ECMEA january 2025

2025 Predictions

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The year of opportunities

As we step into 2025, it's time to peer into the crystal ball and predict the trends that will dominate this year. Forecasting the future is never an exact science, but one thing is certain: 2025 will be the year of AI. This presents a significant opportunity for channel partners struggling with narrow margins.

With 50% of AI transactions expected to flow through partners, there’s a tremendous opportunity to capitalize, especially in the SMB sector. Here, partners can position themselves as trusted advisors and technology leaders, guiding businesses on what AI entails, exploring use cases, and even prototyping solutions to unlock AI's potential value.

However, the biggest challenge will be defining ROI and helping organizations transform into AI-driven entities, where leadership teams and employees fully embrace the transformative potential of AI. Channel partners also have an opportunity to invest in AI solutions to address some of the internal business challenges related to budget management and performance tracking. There are new AI tools available in the market that can help to redefine partner relationship management, offer insights through automated solutions Another challenge for channel partners is navigating evolving pricing models as cloud computing becomes increasingly prevalent in the region. The shift from traditional product-based billing models to subscription and consumption-based pricing requires channel partners to adapt quickly. Mastering these models is critical, as they need to realign their sales strategies, operational processes, and revenue streams to fit the recurring revenue frameworks of emerging technologies.

Additionally, channel partners must educate their customers on the benefits of these models, such as scalability and cost-effectiveness, while addressing potential concerns like unpredictable billing cycles. Successfully navigating these changes will allow partners to stay competitive and maintain profitability in this brave new world.

We wish the channel community all the best in navigating these transformative trends and hope 2025 becomes a landmark year of growth, collaboration, and success.

Here’s to a future driven by ingenuity and sustained by a shared vision of excellence.

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JANUARY 2025

VOLUME 12

ISSUE 6

CONTENTS Turning challenges into growth 34-36 COVER STORY

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03 EDITORIAL

16-33 TRENDS 2025

06-07 EVENTS

38-47 INTERVIEWS

08-14 NEWS

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Global Tech leaders to gather at Future IT Summit 2025 KSA

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he stage is set for innovation as the 11th edition of the Future IT Summit arrives in Saudi Arabia, scheduled for February 24, 2025. This highly anticipated event will explore the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence in shaping the future of enterprises, industries, and the global economy.

The Future IT Summit has established itself as an aspect of technological innovation over the past decade. This year, the summit builds on its legacy by focusing on the role of AI in driving enterprise success, addressing challenges, and uncovering opportunities. It promises to deliver cutting-edge insights, promoting collaboration among global leaders, industry experts, and forward-thinking professionals.

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With the theme “AI-Powered Enterprises,” the Future IT Summit 2025 will feature: Visionary Keynotes: Insights from global thought leaders in AI, technology, and business.

Interactive Workshops: Hands-on sessions covering AI strategies, implementation, and scalability.

Case Studies: Real-world examples of AI innovation in enterprises, with actionable takeaways.

Panel Discussions: Conversations addressing AI ethics, sustainability, and economic impact.

Why Attend?

The summit offers a unique opportunity to: Learn about the latest AI trends transforming industries in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

Network with industry pioneers,

innovators, and policymakers.

Gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into business processes, enhancing productivity and competitiveness.

Explore sustainable AI solutions in line with KSA’s Vision 2030 goals.

Saudi Arabia is rapidly emerging as a hub for innovation, making it the perfect venue for discussing AI’s impact on global industries. The Future IT Summit aligns with the Kingdom’s efforts to advance its digital economy and leverage AI for sustainable growth.

The Future IT Summit is a leading global technology event aimed at shaping the future of businesses through innovation, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

With a decade of impactful gatherings, it continues to provide a platform for professionals to explore groundbreaking technologies and ideas.

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Future IT Summit UAE edition to highlight trends in AI-Powered Enterprises

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he Future IT Summit is back for its 11th edition, and this year’s theme, “AI-Powered Enterprises,” promises to take the conversation on artificial intelligence to unprecedented heights. Mark your calendars for February 18, 2025, as this iconic event returns to the UAE, bringing together global thought leaders, industry experts, and technology enthusiasts to explore the transformative potential of AI in shaping the future of industries, economies, and human experiences.

Over the past decade, the Future IT Summit has become a cornerstone of

innovation, celebrating advancements in technology while fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing. This year’s event is a tribute to 10 years of excellence, featuring an agenda packed with: 10+ Case Studies demonstrating realworld AI applications across diverse sectors.

Interactive Workshops providing hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI tools and solutions.

Visionary Keynote Sessions delivered by some of the brightest minds in the AI and tech ecosystem.

The summit will highlight how AI is reshaping enterprises, enabling them to

achieve greater efficiency, sustainability, and inclusivity. Attendees will gain insights into the challenges and opportunities of embracing AI, unlocking its potential to drive economic growth and societal progress.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, technologist, policymaker, or simply curious about the future of AI, the 11th Future IT Summit offers a platform to engage, learn, and contribute to the dialogue shaping the next decade.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the transformative journey as we chart the course of an AI-driven future.

