of satisfaction.

The non-airlines segment - duty free retail, concessionaire spaces, etc - continues to become more important for generating ever essential revenue for the airports.

What kind of technologies driving the digital display market in Middle East segment?

4K is now an industry standard while interactive and smart technology are the future in addition to experiential and unconventional technology. The quality of displays in stores or across any industry is becoming a visual cue on the quality of products.

While participating in Gitex for the first time, how has been your experience so far?

Gitex is a great platform to build awareness in the market

TP-LINK forays into Egypt market TP-LINK Technologies Co Ltd, a global provider of SOHO and SMB networking products, and wireless LAN (WLAN) solutions, has revealed that it plans to broaden its products range in the Egyptian IT market.

According to the company, which makes a broad range of products for consumers and SMBs, including Wireless solution, ADSL, Routers, Switches, IP Cameras, Powerline Adapters, Print Servers, Media Converters and Network Adapters, the plan to increase its products sold in the retail and traditional dealer channels, comes after the rapid acceptance of its SOHO and SMB networking products in that market.

TP-LINK said it’s upping its partner engagement model in the retail as the company starts to see signs of consumer spending in Egypt.

Roger Gong, Country Manager, Egypt at TP-LINK Middle East, said the company has decided to increase its product portfolio sold in both the retail and traditional reseller channels after seeing demand from the market surge.

“Sales for our networking and wireless products are around 60% higher in Q3 this year compared to the same period last year,” Gong said. “We feel that it’s critical to support our partners by broadening the range of products they can sell in the consumer, SOHO and SMB segments in Egypt.

Gong said TP-LINK has continued to do well in Egypt at the expense of other competitor brands even though it entered into this market late because of the quality, performance and price points at which its products are sold.

“Because we manage our own research and development (R&D), we are in a better position to bring to any market not just Egypt, tailored solutions to suit a given market,” he explained.

He added that another reason why TP-LINK continues to do well in Egypt is because it has strong in-country presence with teams working and supporting local distributors, retailers and resellers. “Despite the challenges that the country has faced in the last couple of years, we never relented to work closely with channel partners in Egypt to build a win-win business environment for us, our partners and their customers,” Gong added.

LG Electronics Won 21CES 2016 Innovation Awards The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), formerly the Consumer Electronics As-sociate, has recognized LG Electronics’ (LG) excellence in design and technology with 21 awards for innovative products to be on display at CES 2016 in Las Vegas from Jan-uary 6-9, 2016. LG received the prestigious 2016 CES Innovation Awards in 10 highly competitive categories: Home Appliances, Computer Peripherals, Computer Hardware and Components, Accessible Tech, Smart Home, Video Displays, Headphones, Weara-ble Technologies,

12 | November 2015

Wireless Handsets and Wireless Handset Accessories.

“LG is committed to delivering Innovation for a Better Lifeand our 2016 CES Innova-tion Awards across 10 categories show we are doing fulfilling our brand promise,” said William Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics USA. “From our revolutionary OLED TVs to the groundbreaking TWIN Wash and everything in between, LG contin-ues to deliver products that make consumers’ lives easier. We look forward to introduc-ing our new products at CES in January.”

Roger Gong Country Manager, Egypt, TP-LINK Middle East

Leaders

in innovative media solutions!

............................ ...........................

A monthly magazine offering strategic insights to the Systems Integrator Channel and distributed to an extensive database across the GCC.

................................. ..

A unique frontline IT sales staff training program focusing on empowering the skills of sales executives in the region in conjunction with top vendors and distributors.

..........................................

ICT Champion Awards are the first ever localized, survey based ICT awards in MEA region that ensure recognition for superlative performances by Brands/companies/ individuals in various MEA markets.

...................................

Available Models: TMT20II, TMU 220, TMT88IV, TMT88V

The Middle East’s leading ICT channel magazine, reaching more distributors and resellers than any other B2B trade publication in the region.

The new and improved VARonline.com is a web platform delivering news, information and channel initiatives to a diverse audience among MEA’s vibrant ICT community.

...................................

JNS MEDIA International MFZE is a leading media and services company focusing on delivering innovative products and services for the ICT B2B segment. The company operates well established ICT channel print publications focusing on the Volume and Value Businesses, a leading online news portal, an innovative frontline sales training program, structured lead generation programs as well as holds the prestigious ICT Champion Awards.

LeadGen is an exhaustive program that provides end to end services inclusive of recruitment, training, communication as well as regular sales measurements and execution of incentives programs.

