ASBIS Magazine October 2019

VP NOTE

Hesham Tantawi, VP, ASBIS MEA on helping partners leverage advanced technologies to accelerate their businesses. 02 GITEX FOCUS

ASBIS Middle East to put the spotlight on developing partners’ profitability at GITEX 2019 03 AT

THE FOREFRONT OF TRANSFORMATION

As ASBIS Middle East turns 21 in the region, it reinforces its unwavering position as the market’s leading distributor 04

INTEL AND ASBIS PARTNERSHIP

ASBIS Middle East reveals the secret to growing its key relationship with global leader Intel

AMD AND ASBIS SUCCESS

Christian Assaf, Sales Manager, AMD on the company’s partnership with ASBIS Middle East, which began over twenty years ago

Christian Assaf, Sales Manager, AMD, shares how t he company has been a game-changer in the regional components market

| VOLUME

Sanja Horylova, Sales Director, Volume, ASBIS Middle East, on how the distributor is empowering its channel partners to drive customers’ transformation

WESTERN

DIGITAL

How Western Digital and ASBIS ME are strengthening their commitment to the region’s Data Center space

Tapping Into Transformative Technologies

CHANNEL PARTNER COMPANIES MUST FOCUS ON INNOVATION AND ASSISTING REGIONAL CUSTOMERS TO DRIVE THEIR BUSINESS TRANSFORMATIONS.

Dear Partners,

As technology advancements rapidly enable the transforma tions in our lives and businesses, we have to stay tuned to the developments and ensure we are ahead of the curve. As the longest serving distributor in the region, we continue to be dedicated to your growth and success.

With over two decades of experience in IT distribution within the Middle East, and boasting a wide range of product portfolio across Volume, Value and Printing divisions, ASBIS Middle East’s primary focus is to enable business transforma tion. We do this by introducing a host of new technologies to our partners. We also demonstrate the technique of manag ing the supply chain effectively for these new solutions and products. This will help partners to enhance their net outcome. Our priority is to train, lead and execute transfor mative technologies together with our partner ecosystem.

At ASBIS Middle East, one of our main strategic points revolves around innovation. We are known to be innovative in the market and we will continue to drive innovation in everything we do. We are spearheading new programs and a new direction for our partners. These kinds of initiatives set us apart from the competition and cements our position further as a leading and stable regional distributor.

We attribute our success to the strong and close partnerships we have with our channel community and vendors. At GITEX, we are excited to showcase these longstanding relationships. Our focus at this year’s edition will be to develop our partners’ profitability and support them even further to grow their businesses.

Over the past year, we have expanded our business considerably. We have never strayed from our funda mental qualities of being a reliable, responsive and responsible distribution firm in the region. We are proud to have grown from strength to strength even during challenging market conditions.

We look forward to meeting and networking with our partners and vendors at GITEX 2019. Our aim is to assess on-going businesses and devise strategies for the coming months. The event will also serve as the perfect platform for us to thank our partners and vendors for choosing us time and again. Wish you a productive and prosperous GITEX 2019.

Hesham Tantawi

Vice President Middle East & Africa, ASBIS Middle East

SUCCESS THROUGH FOCUS

ASBIS Middle East Shines Spotlight on Partner Profitability at GITEX 2019

ASBIS MIDDLE EAST WILL FOCUS ON DEVELOPING PARTNERS’ PROFITABILITY AND ASSISTING THEM TO TAKE THEIR BUSINESSES TO THE NEXT LEVEL AT THE 39TH EDITION OF GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK.

Leading regional IT Distributor across Middle East and North Africa ASBIS Middle East has announced its participation at the 39th edition of GITEX Technology Week, taking place from 6th to 10th October, 2019 at Dubai World Trade Centre.

The distributor will be highlighting how channel partners can grow profitably and explore new avenues to fast-track their businesses successfully into the digital era.

Commenting on the firm’s participation at the region’s leading technology tradeshow, Hesham Tantawi, Vice President, ASBIS Middle East, Turkey and Africa (MEA), said, “GITEX provides us an excellent platform to network and stay in touch with our partners and customers every year. Our objective is to review current business, plan for upcoming quarters and maintain the strong relationships we have developed over the past 20 years.”

ASBIS Middle East will focus on scheduling dedicated one-on-one meetings with its vendor and partner ecosystem during the five-day trade show.

“At this year’s GITEX Technology Week, we are looking forward to helping partners drive profitability in innovative ways and playing a big role in aiding them to expand their business across product lines and markets.”

Over the past year, the regional distributor has significantly grown across its business units such as

Volume, Value-added and Printing divisions. It has also expanded its network and server business consider ably. Another key message from ASBIS at GITEX 2019 is its stability in the region, having served in the Middle East for the past 21 years and in the overall region for 29 years.

“We have successfully developed our business and stayed true to our core quality of being a dependable and trustworthy distribution firm in the region. We take pride in the fact that we have been able to grow and strengthen our offerings especially in a time when the economic climate of the region has been challenging,” added Tantawi.

ASBIS Middle East will be present at GITEX Technology Week together with all its main vendor partners. Attendees to the show will be able to meet senior executives from the distribution firm and its partner ecosystem.

“ASBIS Middle East aims to enable business transforma tion in the region. The market can expect to see even more innovation in terms of technology, trainings and portfolio. Channel partners can enhance their net outcome together with us. We look forward to forging stronger relationships and building the market potential jointly with our vendor and channel partners at GITEX 2019,” Tantawi concluded.

At the Forefront of Transformation

ARMED WITH MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF OPERATIONS, ASBIS MIDDLE EAST AIMS TO REINFORCE ITS UNWAVERING POSITION AS THE MARKET’S LEADING AND MOST STABLE DISTRIBUTOR.

“WITH EXPERIENCE OF 29 YEARS IN THE REGION AND 21 YEARS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WE HAVE CEMENTED OUR POSITION AS A STRONG AND STABLE DISTRIBUTOR.”

Twenty-one years ago, ASBIS Middle East was born with just two people and a small office in Jebel Ali. Today the distribution behemoth boasts close to 100 staff, more than five support offices, fully equipped warehouse and offers pioneering products and solutions in advanced technologies across verticals.

ASBIS commenced business in 1990 in Belarus. In 1995, it incorporated its holding company in Cyprus and established its headquarters in Limassol. In 1998, the company expanded its operations to the Middle East.

Hesham Tantawi, Vice President, ASBIS Middle East, Turkey and Africa (MEA), says, “With experience of 29 years in the region and 21 years in the Middle East, we have cemented our position as a strong and stable distributor. We have experienced big changes in the market each year, and we have been able to stay at least one year ahead of these transformations in the last 15 years or so.”

Tantawi explains that this was only possible by “forecasting and studying the factors that affect the market”.

“It is important to view and under stand the whole picture and not look at things myopically,” he adds.

Over the years, several market factors such as reseller runaways to global economic crisis have affected ASBIS’ business. However, the distributor was able to successfully overcome these challenges by staying committed to its core principles of being a reliable and responsible company for its customers.

Tantawi says, “We faced numerous challenges and at times it did take a toll on our operations. But we were able to address them effectively by devising strategies in place and marching on ahead.”

The current IT channel market also continues to be challenging as regional political and economic developments have a direct impact on partner business. That being said, there are also huge opportuni ties, mainly from new and emerging technologies as well as evolving business models.

According to Tantawi, partners continue to deal with three main issues – finance, logistics and acquiring knowledge of new technologies.