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UAE payments revenue pool projected to reach $27.3 Billion by 2028, maintaining strong growth trajectory The UAE’s payments industry is poised to achieve significant growth, with total revenues projected to reach $27.3 billion by 2028, according to the latest Global Payments Report 2024 from Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Despite a global slowdown in growth rates, the UAE continues to lead in the GCC, driven by its rapid digital transformation and strategic investments in the financial sector.

The Global Payments Report 2024 marks BCG’s 22nd annual analysis of the global payments industry, emphasizing the need for decisive action in navigating a rapidly evolving landscape. The report aptly titled Fortune Favors the Bold highlights the importance of adapting to shifting customer expectations, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and technological disruptions. While growth is slowing globally, the UAE remains a bright spot in the region, continuing its high growth and innovation trajectory.

Lukasz Rey, Managing Director and Partner and Head of the Middle East Financial Institutions Practice at BCG. Globally, payments revenue growth is projected to slow significantly, with CAGR halving to 5% through 2028, resulting in

a global payments revenue pool of $2.3 trillion. This marks a sharp decline from the 9% CAGR observed over the previous five years, which pushed the global revenue pool to $1.8 trillion in 2023. North America and Europe are expected to experience the most significant slowdowns, with projected annual revenue increases of just 3%. In contrast, regions like the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific are forecasted to see higher growth, with the Middle East projected to grow at a 7% CAGR, driven by accelerating digital payments in emerging markets.

“The UAE’s payments landscape is reaching a critical inflection point,” says Lukasz Rey, Managing Director and Partner and Head of the Middle East Financial Institutions Practice at BCG. “As we move beyond the era of easy growth, the sector must pivot from pure expansion to sustainable profitability.”

Chainalysis enhances portfolio with Hexagate acquisition, adding world-class prevention capabilities

Jonathan Levin, CEO at Chainalysis

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Chainalysis has announced its acquisition of Hexagate, the leading provider of Web3 security solutions that detect and mitigate real-time threats including cyber exploits, hacks, and governance and financial risks.

With Hexagate’s established position as the top choice for chains, protocols, asset managers, and exchanges to help keep their funds secure, this deal augments Chainalysis’ already impressive portfolio of blockchain data solutions.

“I have long believed that in order to advance the Chainalysis mission to build trust in blockchains, we would need to expand our business beyond investigations and into prevention,” said Jonathan Levin, Co-Founder and CEO at Chainalysis. “The Hexagate team impressed me with their complete security suite for proactive prevention, including monitoring, mitigation, forensics, and compliance. Together, Chainalysis and Hexagate provide a holistic risk solution that includes prevention, compliance and

remediation.”

Hexagate leverages machine learning models to identify suspicious patterns and unusual transactions across blockchain networks in real-time. Over the past two years, the company has detected all known hacks – and more than 98% were detected before they occurred. As a result, Hexagate’s customers, which include industry leaders like Coinbase and Consensys, have already saved more than US$1billion in customer funds by taking on-chain actions based on real-time notifications and automated responses to potential threats.

Such capabilities are only going to become more important for the crypto ecosystem as smart contracts facilitate more value transfer.

The growth of stablecoins, enterprise layer 1 and layer 2 protocols, and wallet infrastructure suggests that securing smart contracts will be critical to preventing fund loss among private sector entities, and governments will increasingly seek to monitor smart contracts associated with illicit funds.

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Redington re-defines industry outcomes in East Africa with the vertical congress Redington has brought its flagship initiative The Vertical Congress to Nairobi, Kenya. The event housed over 150 senior decision-makers from key industries, including BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance), Education, Healthcare and Telco.

The Vertical Congress – Nairobi Edition featured industry titans such as Dell Technologies as the Diamond sponsor; Microsoft as the Gold sponsor; and Fortinet, DigiGlass, Palo Alto Networks and Vertiv as Silver sponsors.

Empowering the Next Generation of Women Leaders in Tech is an important topic, one that was discussed at length in an engaging panel discussion at The Vertical Congress – Nairobi Edition.

Redington is deeply committed to empowering women and cultivating an inclusive, diverse workplace across all its offices on the African continent. The company takes great pride in having over 30% of its workforce comprised of women, underscoring its strong dedication

to gender diversity and inclusion at every level of the organization. This commitment is not just a statistic, but a reflection of Redington’s ongoing efforts to ensure women are given equal opportunities to excel and lead in the tech sector.

The panel highlighted the need for more women leaders in shaping the future of technology and provided insights into the barriers and opportunities for women leaders in these fast-evolving sectors.

Sumar said, “Redington plays a pivotal role in driving digital excellence by fostering synergized tech ecosystems that empower innovation, streamline processes, and unlock new opportunities for growth and transformation.