JNS MEDIA International MFZE November 2015 | 13

Contacts: Tel: +971-4-3705022 Fax: +971-4-3706639, website: www.VARonline.com Sales Inquiries: sales@var-mea.com | All other Inquiries: info@var-mea.com Editorial: editor@var-mea.com

g tworkin bust ne ro & 1 i 0 F ex 2 5 e WiBs at Git novativ M in S r d e fo s ts wca produc INK sho

TP-L

Rittal showcased innovative solutions for future ready Datacenters at Gitex 2015

Private tions & lu o S e c

ffi mart O cased S w o 15 h 0 s 2 a ITEX Avay ices at G v r e S d Clou

Panasonic unveiled next generation Light ID Solution at GITEX 2015

TThe he VAR Magazine stand showcased the ten year legacy lovely journey of the magazine aand nd lov

Kaspersky stand where efficient and advanced information security solutions were showcased

c LG laun

rld hed ‘wo

ideo w bezel v ’ t s e w ’s narro

Cisco h ighligh ted it’s solution capabil s at Gite ities for x 2015 enablin g smart city

Toshiba unveile d innov for effic ative To ient ICT shiba C manag loud Cli ement ent Ma at Gitex nager

Gitex 2015: A Sho The largest ICT exhibition of the Middle East-- Gitex Technology Week have successfully completed 35th edition at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE. This mega event was inaugurated by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman of Dubai Executive Council. Under the theme “The Internet Future of Everything,” Gitex Technology Week 2015 had attracted more than 140,000 visitors, out of which 20,000 C-level executives. More than 3,600 ICT companies from over 62 countries have taken part in the exhibition.

This year’s Gitex have shown some live examples of futuristic technologies that are set to transform the technology consumption by the common people as well as businesses.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the Official Country Partner this year for the event. His year’s Gitex Show have also featured highest-ever number of Saudi exhibitors and exhibition space since the Gitex’s inception.

At Gitex Technology Week 2015, new areas that are set to promote innovation and investment were featured by GTX Communities. These areas provide new research, networking, and solutions across key verticals of banking, construction, education, healthcare, retail and oil and gas.

ex 2015 all at Git

D-Link Unveiled Full HD Ultra-Wide View Wi-Fi Camera at GITEX D-

x 2015 s at Gite ie g lo o echn curity t ctive se e ff e d an ovative sed inn a c w o h S Sophos

Participants interacting with exhibitors at Gitex 2015

SAP Un leashed it’s sma capabil rt city s ities for olution the IoE s and

x g with e teractin in s t n a Particip

Middle East’s leading distribution company - MES showcased capabilities & expertise in networking domain

itex 2015 ibitors at G h x e h it w ng ts interacti Participan

en

LeadG ffective e e h t cased nd show

a zine St R Maga A V e 1 h 0 T 2 5 at Gitex program

015 Show 2 t Gitex a s ie g lo techno working t e n t s e ed lat present Linksys

Government of Dubai showcased it’s vision and commitment towards smart governance Gitex 2015 was the 13th year of participation pation for Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority

ld and ted wor c e n n o ac ities for capabil s it d e t h highlig rings Oracle ud offe lo c ’s y n a p m co

owcase of Future Gitex Technology Week also highlighted the latest in innovative Internet of Things solutions, especially in the form of drones, robotics, and 3D printing that can transform the region’s businesses.

Celebrating transformative technology in the build-up to UAE Innovation Week and in line with the UAE’s Year of Innovation, the 5-day event had covered various facets of technology ecosystem which signifies the core theme of “The Internet Future of Everything”.

Revolving around the pillars of innovation, connected cloud, big data, mobility, and security, the event also gave a great curtain raiser of upcoming technologies and technology based applications which will contribute in the making of Dubai as a Smart City.

At the GTX Horizons zone, demonstrations of better and effective governance were showcased in the smart city environment. The event highlighted emerging solutions such as 3D Printing, Autonomous Vehicles (drones), robotics, and smart transport. Celebrating innovation, more than 100 globally-renowned speakers will lead the show’s expansive conference formats.

The Gitex 2015 knowledge platforms will encompass Leaders Summits, conferences, training sessions and innovation-led workshops for all leading industries.

2015 at Gitex s r o it ib xh

at jectors

tile pro

versa ive and t a v o n d in n 2015 nleashe xhibitio Epson U E y g lo chno Gitex Te

Audience interacting and exploring innovative technologies at Gitex Technology Show

The Integrator magazine stand

s olution aging s im e w o iv t h yS ova hnolog d its inn itex Tec unveile G u t s a t ji u F

Audience interacting and exploring innovative technologies at Gitex Technology Show

At Gitex Technology Week 2015, audience witnessing innovation and future of technology

ber tion Cy genera t x 15 e 0 n d itex 2 Unveile ns at G io t lu FireEye o ys Securit

In Focus

News

Toshiba

Bringing robust solutions: Toshiba

Panasonic unveils surveillance camera range Panasonic Marketing Middle East and Africa

Accelerate ICT Channel Business growth Across Middle East Africa with LeadGen!

has introduced a new line of 4K-enabled high performance security surveillance cameras for vital infrastructure and environments.