He adds, “ASBIS Middle East remains committed to address these challenges. Throughout the year, we organize education programs and have opened our new ASBIS Academy for partner and staff training on advanced technolo gies.

“Financially we support the market with credit, facilities and special finance programs for high-end servers. We also maintain our supply chain in a healthy way and aspire to be a one-stop-shop for all our partners, from a logistics perspective.”

Over the past year, the regional distributor has significantly grown across its business units such as Volume, Value and Printing divisions. It has also expanded its network and server business considerably.

Tantawi says when the firm was set up in the Middle East, he couldn’t have imagined the kind of growth the company would have. “We have grown from bottom to top. We will continue to lead the distribution space in the Middle East region.”

He says going forward ASBIS Middle East will spearhead business transformation in the region.

“The market can expect to see us innovating and differentiating our offerings in terms of technology, trainings and portfolio. We are keen to work even more closely with our channel partners to help them enhance their net outcome together with us. We look forward to creating deeper relationships and building our growth together with our vendor and channel ecosystem over the next 20 years,” Tantawi adds.

Top

Key

Key business divisions: Volume, Value, Printing

Primary technology: Hardware, Components, Storage, Printing, Networking, Software, Security & Accessories

Key

Prime Partnership

ASBIS MIDDLE EAST HAS BEEN SERVING THE REGIONAL END-TO-END COMPONENTS MARKET WITH GLOBAL LEADER INTEL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. THE DISTRIBUTOR’S VICE PRESIDENT FOR MEA HESHAM TANTAWI REVEALS THE SECRET TO GROWING THE KEY RELATIONSHIP.

For a distributor to house one of the biggest names in the components market is no small feat. Regional distribution giant ASBIS Middle East has been working with Intel successfully for over 20 years.

Hesham Tantawi, the distributor’s Vice President for MEA, says, “If a distributor is as seamless as ASBIS, the firm can sustain and grow a key partnership for many years. We have grown Intel’s business in the region significantly and we are number one partner for the vendor.”

ASBIS Middle East carries Intel’s portfolio exclusively in the region. This includes Intel-powered computer systems and electronics, processors, memory and storage devices, server products and network commu nications among others.

ASBIS is a part of Intel Technology Provider Program (ITP). Registered ITP partners can get benefits purchas ing either Intel components or systems with Intel inside directly from ASBIS.

He adds that channel partners have had the opportuni ty to leverage the support and opportunities that a main vendor like Intel offers. “The partnership is also another reason for channel partners to work with us,” Tantawi says.

Registered ITP partners accumulate Intel points purchasing qualified products from authorized Intel distributors. Gold and Platinum Partners could convert earned points into ASBIS vouchers and get a discount purchasing from ASBIS.

Intel also offers in-depth support and assets for partners to grow their business such as full marketing campaigns, social media content, web banners and landing pages besides world-class products.

Tantawi adds, “We look forward to developing this partnership even further and offering our regional partners innovative offerings from Intel in the coming years.”

“WE HAVE GROWN INTEL’S BUSINESS IN THE REGION SIGNIFICANTLY AND WE ARE NUMBER ONE PARTNER FOR THE VENDOR.”

Wajahat Ali Sheikh, Intel Product Sales Manager - ASBIS ME, presenting Intel's Future Technlogy in Ajman

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Partnering for Success

CHRISTIAN ASSAF, SALES MANAGER, AMD, ON HOW ASBIS MIDDLE EAST HAS BEEN ITS LONGEST-SERVING DISTRIBUTOR IN THE REGION AND THE INCREMENTAL VALUE IT HAS ADDED TO ITS BUSINESS OVER THE YEARS.

INVEST

Global components player AMD’s partnership with ASBIS goes back more than twenty years. ASBIS Middle East is the master distributor for AMD offerings for the whole region and has been the main driver for its business.

Christian Assaf, Sales Manager, AMD, says, “ASBIS Middle East is ‘the’ business for us. They have always believed in and trusted the brand from day one. The team that was dedicated for AMD business at ASBIS, resulted in the success that we enjoy today.”

ASBIS Middle East has the biggest and broadest channel reach in the whole region when it comes to distribution, says Assaf. “The distribution firm boasts widespread reach all over the region including most parts of Africa, GCC and LEVANT. Their extensive channel breadth has been the key factor contributing to the expansion of our business and the marketing of AMD as a successful vendor.”

ASBIS’ channel structure in the Middle East region has greatly facilitated in growing AMD’s channel partners.

“The investments they made with the partners themselves led to our growth. ASBIS is our master distributor and through their channel structure and our support, they created and assigned in-country distribu tors for AMD offerings. This helped us to have extensive in-country reach in all the markets. The approach for each country needs to differ depending on local market conditions. With ASBIS’ help, we were able to customize our strategy for each market.”

Assaf further adds that ASBIS’ in-country strategy drove

the vendor to create tailor-made programs and detailed support for specific market challenges. “I believe this became the formula to our successful partnership - their investments and channel structure led us to adapt our approach to each market, resulting in mutual high growth.”

Assaf further sees ASBIS shaping the growth of AMD business in the years to come. He explains that ASBIS transformed internally a few years ago to ensure they are aligned with market changes, which has guaranteed their success.

“A few years ago, ASBIS took charge and evolved internally to adapt to the new dynamics of the market. This has been a smart move which other distribution firms have failed to do. And not surprisingly, several big names in the regional distribution space have seen a decline in their revenues because they have continued to drive their business in traditional ways.”

The IT business is extremely fast-paced, and organiza tions have to move faster than technology itself to adapt and change to the dynamics in order to not get left behind.

“ASBIS has effectively moved with the trends to be 100 percent involved in the market. I’m certain that such a company who has a great vision, will continue to be successful for the next 20 years. ASBIS has already structured its operations and is ready to take advan tage of opportunities that advanced technologies such as AI, blockchain and the like have to offer. We look forward to further strengthen our partnership together,” concludes Assaf.

“I BELIEVE THIS BECAME THE FORMULA TO OUR SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP - THEIR

MENTS AND CHANNEL STRUCTURE LED US TO ADAPT OUR APPROACH TO EACH MARKET, RESULTING IN MUTUAL HIGH GROWTH.”

Channel ME Partner Awards 2019 recognized AMD as the ‘Components Vendor of the Year’. Christian Assaf receives the trophy for AMD

Forged from the finest silicon

The world’s most advanced processor with up to 12 cores for the world’s elite gamers.

AMD.com/RYZEN

Revolutionizing the Components Space

CHRISTIAN ASSAF, SALES MANAGER, AMD, ELABORATES HOW THE COMPANY HAS BEEN A GAME-CHANGER IN THE REGIONAL COMPONENTS MARKET THROUGH ROBUST CHANNEL PARTNERSHIPS.

Can you share the biggest milestone for AMD within the region over the past 12 months?

The MENA region has always shown great potential and we’ve invested resources and marketing to support the growth that the industry expects in the market. We’ve seen the successful introduction of both the 3rd Generation of Ryzen processors and the latest graphics cards with our RX5700 series. We’ve increased our focus in Levant, Egypt, KSA & UAE while also expanding our reach to North Africa and other countries within GCC.

Can you elaborate on the trends in the regional components market and how it has evolved in the past two years?

The components market has always been a key business for the MENA region. The market has seen this trend, particularly around DIY systems and the Esports gaming category continue to grow and we’re really excited to be part of that journey.

How has the regional IT channel market enabled you to build your business?