The new WV-SFV781L and WV-SPV781L, equipped with 4K Ultra Engine with large diameter lens (F1.6) and a 6x optical zoom, provide a wide angle of view, delivering very detailed 4K images. They enable clear identification of people and objects from the center

ACQUISITION Recruit qualified channel partners

TRAINING An established format that helps effective knowledge transfer

to the edge, delivering very detailed sharp

One of the global leaders in computer hardware industry Toshiba is expanding it’s horizons into solution-based market.

While talking to VAR Magazine, Santosh Varghese, general manager of Toshiba Gulf, emphasized on company’s priorities and market trends.

pictures at 0.0 lux with 4K resolution, capturing clear images in low light or complete darkness with a built-in IR LED. The latest 4K system is set to reduce overall surveillance costs, according to Yasuo Yamasaki, director- System Solutions, Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa.

“We estimate that the cost of switching to 4K could reduce surveillance costs by as much

Santosh Varghese General Manager, Toshiba Gulf

as 50%, as one Panasonic 4K camera offers the image quality and coverage of four full HD

TARGETS & SCHEMES Structuring the campaign and schemes es

VIRTUAL MARKETING

Strong marketing of the programs through telecalling, email blast, SMS etc.

SELLOUT MEASUREMENTS

What are the key priorities does Toshiba has?

Toshiba is known for it’s ICT hardware capabilities and expertise. We are now getting aggressive towards solutions based market. Since IT infrastructures are becoming complex, devices are growing exponentially so as the data, it is high time for bringing solutions that can help the users to manage their ICT infrastructure in an efficient manner.

Toshiba has 'hardware plus' strategy for ensuring ease of ICT management. We are getting more focused on solutions and cloud-based services. Surely, we would like position ourselves a hardware plus brand.

What was the key highlight at Gitex 2015?

At Gitex, our highlight launch is the Toshiba Zero Client Secured, a unique solution that allows business users to save all sensitive data to a secure server as opposed to a physical device in order to maximize security through complete prevention of unauthorized data access. A user needs to login to be authorized; once he or she is done with the work and logs out, all access is disconnected and whatever data used on the computer used is erased. So, with this, Toshiba extended its commitment towards ensuring security of data.

REPORTING & VALIDATION

Reporting of all validated sales activities on regular basis

INCENTIVE DISBURSEMENT

Rewarding Partner on achievement of Sales Targets

JNS MEDIA International Dubai - UAE www.VARonline.com

reduction in costs for installation, cabling, network and maintenance,” Yamasaki said.

The network cameras are aimed at intersections, airports, railway stations, car parks, factories, warehouses and port facilities, or those places that require high pixel density surveillance, such as stadiums where a large number of cameras are usually required to provide full coverage.

What is the key driver behind such strategic shift?

We understand priorities of our users. There are millions of devices in corporate environments and households. All of these devices are supposed to get managed smoothly and efficiently. This often becomes a pain point for the common household consumers as well as for IT managers. This user challenge became the driver for Toshiba to innovate and

What are the key attractions that Toshiba showcased at Gitex?

We presented the Toshiba Cloud Client Manager, which customers can use to remotely control everything in an IT infrastructure - from security to power management - through the cloud.

The launch of the Toshiba's IP video surveillance

“Since IT infrastructures are becoming complex, devices are growing exponentially, it is high time for bringing solutions that can help users to manage their ICT infrastructure in an efficient manner. Toshiba’s'hardware plus' strategy will ensure ease of ICT management.”

Ensuring and tracking sales activity, performance and stock

cameras and further taking into account a

come up with some unique solution which can bridge this gap.

Please throw some more light on Toshiba’s cloud solutions?

Toshiba Cloud Client Manager (TCCM) and Toshiba Smart Client Manager (TSCM) are powerful IT management services developed by Toshiba with IBM Endpoint Manager.

Both will empower IT administrators to improve a company’s productivity.

The solutions are designed to give better control to the end user and will also provide effective monitoring of the ICt infrastructure around.

Which are the key market segments that Toshiba is targeting through it’s cloud solutions?

We are focusing on small and medium businesses. With these cloud-based solutions we tend to offer cost-effective solutions which becomes a great enabler for the small & medium business.

16 | November 2015

systems, which is uniquely positioned in the IP video industry, was also showcased at this year’s Gitex show.

With this announcement, Toshiba announced the launch of video surveillance as a service. As a matter of fact, no other manufacturer matches this offer, as it covers all platforms: enterprise, analogue, hybrid, network and mobile.

IP Surveillance has become an important focus for Toshiba. What is Toshiba’s outlook towards IP surveillance market?

IP video surveillance has become a major trend in the market, right now. Being a lucrative multi-million business across the world, security and redundancy of IP surveillance solution has become prime concern. We, at Toshiba, understand this market demand and also developed a solution which is the need of the hour for consumers of IP surveillance.

“The 4K camera sensors offer strong low light performance and cover 16 to 100 degree field of view. This is significantly less hardware to manage and maintain,” Yamasaki added.

The WV-SFV781L and the WV-SPV781L are weather and impact resistant. The rain wash coating helps reduce maintenance costs and helps avoid the effect of water drops and dust.

Virtual PTZ operation allows the user to focus on one smaller area in view whilst still recording the whole area, so every single event is captured in mission critical applications.

The 1/1.7 type sensor, in combination with Panasonic’s True 4K F1.6 lens, achieves low light performance at just 0.3 lux in colour or 0.03 lux in black and white mode, with HLC technology reducing strong light sources such as vehicle headlights to prevent camera being blinded and SCC (Super Chroma Compensation) function that realizes better colour reproduction in low illumination, making it the best performing 4K class surveillance camera, a statement said.

November 2015 | 17

18 | November 2015

November 2015 | 19

In Focus

Trango Systems

Redefining Microwaves for Wi-Fi: Trango Systems In an interaction with John Newman, Vice President of sales at Trango Systems highlights innovative capabilities of microwave technologies and his organization’s overview towards Middle East market.

channels can easily be made available and the most important fact is -- it offers wider bandwidth.

The Middle East market is always considered to be early adopters of new technologies. Customers in this region are far more curious and open to explore newer technologies.

Please share an overview on Trango Systems.

Founded in 1996, Trango Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Diego County, California. The company is committed towards wireless communication technology innovation.

R&D and innovation are tow important source for Trango as an organization and Intellectual property is a the main driver for our company’s core ideology. We have strong record of patents and industry leading innovations.

What is your go to market strategy for Middle East market?

We are fully dependent on our channel partners like Prologix and that is why it is important to have strong partners. It is important for any market to have strong partners who understands the market. Prologix holds great understanding of Middle East market.

Please share an overview on Trango’s market outreach in the region. Which are the industry verticals that you focus?

In the Middle East, we are heavily present in the UAE, Bahrain and Iraq. Industry sectors such as defense and Oil & Gas industry are important segments for our business. In addition to the above mentioned countries, a number of economies in the region are developing economies especially in telecommunication. So there is a huge demand in almost every country in the Middle East region.

How is Microwave technology getting considered into wireless communications?

There is a misconception that microwave technology is not as reliable as cable, which certainly isn’t the case. Look at a place like Iraq where fiber is getting destroyed or even Dubai were fiber gets damaged due to construction.

Microwave Technologies are far more redundant and capable of creating a strong wi-fi network as compared to the fibre network.

What is the key strategic priority for Trango Systems for the Middle East market?

Since there are many misconceptions still exists in this market, we consider that the biggest priority for us is to educate the market with regards to innovative solutions of microwave technologies.

The biggest advantageous of microwave wireless are the fact that cables are not required in this, multiple

John Newman Vice President, Sales, Trango Systems

Which are the flagship product line from your company you would like to emphasize?

Over the years, the company has manufactured products like Orion Series 6-42 GHz, Carrier Class Backhaul, Lynx Series 6-42 GHz and Plus Series 6-40 GH. Since we are innovation driven organization, soon, we are expected to come out with a new product. It’s not appropriate to talk about it, but it will take microwave to the next level with higher capacity and distance.

InfoFort KSA turns to Kodak Alaris for high performance production scanners Kodak Alaris announced that InfoFort KSA, an information management solutions provider in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has upgraded its high volume production scanners and deployed 25 new machines – a mix of Kodak i4250 Scanners and i5600 Scanners for its Saudi Arabia Operation. This will support InfoFort’s rapid business growth in the region and ensure service availability for customers demanding tight SLAs[1].

Over the past five years, the volume of documents processed by the company has grown over 200% The vast growth in scanning projects in Saudi Arabia has been driven by e-government initiatives, banks digitizing paperwork to meet regulation, security and compliance demands, insurance firms seeking to speed up claims processing, and hospitals scanning medical records to boost operational efficiency and enhance patient care.