With the components market as a catalyst, particularly with the renewed interest in Esports, AMD is proud to deliver our newest AMD Radeon graphics cards and AMD Ryzen processor products to create the ultimate PC gaming platform with leadership performance at every price point. AMD is committed to driving innovation and competi tion across the computing and graphics markets to give PC enthusiasts, gamers and creators incredible experiences and unmatched value.

How is AMD empowering channel partners to expand their business?

The MENA region has always been important to AMD and we will continue to support our distribution partners, retail and e-tail partners to bring AMD products to the market.

What are the key elements that your partners need to prioritize in order to successfully grow their operations?

Innovation, competition and scalability are key to grow in such a fast-moving industry and AMD remains dedicated to bringing pioneering products to market to give PC enthusiasts, gamers and creators incredible experiences and unmatched value.

What are the market drivers for your growth?

The AMD portfolio is broad, bringing competitive, innovative and scalable products to each major segment.

From the introduction of our EPYC CPU for servers, Ryzen to the component channel and consumer finished product space, Ryzen PRO for commercial notebooks and desktops or the vast Radeon portfolio for both professional applications and gamers alike.

What kind of success have you seen in the gaming market? Can you share any plans that the market can expect in this space going forward?

We’ve already seen some amazing partnerships this year. With games such as Gears of War 5, Border lands 3, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint, Tom Clancy’s The Division® 2, Resident Evil®2 and the partnership with Microsoft for their recently announced Project Scarlett it’s fair to say that AMD is enjoying some exciting times in the gaming space.

How has your data center business evolved? What opportu nities do you see in the region?

With the introduction of the 2nd Generation AMD EPYC™ processors, AMD provides datacenter custom ers with a leadership CPU. Holding 100 world records while delivering an estimated 25% to 50% lower TCO than competitive offerings. Twitter is using the 2nd Gen AMD EPYC to improve the TCO of its datacenters by 25% and HPE, Lenovo and Dell have announced availability of new platforms.

to share these success stories with our partners.

Can you elaborate how your partnership with ASBIS Middle East has developed AMD business in the region? How do you aim to strengthen this relationship?

The open lines of communication, honesty, transparency and synergy within the ASBIS and AMD relation ship has been a key factor in driving the business in MENA. It is my belief that this unique partnership between AMD and ASBIS has been the “special formula” to our success and I’m excited to see the results from our partnership as we move forward as one team to drive the business further.

Can you share your business objective and market plans for the next few months?

Having our broad portfolio, enthusiastic partners across distribution and retail / e-tail alike will lead us to exciting few months. I would ask that if you’re a partner to AMD, please take advantage of the excellent marketing tools available to you on www.amd.com/partner and to please come and talk to either me or your ASBIS account manager if you’d like to be part of this journey. You can reach me at Christian.assaf@amd.com – I look forward to working with you.

“THE OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION, HONESTY, TRANSPARENCY AND SYNERGY WITHIN THE ASBIS AND AMD RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN A KEY FACTOR IN DRIVING THE BUSINESS IN MENA.”

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Empowering Partners to Lead

SANJA HORYLOVA, SALES DIRECTOR, VOLUME, ASBIS MIDDLE EAST, GIVES AN OVERVIEW OF THE MARKET AND HOW

THE DISTRIBUTOR IS EMPOWERING ITS CHANNEL PARTNERS TO DRIVE CUSTOMERS’ TRANSFORMATION.

“WE

The regional IT channel market has evolved considerably over the years. The definition of volume or broad line business has also changed with the times. Historically, volume business has been about numbers. However, today we see several segments where quantity may not be the business driver.

Sanja Horylova, Sales Director, Volume, ASBIS Middle East, says, “While the traditional business of assembling has reduced, we are now seeing different opportunities that are no longer defined by volume but by portfolio. Within the broadline segment, the new avenues for revenues are emerging by exploring different markets and catering to tier-2 set of customers.”

Having been operational in the region for more than two decades, ASBIS Middle East has stood witness to the transitions the market has undergone.

According to Horylova, the company has seen the transformation in the market in terms of new innovations replacing older technologies. She says, “The consumer is becom ing more educated about the market changes and the potential of technology. They are more aware of how technology can impact and enhance their operations. This compels us to sell and focus not just on one product but a bundle of products. We can no longer sell only segmented products but need to work on the whole portfolio.”

Horylova notes that increasingly demand for one product is pulling in demand for other kinds of products. “This is interesting, and we are encouraging our channel partners to take advantage of that.”

Most of ASBIS Middle East’s vendors have been working with the distributor for years together. “We will continue to stay loyal to our vendors. They have been the pioneers in supply chain and introduce new products and segments every year. This keeps us on our toes as we then work towards growing their portfolio and

reach.”

Horylova says that the distributor is constantly reviewing the addition of new vendors.

“We will add new vendors if it makes sense for our customers’ business es. We attribute our success entirely to our focus. Focus requires determination and a certain path for development. This also means working with our vendors and partners even during the good and bad times.

“Currently, we are looking more to define the portfolio and segments of our current manufacturers, who are traditional firms now taking the leap of transformation,” she says.

The regional distribution leader is fully equipped with the latest technologies across microproces sors, storage, memory and graphic cards and so on.

“We are always looking to match new technologies in the market. If our partners have new features that they present to their customers, we help them to deliver it in the fastest time possible and offer support for supply chain, post sales and technical know-how. We also enable and train them on how to use the products and how they can sell them further.”

She adds, “We dedicate majority of our time on awareness and training. Education is a must-have within ASBIS because we believe the knowledge has to be passed and implemented.”

Partners are the lifeline for any distribution business and ASBIS has always had its channel ecosystem at the heart of its operations.

“By building our partners’ capabili ties and reach, we are developing ourselves. We will continue to invest time and efforts on sharing knowledge and success stories with our partners. This is part of our accountability and responsibility that we impose on ourselves. This continues to be one of our main business objectives,” Horylova

explains.

Over the years, ASBIS has played a significant role in addressing market challenges such as dealing with counterfeit products and grey market.

“Partners continue to struggle in these areas. Having the trust and understanding of what the real price is in the market continues to be constant work and a huge challenge.”

Horylova says it is neither unknown to the distributor nor is it a new challenge.

“The regional market suffers greatly from these challenges. We are taking small but sure steps to counter these problems and clear the market,” she adds.

Horylova urges partners to use the unique opportunity that GITEX 2019 offers to review on aspects that can be improved and to prepare themselves for the coming year.

“Channel partners should spend more time in planning and learning from each month. We will focus on maintaining a close communication with our partners and suppliers throughout the year.”

She encourages partners to “work, cooperate, communicate and engage” with the distributor.

“We are always working on improv ing the business and enabling partners to lead customers’ transformations,” Horylova concludes.

ARE ALWAYS WORKING ON IMPROVING THE BUSINESS AND ENABLING PARTNERS TO LEAD CUSTOMERS’ TRANSFORMATIONS.”

Reseller ME Partner Excellence Awards 2019 recognized ASBIS Middle East as the ‘Best Volume Distributor of the Year’. Sanja Horylova receives the trophy on behalf of ASBIS.

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Western Digital and ASBIS ME Strengthen Commitment to the Region’s Data Center Space

GROWTH AND MARKET MOMENTUM AS NEW CUSTOMERS TRANSFORM THEIR STORAGE INFRASTRUCTURE

Western Digital Corporation (WDC), a global data infrastructure leader, has joined ASBIS ME in a network ing event in Abu Dhabi to further explore and strength en their commitment to the region’s fast evolving Data Center Systems’ space. This comes shortly after WDC announced earlier this year, that its DCS business continues to gain momentum with record growth and achievements through the deployment of DCS solutions by enterprise and cloud-scale customers.

The event hosted a variety of consultants, partners & solution providers for public and private sectors who had the chance to explore WDC’s offerings in the Data Center space, in addition to its alliances with other vendors on different solutions to meet the growing data infrastructure demands of a wide range of applications, including business-critical databases, decision-support systems, and real-time analytics.

Praveen Singh, Director Sales, ASBIS ME said, “Partnering with WDC in the Enterprise and Data Center Systems space, is definitely a step in the right direction. WDC is leading the transformation to next-generation storage infrastructure with its IntelliFlash N-Series, one of the industry’s first unified NVMe all flash-arrays. They have built upon their unique expertise in silicon all the way up to systems to ensure their customers have unparalleled value and performance – without compromise.”

Commenting on their partnership with ASBIS ME, Khwaja Saifuddin,

“With a unique, vertically-integrated data infrastructure design, development

silicon to systems – Western Digital’s DCS delivers solutions

to help customers protect, mobilize, transform and extract

environments in the data center. We’r confident that our

the DCS space in the region.”

Senior Sales Director, Middle East at WDC said,

and manufacturing model – from

with compelling performance and economic efficiency

greater value from data within increasingly specialized

partnership with ASBIS ME will help us further transform

Khwaja Saifuddin, Senior Sales Director - WDC, presenting storage solutions to partners & solution providers in a networking event in Abu Dhabi

Fueling the Enterprise Storage Business

Can you elaborate on how Toshiba has grown its business over the past 12 months? What have been some market drivers?

As the surge for data storage is increasing exponentially and is expected to reach 166 Zeta Bytes by 2025, there is a greater demand for high tech and quality as well as reliable storage products. In sync with the market demands, Toshiba is offering pioneering and superior products in the Data Storage segment. Over the past 12 months, we have had a tremendous growth mainly in the near line storage category. We have introduced several new offerings such as colour label products, higher capacity and storage based on applications like surveillance, gaming and NAS. Currently Toshiba enjoys 30% market share in the Client External HDD and 17% market share for Surveillance HDD. The gain in market share for Surveillance was achieved within 6 months of introducing our range of dedicated Surveillance products.

What have been the key trends in enterprise storage market within the region?

The demand for higher capacities is the key trend in the enterprise segment. Also, we have observed that adoption of private cloud has picked up in the region, which is driving the need for high-capacity and mission-critical enterprise storage.

How do you see enterprise HDDs evolving in line with the increas ing demands of the digital era?

Enterprise HDD will always remain relevant, even as SSD is fast catching up. As the price and GB of SSDs are higher, HDD demand will continue. Enterprises are now using hybrid model of storage – frequently used data are stored in the SSD and non-frequently used data are stored in the HDD, thereby increasing the capacity demand for HDD.

What is Toshiba’s focus at GITEX? Which products will the company be emphasizing on this year?

At GITEX 2019, Toshiba’s focus will be on its range of Enterprise HDD and Surveillance HDD products. We will be showcasing the high capacity 16TB drives through our partners.

How has the market received the recently launched SMART app? How is it adding value to custom er and partner businesses?

Toshiba SMART APP is the first of its kind in the IT industry. Toshiba is the first vendor to launch an App for its channel partners as well as its customers. It’s a very comprehen sive platform, which provides all the details of the products, sales tools and marketing collaterals. The demand from the channel has been excellent. In order to keep the engagement levels high, Toshiba will be launching various activities like Quiz competition and certifications, which will be rewarding for the users.

What do you believe are the current challenges that partners are grappling with when it comes to enterprise storage?

I believe channel partners are continuing to struggle with Product positioning for various enterprise applications due to lack of product knowledge. With the Toshiba SMART App, this problem will be taken care off. Toshiba also conducts F2F product training events across the region so that our channel sales force is well ahead in their product knowledge.

How is Toshiba enabling and empowering its channel ecosys tem to successfully take advan tage of the market opportunities?

Toshiba's sales strategy has been 100% channel led – we work with distributors and authorized channel inventory to deliver to end custom ers. We don’t believe in moving boxes from one warehouse to another, instead our primary focus

is to enable partners. We have many ongoing activities that empower the channel ecosys tem. These include regular training, Channel Health program – our award winning P4P rebate program, co-op marketing activities and sales lead generation activities among others.

Can you elaborate on channel initiatives planned for the upcoming quarters?

Sales lead generation and channel training program will be our focus in the upcoming quarter.

How is ASBIS Middle East enriching your business in the region?

ASBIS is one of the leading IT distributors in EMEA region, we utilize their experience and expertise in the Storage segment to develop the channel market and also expand our reach extensively.

Could you share what the market can expect from Toshiba in the coming months?

Toshiba is always leading in technology and innovation. We will continue to cater to the demands from the market through high investments in R&D and focus on innovative, high quality and reliable products. We will be introducing new products and solutions very soon. We look forward to further growing the business together with our partners.

SANTOSH VARGHESE, VICE PRESIDENT, TOSHIBA GULF, DELVES INTO THE CURRENT TRENDS IN THE ENTERPRISE STORAGE MARKET AND HOW THE FIRM AIMS TO BUILD AN EVEN STRONGER BUSINESS IN THE REGION THROUGH INNOVATIVE OFFERINGS AND CHANNEL PARTNERSHIPS.

“WE WILL CONTINUE TO CATER TO THE DEMANDS FROM THE MARKET THROUGH HIGH INVESTMENTS IN R&D AND FOCUS ON INNOVATIVE, HIGH QUALITY AND RELIABLE PRODUCTS.”

Making a Mark

How has Lexmark developed its business in the Middle East and which geographies are your prime focus?

The Middle East region has always been important for Lexmark. We achieved significant results with Ink Jet printers during the 2000-2010 period and then directed our focus to our laser portfolio. Until 2017, Lexmark prioritised the growth in corporate and managed printing services and after the introduction of Lexmark’s new printer portfolio consisting of Bolt, GO Line, 2 Families, the company decided to re-establish its mark in the channel.

Lexmark reaches its customers with both indirect and direct presence. In the Middle-East, Russia, Romania, Hungary and Turkey, we have on-shore presence. While in Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Slovenia, Greece, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, Lexmark utilises indirect methodology.

Can you elaborate on Lexmark’s channel strategy for the region?

We believe in working with select partners across the region to grow our capabilities and customer base. Partner profitability is critical for us and Lexmark’s strategy remains partner-oriented. In line with this, we are working with our regional distributor ASBIS Middle East to analyse our go-to-market strategy and identify some long term partners in the region. We are actively looking to grow our channel reach in the region through ASBIS ME.

Our aim is to deliver managed services to end-users in cooperation with select partners. If a reseller

believes that they have the right stamina and infrastructure to be a part of this exciting venture, they can reach out to either ASBIS ME or Lexmark Middle East and have our mutual capabilities analysed by Lexmark engineers.

What key areas is Lexmark focusing on with ASBIS Middle East to develop and strengthen its market presence in MEA?

We do harbour plans in future but right now our focus is on growing the market share in the MEA region. We are guided by our philosophy of ensuring that our partners benefit in terms of earning decent margins. If the business is profitable for our channel ecosystem then our market share grows as well. We, together with ASBIS, are not in a hurry, but rather we would like to do things in a systematic manner. We want to limit the number of partners, listen to end-users and provide solutions to their problems. Further, we make sure that our resellers have our support, and continue to strengthen our infrastructure through partner training and investments.