InfoFort offers solutions that cover the full information life cycle and range from Records Management (Secure Document Storage & Management, Cheques Management), Electronic Records Management (Document Scanning & Capture, Electronic Document Management System-eDMS, ECM, Workflow Management & Automation), Backup as a Service & Tape Storage Management solutions, secure and certified Shredding & Data Destruction, Fixed Assets Management and Information Management consultancy InfoFort is standardizing the scanning equipment used in its bureau with approximately most of all

20 | November 2015

scanners now installed from Kodak Alaris. Wissam Achmar, InfoFort’s general manager for Saudi Arabia and the Upper Gulf, says, “We started the upgrade process in Q4 2014 and ever since have been rolling out Kodak Alaris machines as new projects are won given the quality, reliability, and features of the equipment and availability of local service and support. Our investment so far exceeds $500,000.”

The availability of local maintenance and engineer support was crucial. To cater for customers in the region, Kodak Alaris was the first scanner vendor to open facilities in Saudi Arabia given about 50% of the scanner market in the Middle East is located in the country. New service centres were opened in June 2015 located in the capital, Riyadh, along with Jeddah, Dammam and Khamis Mushait.

Achmar explains, “On some jobs, our scanners are operating almost constantly and zero downtime is absolutely crucial. Local assistance from the OEM is really important so we can ‘hot swap’ machines if required, get spare parts quickly and benefit from scheduled and reactive maintenance. Other scanner brands don’t last as well as Kodak Alaris, nor is their maintenance up to par.”

InfoFort’s staff also receive training from Kodak Alaris so they are better able to look after machines day to day without unnecessary engineer visits being required.

Once documentation is digitized, images are then exported directly into clients’ EDRM systems, transferred to intermediate storage platforms for customers to then download themselves or, in some cases, loaded into enVision InfoFort’s EDMS and ECM available on Cloud, On-Premise and subscription basis .

Scanner performance is key as bureau margins are under pressure The requirement to purchase high performance and feature-rich equipment was also important for a service provider like InfoFort. The bureau business is highly cost competitive which impacts on margins, with customers typically demanding discounted prices and fast turnaround on projects.

Achmar says “The only way to respond and stay profitable in this climate is to reduce our bureau’s operational costs to keep pace. The Kodak Alaris scanners play a huge part in this. We can get through more work because of their speed and reliability, as well as capitalize on all the features like Perfect Page and barcode recognition to enhance operator productivity. Ultimately we avoid hiring more and more staff with all their associated financial overheads.”

Kodak i4250 Scanners are designed to process up to 110 pages per minute (ppm) with a recommend daily volume of 30,000 pages. The more powerful i5600 Scanners have no click charges or volume limits and can churn through 170 ppm.

Achmar says, “Our relationship with Kodak Alaris is close and we consider them very much part of our team. Given their support, we can be more aggressive going after new business opportunities safe in the knowledge we can truly deliver.”

David Whitton, Kodak Alaris’ Middle East regional sales director says, “InfoFort has built its business based on reputation and a track record of success.”

November 2015 | 21

News

HP Unveils New Innovative and Stylish Productsat

Logicom singed distributorship contract for Sucurifi Logicom to distribute Securifi’s innovative Almond Wireless Router series through their strong channel partner network.

HP unveiled a new line-up of printers and PCs during GITEX Technology Week.

HP showcased its new HP PageWide XL Printers which offer the fastest large-format production printing available in colour and blackand-white. HP PageWide XL Printers do the job of two printers in one single device, providing monochrome and colour prints at breakthrough speeds up to 60 percent faster than the fastest monochrome light-emitting diode (LED) printer.

The new printers enables reprographic houses, print service providers (PSPs), enterprise central reprographic departments (CRDs) and print corners to produce computer-aided design (CAD) drawings and can open new business opportunities with geographic information system (GIS) maps, point-of-sale applications and posters.

The company has also showcased its latest innovations to improve business performance and security, including three new enterprise class LaserJet printers with industry leading security features built in that deliver increased protection against malicious attacks. On the PC front, HP offers the HP EliteBook 705 series – the thinnest and lightest notebooks in their class(3) stylish All-in-Ones (AiOs), and the world’s smallest business-class desktop.

“There is an ever increasing need to safeguard commercial and personal data,” said Mathew Thomas, general manager, Printing and Personal Systems, HP Middle East. “GITEX Technology Week is a regional platform for global ICT leaders where HP will be showing some of the latest solutions which reflect HP’s commitment to provide the deepest security across PCs and printers.”

“Our large-format printing customers are continually exploring ways to improve productivity, streamline workflow and reduce costs. The HP PageWide XL Printers deliver what our customers have been seeking for years and will revolutionize the production printing market, offering affordable, high-quality black-and-white and colour output in a single device at the fastest speeds available.” he added.

HP LaserJet Pro M402dn, HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw, LaserJet Enterprise M506dn, and HP Color LJ Enterprise MFP M577dn were displayed at HP’s stand during GITEX Technology week.

Michael Papaeracleous - Executive Director of Distribution, Logicom and Mohammad Meraj Hoda - President, World Wide Sales & Development, Securifi joining hands.

Securifi, innovator of revolutionary new wireless routers, announced that they have signed a distribution agreement with Logicom at GITEX Technology Week 2015. As part of the agreement, Logicom will promote and distribute Securifi’s innovative Almond Wireless Router series through their strong channel partner network in the UAE, Gulf, Levant, Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, Cyprus, Greece, Malta and Italy.

“Logicom is a reputed and established distributor in the region with unmatched reach in markets, where Securifi is looking to expand. They have a strong channel network and a proven track record in the Smart and Connected Home technologies segment, which bodes well for our future expansion plans. Flexibility with channel reach is also critical for us. Securifi is ahead of the curve with the confluence of technology in our product range and Logicom came across as the perfect partner to bring this advancement to the region,” said Mohammad Meraj Hoda, President, World Wide Sales & Development, Securifi.

Commenting on the partnership, Michael Papaeracleous, Executive Director of Distribution, Logicom added, “The growing wave of Internet of Things (IoT) has increased the demand for smart, connected products, each offering a

myriad of new opportunities. Logicom’s partnership with Securifi, and the addition of their innovative Almond Wireless Router series to our portfolio, allows us to broaden our engagement with Smart, Connected Home technologies and thus enhance our product offering. This will provide our channel and retail partners with access to complete smart connectivity solutions that will give them a competitive edge in the markets they serve.”

Logicom plans to promote Securifi’s products through its extensive channel network by conducting channel engagement, training and activation programs for partners.

The distributor will set up go-to-market strategies with key retail partners and provide the needed infrastructure for micro-channel to engage with Securifi brand.

Securifi has revolutionized home networking with the introduction of Almond, the world's 1st touchscreen wireless router that can be setup without a PC or a Mac. Securifi’s unique technology differentiator as a Router + Smart Home Hub really fits very well into various sizes of home and small business where customers can not only enjoy an amazing wireless experience but also define the Security and Automation with just a touch of the screen.

Intel launched Unite Intel launched its latest collaboration technology software: Intel Unite. This software is designed to bring together existing conferencing solutions, both hardware and software, into a simple and intuitive user experience. Intel Unite allows an easy integration into existing solutions and environments with enhanced security and an extensible range of features.

Intel Unite provides its users with several advantages, most importantly conference rooms and meetings becoming smart and connected. Companies can benefit from wireless display for business, wireless docking, and enhanced battery life, which together provide a better work environment. With the new software, everyone, from across the globe, can interact with the content, annotate with the image in real time, and then quickly and easily share files.

22 | November 2015

With the combination of select Intel Core vPro processor-powered mini PCs and the Intel Unite software product, collaboration and meeting productivity is taken to the next level, transforming existing conference rooms into smart and connected meeting spaces with enhanced security.

Nass Nauthoa, Regional General Manager GCC, Intel commented, “As part of our continued vision to help organizations transform their workplace, Intel is now offering software that enables a cost-effective and easy way for employees to collaborate and spend more time getting work done and less time fumbling with wires and equipment.”

Sameh Helmy, Enterprise Technical Sales Manager, Intel, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, said, “Intel Unite keeps ease of use in mind and is designed to fit

seamlessly into existing IT client deployment models and client software distribution methods, making it convenient to the management. With Intel vPro technology built into the mini PC, IT can also control, patch and repair the device, even when the system is offline”.

Hesham Tantawi, vice president ASBIS MENA expressed his views by saying, “We are very pleased to partnership with Intel for the launch of Intel Unite which will enhance our software portfolio. I believe, it will be successful for ASBIS, and give added functionality to the corporate business across all countries of our presence. Primarily, Intel Unite is a perfect fit that will add value to our Prestigio Multi Board Solution and elevate more conference functionalities to MultiBoard used in conference rooms where users can have video, audio collaboration and inking remotely.”

November 2015 | 23

What’sNew Aten’s KVM over IP Switch

LINKSYS New WRT1900ACS Wireless Router

Overview

Overview

ATEN’s 4th generation of KVM over IP switches exceed expectations. The KN8164v features superior video quality (HD resolution of 1920 x 1200), FIPS 140-2 with level 1 security standards and virtual media transmissions at twice the speed. The KN series provides local console and remote over IP access for users to monitor and access their entire data center over a network.