What channel initiatives is Lexmark implementing for all its distribution partners and resellers?

We do not see these as initiatives but rather investments that we make with our resellers. Lexmark is working with ASBIS Middle East on a new attractive channel scheme for our partners. The key to this scheme is ‘simplicity’. Through our extended sub-distributors, we would like to implement a channel scheme for resellers. This will help the resellers to understand which activities Lexmark will support and

fund, and what extra support they can expect from us. In turn, we can increase visibility in the market and deliver our message enabling a mutually profitable relationship. In addition to this, training, product support and bringing unique solutions to the region are an integral part of our strategy for this region.

What trends are driving channel partners to get involved in the managed print services market? Today, one of the major issues in any market is the lack of a long-term investment and return on invest ments for an IT reseller or system integrator. On the other hand, end-users are negatively impacted by the cut throat competition in their markets, hence requiring year on year savings to frugally focus upon their own expertise rather than being stretched thin over processes that can be handled outside their organisation. Managed print services provide an economi cal and technological solution to the needs of providers and beneficiaries of MPS.

SINAN EMON, GENERAL MANAGER, EASTERN EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA (EEMEA), FOR LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, SHARES INSIGHTS INTO HOW THE FIRM HAS GROWN FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH AND OUTLINES THE ROLE ITS DEDICATED REGIONAL DISTRIBUTOR ASBIS ME PLAYS IN ITS OVERALL CHANNEL STRATEGY.

Fortifying Printing Business

AHMED NAIEM, SALES DIRECTOR, PRINTING, ASBIS MIDDLE EAST, ELABORATES ON THE SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP WITH LEXMARK AND HOW THE FIRM AIMS TO GROW ITS PRINTING SOLUTIONS DIVISION TO NEW HEIGHTS OVER THE COMING QUARTERS.

“Our relationships with the channel have also significantly helped us in our success as we sell 100 percent through our reseller partners. They are responsible for creating the demand for Lexmark business. We engage with our resellers and the vendor to jointly visit end-users, help close deals and deliver customer requirements. “

Can you share the biggest highlights at ASBIS Printing business over the last few quarters?

We offer heavy-duty printers from Lexmark, which fulfil customer satisfaction with in-depth service, warranty and hi-yield toners. In the past year, together with our channel partners, we have deployed innovative printing solutions at some of the region’s biggest end-users’ premises such as Aramco, CCAD, Rajhi Bank, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Council in Kuwait.

Our heavy -duty printers hail from IBM pedigree and technology. Recently Lexmark was sold to Chinese firms Apex Technology and Ninestar, both of which are owners of Lenovo today. Our partnership with Lexmark has developed successfully over the years.

How have you grown the portfo lio over the past year? What are the internal and external factors to which you attribute the success to?

We are launching channel printers for home users and small offices following our professional printers for enterprise and corporate customers. Within ASBIS, we have full understanding from the management that we are dealing with a reliable and heavy-duty product. The management trusts the product and that is why they have placed the same trust on me to go to the market and improve the business. We have a strong relationship between ASBIS and Lexmark. We are Lexmark’s sole distributor for the GCC and the Middle East.

Our relationships with the channel have also significantly helped us in our success as we sell 100 percent through our reseller partners. They are responsible for creating the demand for Lexmark business. We engage with our resellers and the

vendor to jointly visit end-users, help close deals and deliver customer requirements.

The printing market continues to be valuable as many customers still depend on printed documents. Understanding the demand, we are offering our products with high-quality laser technology in order to give customers the security for their printed documents. We are also offering Print Managed Service Solutions, which fully secure their process and help them with their comprehensive printing needs.

What is your value proposition to customers and partners?

Customers have to keep in mind that aspects such as service, quality of printing, after-sales support, availability of toner and supplies cost money and are important to have a full-functional printer for heavy workloads. We carry the full range of printers and services and can offer customers the best experience without any interrup tions to their operations.

How is Managed Print Services accelerating partners’ business es? How can they further enhance their margins with services?

All Lexmark products are coming with 1-year service support by

default, however, at ASBIS we are providing additional service and warranty support up to five years. We have several kinds of services based on what the customer needs such as on-site support, 24/7 support, labor and spare parts support and so on. We have service centers across the UAE with fully equipped service teams. Managed Print Services are designed to reduce the cost of printing and save more money in order to increase the profitability.

Which are the primary verticals, ASBIS is focusing on with its Printing business?

We are focusing in all segments from home user to enterprise customers. Lexmark was initially focusing on enterprise and corpo rate segments only. And now the vendor is launching products for the channel and small business users.

What do you believe is a challenge for partners today?

It is a challenge today to carry out services in the appropriate turn around time. Customers are important and valuable for us, so we have to keep our spare parts and replacement machines ready in case it is required, so that customer business can go on without interruptions.

How will ASBIS together with its channel network continue to innovate the printing space going forward?

We are announcing new channel line-up, which fulfill channel and SMB requirement. We will provide more trainings to our resellers and enhance their product knowledge. Partners can also look forward to unique incentive programs from us.

What is your message for partners and the market from GITEX 2019?

We like to encourage our partners to increase their margins and profitability with Lexmark printers. They can boost productivity immensely and save on costs with the product line-up from Lexmark. We see huge profitability and future with Lexmark and will continue to engage and develop this partner ship going forward.

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UniFi UAP-AC-SHD Excels in

Periodically, we hire Alethea Communications to perform third-party testing for our Access Point (AP) products. Alethea specializes in network stress testing services and products. They use various test methods with simulated and real client devices. This test used real client devices in a realistic environment with up to 100 devices. This method gives very reliable data for real-world performance.

Tested APs

This test focused on high-end 4×4 APs with one 2.4 GHz radio and one 5 GHz radio. The tested APs and their costs are summarized below.

Real Client Devices

In the previous tests, the client base consisted mostly of devices using the Intel Wi-Fi chipset. In this round, Alethea expanded the client base. They performed tests with a realistic client mix using the latest available drivers. The following are examples of test clients used:

• Dell Latitude E7470 with Intel 8260 chipset and Ubuntu 16.04

• Dell Latitude E7470 with Intel 8260 chipset and Win 10

• iPhone XS, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6, iPhone SE, Apple Mac Mini

• Samsung Galaxy S9, S8, S7, S5, Tab A

The number of simultaneous clients performing tests were 1, 32, and 100, depending on the test case.

Realistic Test Environment

Alethea used a classroom environment for the test. They positioned the test AP in the center of the area. All

CONCLUSIONS

Performance Scoring

testing was done on the 5 GHz band and the 2.4 GHz radio was disabled. Alethea used the 80 MHz channel for single-client tests and 40 MHz channel for 32- and 100-client tests.

The nominal AP power level was +20 dBm. The test team calibrated average received AP signal level at the client to the same level, approximately -43 dBm, for all of the tested APs. AP power level settings were adjusted to equalize the differences.

Reasons for the calibration procedure:

• APs have different antenna patterns. Some are focused more downward and others more toward the sides. In a single AP test like this, the AP with the greatest gain to the sides would have an advantage when there are many clients further away from the AP. In a high-density environment, a more down wards-focused pattern causes less interference to nearby APs. The more downwards-focused pattern provides better network level capacity and is more suitable for high-density environments.

• The principles for power level measurements and settings may vary between vendors.

• Ruckus does not provide certain absolute dBm scale output power settings, only power level reduction values (dB) from maximum.

The measured signal level data shows that APs set to the same power level had significant differences in power levels as measured by clients. This calibration step was important to achieve realistic and comparable results in the targeted application.