Linksys announced it has improved upon its best AC1900 wireless router to deliver even better performance with more processing power, more memory, and fully open source ready and at an even better price.

Key Features • Offers out-of-band access with external modem support for BIOS-level troubleshooting when the network is down.

• Advanced FPGA graphics processor–with an HD resolutions of 1920 x 1200 • Extreme virtual media speed – 2 x faster virtual media transmission speed • High grade security – supports FIPS 140-2 level 1 security standards • With dual on-board oard NICs and dual power supplies, the KN series are built for reliability, to ensure 24/7 availability of remote access to all servers.

Key Features • The newly improved WRT1900ACS Dual-Band Gigabit Router is equipped with powerful hardware including a dual-core 1.6 GHz processor, 128MB flash memory, 512MB DDR3 RAM memory, eSATA and USB ports.

• The new WRT ships with Linksys Smart Wi-Fi setup and management tools, and Linksys has also collaborated with Marvell® and OpenWrt.org to ensure full open pen source support in the latest version of Open Wrt’s Chaos Calmer release (15.05) at launch.

• The new hardware and multiple software and firmware options makefor an unprecedented router with advanced customiza tion and blazing fast speeds.

For more details, log on to www.aten.com

For more details, log on to www.linksys.com

Lenovo YOGA 900 Convertible Laptop Overview

Key Features K

As the world’s thinnest Intel Core i-convertible laptop aptop with up to Intel’s latest 6th Gen Core i7 processor, or, the new Lenovo YOGA 900 is beautifully slim and feather ather light (14.9 mm and 1.29 kg), yet amazingly powerful. erful. The YOGA 900 provides flexibility with four usage modes odes (laptop, stand, tent, tablet), letting users work, watch atch or play in a variety of scenarios. Lenovo crafted the laptop with its recognizably different watchband hinge made of more than 800 intricately woven, individual pieces. ces. The improved watchband hinge provides a noticeably smoother rotation.

• Lenovo YOGA 900 marks world’s thinnest Intel Corei convertible laptop1and features an enhanced watchband hinge • Lenovo YOGA Home 900 portable All-in-One desktop brings entertainment and productivity to nearly every corner of the home withimproved AURA 3.0 interface and hundreds of new apps • The 13.3-inch QHD+ (3200x1800) IPS Displayhas a wide viewing angle that takes full advantage of the new Windows 10 and brings digital content to life in vibrant colors.

D-LINK AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender

For more details, log on to www.lenovo.com

Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Series

Overview

Overview

Extend your wireless network and increase the coverage of your home wireless AC network with the sleek and easy-to-use DAP-1620 AC1200 Wi-Fi Range Extender. Dual-band technology helps reduce interference from nearby wireless transmitters in the home, and also provides backward compatibility with older wireless devices in your network, allowing you to enjoy a blazing-fast, reliable wireless connection. Alternatively, use the built-in Gigabit Ethernet port and your home’s existing wired Ethernet cabling to extend wireless coverage without worrying about signal strength.

Dell has introduced it’s most powerful Inspiron laptop. For the entertainment and multimedia enthusiast, the new Inspiron 15 7000 Series (7559) features the most aggressive performance design and components offered within the entire Inspiron laptop family. A clutch of existing Inspiron models have also been upgraded to feature Intel’s hotly anticipated Skylake processor.

Key Features • Easy to Set Up, Easy to Use • There is no need for a computer as you can use the supported QRS Mobile app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch or Android mobile device to set up the DAP-1620 easily.

• It includes a built-in setup wizard that lets you configure it wirelessly with a PC or mobile device.

• Extend Your Wireless Network • Dual-band technology helps reduce interference from nearby wireless transmitters.

• Provides backward compatibility with older wirelesss devices in your network, allowing you to enjoy a blazing-fast, reliable wireless connection.

For more details, log on to www.dlinkmea.com

24 | November 2015

Key Features • Featuring Intel Core 6th Gen Quad Core Processors and NVIDIA’s latest GeForce® GTX 960M discrete graphics with 4 GB of blazing fast GDDR5 DDR5 memory and up to 1TB conventional or dual-drive M.2 128 GB + 1TB HDD lare IPS wide-angle viewing • A choice of either an anti-glare K UHD touch display with FHD display, or a brilliant 4K Truelife bring games, TV series ries and video to life.

• Rich audio complements the e experience and a ry lets you keep the gaming or deep-reserve 74 WHr battery er. binge-watching going longer. ts, the Inspiron 15 has a • Like all 7000 Series products, quality feel to it that rivals more expensive devices.