Alethea used a five-grade scale for the overall scoring. The highest and lowest values of each test determined the full range, which they further divided into five equal sub-ranges. Depending on the test results, each AP got a score from 1 to 5 for each test.

ESET Antivirus

Review

In the framework of our ESET review, we’ve covered the main features of this antivirus software, its advantages, and disadvantages. Many experts describe ESET products as “good but not great.” Yes, in some parame ters it lags behind its major rivals. However, ESET has good potential, and for most people with basic security requirements, it can become a great option.

Though some false positives have been recorded during tests, and some ingenious virus threats were missed, their share is too small to impact the overall experience of most regular Internet users. On top of all this, ESET antivirus is lightweight and extremely easy to use. Still, if all this is not enough to make your mind, you can always compare ESET with its top competitors by reading more reviews.

We should say that ESET antivirus is one of the oldest and, consequently, one of the most recognized antivirus products in the market. The company has been around since the early 1990s, and its spotless reputation is beyond question.

ESET is one of few antivirus software suppliers, providing inexpensive and at the same time reliable products that are incredibly easy to use. Its award-win ning solutions are on a par with the software of recognized industry’s leaders. However, it still has some downsides that don’t let it make a leap forward and outstrip its rivals. Read our ESET antivirus review for details.

Advantages

A very simple interface even for beginners

Its basic option is a good value for money

A high level of online protection

A free tool for a fast social media scanning

A real-time scanning

A game mode

Options for Mac, Linux, and Android available

Highlights of Eset

• Compatibility with all Windows versions – Vista through Windows10.

• A special package for Mac, Linux, and Android available.

• High-quality protection from malware, viruses, spyware, and ransomware.

• A built-in e-mail scanning feature.

• An automatic real-time scanning.

• Phishing protection.

• An AMSI protection module for quick detection of unwanted JS code.

• A medium system impact.

• Availability of premium packages for advanced protection.

Best For

• Active Internet users, due to automatic social media and e-mails scanning along with protection from fraudulent/malicious/phishing sites

• Gamers, thanks to the gaming mode, will get fewer notifications and interruptions from the system

• People in search of a single affordable antivirus solution for multiple platforms.

ESET Performance

ESET slows down a computer a bit more than some other antiviruses. But we have to say that a lot of ESET’s competitors have a more significant impact on perfor mance. The first scan took 31 min 13 sec – the software checked 236,710 files. It is a quite good speed. The third scan took only 9:14 since the antivirus learned which data it could ignore.

There is no quick scan feature, but you can download Online Scanner from ESET. It does not depend on the main software program; hence we wouldn’t expect much of it.

Unlocking True Value

share recent

milestones

from ASBIS Solutions business?

We have had several highlights over the past few months. Regional customers across verticals are doubling up their investments when it comes to their IT infrastructures. With the drive towards digitalization, organizations are increasingly looking at enhancing their current IT solutions or replacing it entirely with the latest innovations in the market.

ASBIS Middle East has been at the forefront of delivering these ground-breaking solutions together with its vendor and channel partners. We have recently won key enterprise projects in telco and healthcare sectors for High Performance Computing (HPC) solutions.

While the push towards digital transformation technologies enables customers to boost productivity and improve efficien cies, it also increases their suscepti bility to cyber-attacks and other security risks. We boast leading players in the security space and are equipped to cater to customers’ comprehensive security require ments. In this regard, we have bagged one of the biggest Cyber Security projects for Power & Energy vertical.

Internet of Things (IoT) technology empowers customers to redefine the way they have been operating. The potential of IoT connected devices is infinite. It offers extreme convenience, increases operational efficiencies, automates mundane tasks, drastically saves time and costs, enables generation of valuable data to further optimize functions and so on. To unlock the true value of the technology, it is imperative that customers choose the right partners for implementa tion. We are happy to share that we have won one of the most presti gious IoT projects in the region in the Retail and Hospitality vertical.

In addition to these milestones, we have also grown to be the Top VAD for providing Outdoor Wireless solutions across the Middle East region.

Which are the technologies that ASBIS is focusing on to further strengthen its position as a digital solutions provider?

We will continue to invest in and offer best of breed solutions and technologies. Going forward, we will focus our efforts and business roadmap on advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deep learning and Machine Learning (ML), IoT and Cloud Computing. We will strengthen our portfolio across these ground-breaking technologies through our vendor solutions from Supermicro, Western Digital, Intel, AMD and Lantronix.

Do partners understand the importance of solutions selling? How can they develop their skills in this regard?

out-of-the-box solutions to cater to different needs of the customers.

They also have to upgrade skill sets of their sales and pre-sales team to sell solutions effectively rather than products. We offer in-depth training program and other resources to empower partners in this area.

Can you elaborate on your focus and plans for next quarter? Can you share details of any upcoming partnership announcements? Our plan is to focus and build our Enterprise business by offering disruptive solutions for different verticals. Our approach is to take vertical-based solutions to our key partners who specialize in specific industries such as Cloud Service Providers, ISPs, Telcos and Health care.

We are looking forward to signing new partnerships during GITEX 2019.

What is your message for partners and the market from GITEX 2019?

First edition of Grandstream certification program with regional distributor ASBIS Middle East in Dubai for SMB partners.

Regional customers are no longer looking at investing in disparate products and solutions, instead desire end-to-end comprehensive solutions that can solve business problems. The sooner the channel community comprehend this changing demand, the faster they can grow their business. While some of the enterprise systems integrators do understand the importance of solutions selling, most of the SME partners continue to be on the learning curve. In order to capitalize on solutions selling, partners have to first move away from the traditional way of pushing boxes. They need to have better understanding of customer business needs and challenges. Only by having clear insight into the nature of customers’ businesses, will partners be in a position to guide them with the most ideal solution for a specific problem. They need to be innovative in offering

GITEX offers us the best platform to network and interact with our customers and partners. We encourage our partners and customers to visit us at GITEX and learn about some of our new innovative solutions offerings and success stories for AI, ML, IoT and Cloud technologies for different industry verticals. We are excited to assist our partner ecosystem to fast-track their business growth in the digital era.

“IN ORDER TO CAPITALIZE ON SOLUTIONS SELLING, PARTNERS HAVE TO FIRST MOVE WAY FROM THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF PUSHING BOXES. THEY NEED TO HAVE BETTER UNDERSTAND ING OF CUSTOMER BUSINESS NEEDS AND CHALLENGES.”

PRAVEEN SINGH SOLANKI, SALES DIRECTOR, SOLUTIONS DIVISION, MENA, ASBIS MIDDLE EAST, GUIDES PARTNERS ON CAPITALIZING MARKET PROSPECTS AND SUCCEEDING IN THE DIGITAL ERA.

Can you

The Evolution of Unified Communications

There is no ‘official’ definition for the term Unified Communications (UC), but most you find will focus on the integration of voice, video, data and mobility into a centralized communication network. While UC still revolves around the integration of voice, video, data and mobility platforms, the technology that makes up each of those areas, and how we use them, has evolved quite a bit. In the same way that the term “web 2.0” was coined to differentiate the newer generation of internet technology, maybe it is time to usher in UC 2.0. UC is no longer just traditional VoIP systems combined with SIP or H.323 video conferencing room systems – it is smart devices, mobile apps, collaboration tools and specialized data management platforms. This blog will highlight the current landscape of UC solutions to show what has changed and preview what may be the next major advancements in the UC ecosystem.

Data

Where we used to look at UC data as call stats, record ings, fax, voicemail and the like, it now means big business data. UC platforms are being integrated with advanced data and management tools including CRM platforms, property management systems, messaging apps and more. Essentially, almost any app or software can now be integrated with a communication system,

like our UCM series of IP PBXs, to improve the perfor mance and efficiency of any business through increased data access. Additionally, UC management systems have largely moved to the cloud, allowing businesses to manage, deploy, maintain and expand an entire global communication network centrally. This also provides a smart management and security platform to protect an entire business network and provide better usage data. Our Grandstream Device Management System (GDMS) was designed for this exact purpose.

Data is the area of UC that will grow and develop the most over the next decade. There are surely endless possibilities to what we can achieve by combining communication data with all the other ‘big data’ available to a business.

Mobility

Mobility is the area of UC that has evolved the most in recent years. It used to mean forwarding calls to mobile devices. Now, it means the ability to access every collaboration tool from anywhere on nearly any device, which has been driven by a generation of mobile apps, open-source technology and mobile workplaces. All-in-one apps offered by UCaaS providers like

First edition of Grandstream certification program with regional distributor ASBIS Middle East in Dubai for SMB partners.

Microsoft, softphone apps like our Grandstream Wave, messaging apps like Slack, and web conferencing/col laboration services are allowing employees to work from anywhere. Meanwhile, the rise of open-source hardware devices and management tools, like our Asterisk-based UCM series, Android-based video solutions and GDMS, allow UC solutions to easily integrate with third-party mobility tools to extend the office to anywhere in the world.

In the next 2 sections, we’ll show you how the advance ments of WiFi have allowed businesses to deploy Wi-Fi-based UC networks to support in-office mobility as well.

Video

Where video in UC used to mean expensive, complicat ed and often proprietary conference room systems, it now it means web collaboration and mobile apps. Modern collaboration services and applications must include mobile apps and web clients in order to allow participation from any location on any device. A room system is nearly worthless now if it doesn’t support mobile attendees and offer platform flexibility, which is why our GVC series is built on Android and supports any SIP or H.323 service. This mobility push has taken the traditional video conferencing room and extended it to a virtual space while also adding more collabora tion tools such as content sharing. Also, massive improvements in Wi-Fi technology has helped make installing and managing video solutions even easier as well. An entire office video collaboration solution is now easily ran over Wi-Fi as many room devices, like our GVC3210, include built-in Wi-Fi support.

We are commonly seeing video surveillance and video intercoms being integrated with UC systems as well. SIP video solutions enable 2-way calls between SIP cameras

or Door Access Systems and IP voice/video phones to create a proactive security network with real-time alerts, video intercom, facility access control and more. Grandstream IP cameras, facility access devices, IP phones and IP PBXs combine to offer this type of solution

Voice

UC voice telephony has evolved well-beyond wired networks with users tied to desks. It now revolves around flexible mobile and cordless solutions that allow employees to work from any location. The rise of softphone apps like our Grandstream Wave app, and similar desktop clients have extended the desktop phone to any mobile device, computer or laptop. Additionally, now that Wi-Fi technology has become as strong and reliable as wired networks, many office voice deployments are going wireless. Wi-Fi access points (APs) like our GWN series, are now built to prioritize VoIP connections over other Wi-Fi traffic. Many desktop phones, including our GRP, WP and GXV series, include built-in Wi-Fi.

You can now integrate most voice solutions with data and management tools. We’ve touched on CRMs and property management systems, but other voice-specific examples are billing platforms and call-center manage ment solutions. Our UCM series supports all of those integrations and even includes a built-in call center management tool. Lastly, it’s important to note how much better voice quality has become while drastically lowering bandwidth requirements thanks to the availability of numerous low-bandwidth HD voice codecs like OPUS.

What’s Next?

1. Big data Integration – Data is becoming one of the largest industries in the world. The possibilities for what we can achieve by combining communication data with all other types of business data is endless.

2. Smart Buildings - Facility Management platforms and UC are already starting to team up to efficiently manage HVAC, facility access, lighting and more – in real-time based on real data. This is will soon become commonplace.

3. Growth of automation and smart systems – By integrating UC solutions with big data and facility management, we are only going to increase the amount of data we have access to. The integration between UC and all business platforms is going to continue to make communications technology smarter and more automated, and UC needs to harness that power effectively.

Mimosa Introduces Industry’s Most Versatile, Modular 5 GHz Radio with Twist-On Antennas

Mimosa Networks has announced the Mimosa C5x, the industry’s most versatile, integrated 5 GHz radio with four modular, twist-on antenna options. With best-in-class Front-to-Back (FTB) and Front-to-Side (FTS) ratios for superior noise immunity, and extended frequency operation from 4.9-6.4 GHz, the ultra-rugged C5x is disrupting the industry and sets new price/per formance benchmarks for integrated wireless connec tivity.

Cost Effective Solution Scales with your Network

The modular design of the C5x is a perfect fit for network operators, offering the ease and simplicity of an integrated radio coupled with antenna gain flexibility for streamlined installation and reduced inventory costs. The C5x is optimized for short- to mid-range links with a native 8 dBi gain that can be increased to 12, 16, 20 or 25 dBi using a set of modular twist-on antennas. With a disruptive price point, the C5x is esigned for cost-effective point-to-multipoint (PTMP) deployments delivering up to 100BaseT of IP throughput out-of-the-box, and up to 500 Mbps when paired with a “C5x-PTMP” feature key upgrade (sold separately). A separate point-to-point (PTP) “C5x-PTP” feature key will upgrade the C5x to deliver up to 700 Mbps throughput for a PTP link.

The flexibility of the C5x is an enormous benefit for network operators who typically deploy radios in unfamiliar environments. Service installers are often unaware of the detailed topography until they arrive at the install site, and as a result, they are required to carry a variety of radio and antenna options to success fully connect the devices. Now with the Mimosa C5x, a single radio combined with a selection of different antennas can be kept on-hand to ensure that installers are ready for any environment. The Mimosa Install App allows feature keys to be purchased in advance and redeemed onsite, giving operators even greater deployment flexibility.

“I think Mimosa nailed it with the modular design,” said Rob Genovesi, owner/operator at Coastside.Net, an ISP in Half Moon Bay, California. “The twist-on antennas allow for a number of deployment options – my installer can take one radio and a set of different antennas on his truck and can decide on site what to deploy. It’s very clean and very easy to install, and I love the look and feel of the product.”

Incredible RF Performance

Fabricated in rugged die-cast metal to excel in the harshest environments, the custom-engineered N5-X

Cassegrain or horn antennas are optimized for gain across a broad spectrum range. Best-in-class noise isolation provides immunity from interference with breakthrough FTB and FTS performance, delivering 10bB improvement in the Signal-to-Interfer ence-Plus-Noise Ratio (SINR). This feature translates into a 10X performance increase against competitive integrated radios.

Extended Frequency Operation

Based on Mimosa’s field-proven C5c software, the Mimosa C5x, like all Mimosa products, is engineered with extended frequency support and takes advantage of both 4.9 GHz public safety applications in the United States and unlicensed frequencies up to 6.4 GHz worldwide (where allowed by local regulations). In addition, the accompanying N5-X modular antennas are specifically optimized for C5x extended frequency support.

Packs a Powerful Punch in a Small Form Factor

At just 17.5 centimeters in height and weighing only 370 grams, the C5x delivers with an incredibly sleek form factor, perfect for visually sensitive installations. And with a typical energy consumption of sub-10w, the C5x is ideal for solar-powered, battery back-up installations, where power and reliability are at a premium.