For more details, log on to www.dell.com

Market Stats

Lenovo’s EMEA revenues rise 6% to $3.2b “Clearly we faced a tough environment, mainly driven by currency devaluation and, at the same time, due to the integration of Motorola Mobility and IBM x86 server acquisitions,” Eric Cador, President of Lenovo EMEA, said. The Chinese company acquired Motorola from Google for $2.9 billion and IBM’s low-end server business for $2.1 billion in October last year.

EMEA accounted for 26 per cent of Lenovo’s total worldwide sales. China, which used to bring in more revenue (about 30 per cent) for the company is slowing down.

This quarter, Americas contributed 30 per cent while China accounted for 28 per cent and Asia Pacific 16 per cent.

Despite the tough environment, Cador said that the group’s revenues climbed year-on-year 16 per cent.

Lenovo Group posted an operating loss of $784 million and incurred $599 million in restructuring costs and a $324 million one-time charge to clear smartphone inventory in second quarter.

Looking forward, he said that the PC segment will continue to be under pressure from the market standpoint but it will be better (still on the negative side). The phone business is doing well.

“Even though the market is growing at a few percentage points we grew 147 per cent in the region. We sold 3.8 million phones,” he said.

Lenovo global mobile volume was up 11 per

cent year-over-year with 18.8 million units sold, led by growth outside of China where it saw a 4.3 point increase in market share year-over-year driven by a shift in strategic focus outside of China. In the first half of this fiscal year, outside China accounted for 70 per cent of volumes, while one year ago, it was only 19 per cent.

In enterprise sector, which includes servers, storage, software and services, Cador said that its revenue for the first time grew since its acquisition of IBM server business.

“We have been going down in revenues in the last two quarters due to the IBM x86 integration,” he said.

Cador sees the growth to come mainly from the mobile phone and server business.

Even with the PC market still on the negative side, he said that Lenovo’s intention is to grab 30 per cent of the market share as other vendors are also struggling.

Lenovo was No 2 in the regional PC market overall, growing market share to 19.9 per cent, up 0.6 per cent year-over-year. In consumer PCs, it was No 1 for the seventh consecutive quarter, clocking 21.5 per cent share.

In the global arena, Lenovo remained No 1 for the tenth consecutive quarter with record high 21.2 per cent market share, widening its lead over the No 2 vendor — HP. It shipped 15 million PCs in the quarter, with a 6.6 point premium to the overall market decline of 11.1 per cent.

Socioeconomic Instability Causes Decline in GCC Storage Market: IDC The GCC external storage market suffered a year-on-year decline of 16.11% in the second quarter of 2015 to total $77 million, according to International Data Corporation (IDC).

The research firm attributed the decline to the unstable socioeconomic and political conditions that are currently affecting the region, while also noting that the market's terabyte capacity increased 11.4% over the same period.

The ongoing oil crisis – combined with subsequent IT budget cuts and the traditional Ramadan slowdown – saw the major markets of Saudi Arabia and the UAE post year-on-year declines in their external storage revenues of 10.6% and 15.6%, respectively, in Q2 2015. However, IDC expects deals in the government, financial and oil and gas sectors to go ahead as the oil prices stabilize.

Kuwait and Oman posted respective year-on-year declines of 6.9% and 15.6% in Q2 2015, while Bahrain and Qatar suffered more substantial reverses of 40.74% and 32.04%, respectively. "The slowdown seen in these markets is being influenced by a number of different factors that have resulted in weaker consumer

and enterprise sentiment and cuts in government spending," says Amro Alkhatib, a research analyst for systems and infrastructure solutions at IDC Middle East and Africa. "These include currency fluctuations due to falling oil prices, the lifting of international sanctions on Iran, and the ongoing crisis in Yemen."

EMC continues to dominate the GCC storage market with 55.2% share, followed by HP with 14.4%.

IBM increased its share quarter on quarter to total 6.9% for Q2 2015.

The likes of NetApp, Huawei, Dell, and DDN, among others, also saw increases in their shares quarter on quarter (reaching a combined 23.5%) due to the introduction of new flash technologies and hybrid solutions.

From a protocol perspective, fiber channel registered an expected decline of 10.4% year on year in Q2 2015. iSCSI observed a substantial drop of 61.18% over the same period due to project delays across the region's telecommunications, government, and finance sectors. NAS, on the other hand, showed healthy growth of 2.24%, courtesy of a number of major IT upgrades and maintenance projects taking place.

November 2015 | 25

Wave Tech Computers LLC P.O. Box: 3421, Sharjah, Toll Free 800WAVE-8009283 aten@wavetechgroup.com, www.wavetechgroup.com

26 | November 2015

November 2015 | 27

28 | November 2015