According to Mimosa President and CEO, Brian L. Hinman, “We are excited about the addition of the C5x to our Mimosa product portfolio. We believe the C5x offers the rugged and durable solution our customers need with the flexibility to choose the price, features and functionality that’s right for them. The C5x will dramatically lower the barrier to entry for customers wanting to deploy Mimosa’s PTMP solutions, and will allow our customers to scale their businesses and reach profitability more quickly.”

Supermicro Rolls Out New Intelligent Edge Products

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI) announced new edge systems built for artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G workloads. These new solutions are designed to handle all the data volumes demanded by 5G using AI inferencing. Supermicro will be showcasing this technology at booth at Mobile World Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, Febru ary 25-28, Booth #5J70.

With all of the mobile and IoT devices entering the market, data at the edge is exploding. And while tons of benefits can be derived, many challenges rise up on how to handle this data, bandwidth congestion, lack of scalability, processing delays, data security and integrity, and compliance and privacy issues. There are certainly several challenges to struggle with, but it is also an opportunity for vendors such as Supermicro. The company is rolling out several solutions that, in their words, aim to transform enterprises and empower them with intelligent connectivity from IoT devices to the cloud.

The solutions announced here offer optional support for Intel Programmable Acceleration FPGA cards or graphics accelerators deliver local compute and AI inferencing. Though this inferencing customers will be able to converge the edge and cloud into one seamless data processing platform. Two of the new solutions include the Intel Xeon D-2100 CPU-based 1019D-16C-FHN13TP and 1019D-FRN5TP systems. Designed for the edge these systems deliver balanced compute, AI, storage and networking, support up to 37 LANs (both RJ45 and SFP ports), up to 16 cores, up the 512GB of DDR4 memory, up to four 10GbE LAN ports with RDMA support, and internal storage expansion options including mini-PCIe, M.2 and NVMe support as well as support for multiple FPGA and GPU acceleration cards for AI inferencing. These solutions can reach to other markets than AI and Edge including manufacturing, retail, oil and gas, healthcare, and smart cities.

Why Choose Wi-Fi 6 Products From TP-Link?

CUSTOMERS CAN ACHIEVE OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE AND COMPLETE RELIABILITY WITH TP-LINK’S STATE-OF-THE-ART EXCLUSIVE WI-FI 6 PRODUCTS.

NOT ONLY DOES TP-LINK HAVE A PLAN FOR WI-FI 6, BUT THEIR PRODUCTS ALSO HAVE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE THANKS TO THEIR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.

As the number of devices rises dramatically, plenty of apps and services compete for network resources, crowding your network and creating lag. To solve this problem, Wi-Fi 6 (also known as 802.11ax), a next-gen high-efficiency Wi-Fi standard, was created. The newest Wi-Fi standard aims to solve the problem of congestion and satisfy the growing need for efficient Wi-Fi connec tions. It delivers 4 distinct advantages.

1. Super-Fast Speed

1024-QAM and Long OFDM Symbol boost overall speeds up to an incredible 9.6 Gbps, 40% faster than Wi-Fi 5.

2. Connects More Devices

The most important improvements to Wi-Fi 6 are reducing congestion and allowing more devices to connect to the network. Wi-Fi 6 can simultaneously transfer data to dozens of devices with OFDMA and UL/DL MU-MIMO, while Wi-Fi 5 can only do so for 4 devices, at most.

3. Low Latency

With OFDMA and Spatial Reuse Technology, Wi-Fi 6 can deliver multiple parcels to several devices simultane ously with no need for them to wait their turn. This reduces the time delay and competition of bandwidth resources, improving the whole network efficiency.

4. Low Power Consumption

Target Wake Time (TWT) allows devices to negotiate when and how often they will wake up to send or receive data, increasing device sleep time and substan tially improving battery life for mobile and IoT devices.

Since 2019, the popularity of Wi-Fi 6 has continued to rise. Many major vendors are actively planning to launch their own Wi-Fi 6 products. TP-Link launched their first Wi-Fi 6 router, Archer AX6000, in January 2019 at CES. If you want to be among the first to experience Wi-Fi 6 and take your home network to the next level, TP-Link is definitely a good choice.

Comprehensive Planning of Wi-Fi 6 Products

TP-Link will provide a comprehensive Wi-Fi standard upgrade across all product lines on both network devices and client devices. They continue to work on launching home network devices like the already launched Archer AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router, which is armed with blazing-fast Wi-Fi speed and 2.5 Gbps high-speed internet access. Three other models are planned for release in 2019 to meet various network requirements. In addition, TP-Link will combine Wi-Fi 6 and Mesh Technology to develop a brand-new product for the Deco series, providing a whole home mesh Wi-Fi 6 solution. Moreover, a 5G Wi-Fi 6 Router is under development and soon will be marketed to meet the demand of dense usage scenarios.

It remains to be seen what will happen when they combine Wi-Fi 6 with 5G, two of the most compelling, life-changing technologies of recent years. In addition to the products mentioned, VDSL Modem Routers, Range Extenders, Wireless Adapters, and Business Access points will also have better perfor mance after the upgrade with Wi-Fi 6. Don’t hesitate to choose TP-Link for a revolutionary and comprehensive upgrade for your entire home network.

Outstanding Performance of Wi-Fi 6 Products

Not only does TP-Link have a plan for Wi-Fi 6, but their products also have superior performance thanks to their advanced technology. For example, Archer AX11000, which aims to dominate the gaming with Wi-Fi 6, is the world’s fastest gaming router. Wi-Fi 6 features and Tri-Band take the Wi-Fi speed to a whole new level—11,000 Mbps. Three Wi-Fi bands make it possible to dedicate one band to gaming traffic while the remaining two bands deliver high speed Wi-Fi to the rest of the home. Furthermore, the cutting-edge hardware and software are greatly optimized to guarantee an excellent gaming experience.

However, if you have a limited budget for home network devices, Archer AX10 and Archer AX50 may be good choices. Archer AX50, a 3,000 Mbps dual band gigabit Wi-Fi router, is armed with an Intel® Home Wi-Fi Chipset which has a more stable and low latency connection with next-gen PC and mobile devices.

Archer AX10 is the first product to offer Wi-Fi 6 technology at a cost similar to a Wi-Fi 5 router and speeds of 1,500 Mbps. Enjoy all the benefits of Wi-Fi 6, at the lowest price possible.

Unique Advanced Technology

In addition to the basic features of Wi-Fi 6, TP-Link also has some advanced exclusive technologies.

• HomeCareTM: TP-Link HomeCareTM, provides a kit of features to help you create a personalized, secure network that caters to the whole family. Features include Antivirus, Parental Controls, and QoS (quality of service).

• OneMeshTM: Works together with TP-Link OneMesh products to provide a more flexible and cost-effective Mesh network, with a single Wi-Fi name, for seamless whole-home coverage.

• Flooding Inhibition Technology: Solves the serious routing-flooding and poor self-healing performance of existing mesh networks, suppressing network flooding and improving the performance of the network.

• APS for Data Package: Dynamically chooses the best route and band for data packages, guaranteeing a fast connection no matter where you are in the home.

• Range Boost for IoT: Extend Bluetooth IoT devices usable range based on Wi-Fi Technology.

• Truly Seamless Roaming: Existing Access Points normally work on the same channel. Now they allow devices to automatically switch channels when roaming, so as to reduce interference between different APs.

• CPU Auto-Boost: Load balancing of multi-core processor improves the scalability of the system and the utilization of the processor.