By bridging the gap between the rapid pace of technological innovation and the rate of adoption, Redington reduces technology friction, enabling organizations to seamlessly integrate and leverage new technologies.”

Hackers stole US$2.2 billion in crypto through 2024, Chainalysis research

Eric Jardine, Cybercrimes Research Lead at Chainalysis Bitcoin has once again been making headlines for the impressive bull run that saw it surpassing US$100,000 for the first time ever.

While this milestone is likely to draw further investment into digital assets, new data from Chainalysis suggests investors be conscious of the platforms they utilize, as through 2024,

crypto hackers managed to steal US$2.2 billion worth of crypto.

This stolen amount represents a 21% year-on-year increase, and marks a fourth consecutive year in which criminals stole over US$1 billion in crypto. Interestingly, it was just 303 individual hacking incidents that resulted

in these losses, highlighting the relatively high concentration of attacks, and the potential for significant losses through even single incidents.

Although DeFi still accounted for the largest share of stolen assets in the first quarter of 2024, centralized services were the most targeted in Q2 and Q3. Some of the most notable centralized service hacks include DMM Bitcoin (May 2024; US$305 million) and WazirX (July 2024; US$234.9 million).

“This shift in focus from DeFi to centralized services highlights the increasing importance of securing mechanisms commonly exploited in hacks, such as private keys,” said Eric Jardine, Cybercrimes Research Lead at Chainalysis.

Private key compromises accounted for the largest share of stolen crypto in 2024, at 44%.

“For centralized services, ensuring the security of private keys is critical, as they control access to users’ assets. Given that centralized exchanges manage substantial amounts of user funds, the impact of a private key compromise can be devastating.”

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Huawei and KEMS Zajil Telecom launch the “Huawei eKit” to empower small and medium enterprises in Kuwait KEMS Zajil Telecom and Huawei joined forces to host an exclusive event highlighting their collaborative efforts to empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kuwait. The centerpiece of the event was the launch of the Huawei eKit, a state-of-the-art solution developed to address the unique needs of SMEs in today’s competitive digital landscape.

The event highlighted the strong partnership between Huawei eKit’s cuttingedge technology and KEMS Zajil Telecom’s expertise as a leading digital solutions provider, demonstrating their combined ability to deliver SMEs a comprehensive suite of tools for seamless digital transformation.

Designed to optimize operations, enhance network reliability, and reduce costs, the Huawei eKit enables SMEs to focus on

growth and innovation. This collaboration between KEMS Zajil Telecom and Huawei underscores their commitment to providing agile, innovative solutions that drive efficiency, boost connectivity, and support the growth of SMEs across Kuwait.

HUAWEI eKit has provided scenariobased solutions covering micro, small, and medium-sized scenarios. With these

scenario-based solutions, partners expand their business boundaries, and SMEs have more differentiated choices. For example, the Wi-Fi 7 AP, 2.5GE switch, and 10G core switch can be adopted together to upgrade the office bandwidth of SMEs. The all-inone wall plate AP, GE & 2.5G converged access switch, and all-optical core switch are used to upgrade the network of budget hotels on a large scale.

The event featured an in-depth demo session, offering attendees a hands-on experience with the Huawei eKit and its powerful capabilities. Complementing this, KEMS Zajil Telecom showcased its advanced connectivity solutions, demonstrating how it seamlessly integrate with the Huawei eKit to deliver a robust and comprehensive suite of tools for SMEs.

Proofpoint named a leader in 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for email security platforms Proofpoint, Inc. has been named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Email Security Platforms. The Gartner Magic Quadrant for Secure Email Gateways was last published in 2015, wherein Proofpoint was recognized as a Leader for seven consecutive times.

Gartner evaluated 14 vendors for its 2024 report and recognized Proofpoint as a Leader for its Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision.

“We believe the Gartner evaluation further validates our strategy of delivering industryfirst, advanced threat detection capabilities to protect against every type of human-centric threat in every way a user might encounter it,” said Darren Lee, executive vice president and general manager, Security Products and Services Group.

Email remains the leading vector used by threat actors to target employees and infiltrate an organization. What makes cyber attacks like business email compromise (BEC), credential phishing and account takeover so successful is how effectively they target people using a

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Darren Lee, Executive vice president and General manager, Security Products and Services Group personalized, multi-pronged approach. To stop these modern attacks, organizations require a defense-in-depth approach as opposed to siloed-based email security tools.

Proofpoint’s Threat Protection aims to set the standard for how organizations address human risk, leveraging two key proprietary platform elements: Proofpoint Nexus, a multi-layered AI, behavioral, and threat detection ensemble that

identifies and prevents advanced email-borne threats; and Proofpoint Zen, a set of control point technologies that deliver comprehensive protection across email, collaboration apps, and the cloud. Together, they provide a cohesive experience that brings human-centric protection to end users and security professionals alike, stopping 99.99% of all email threats before they are delivered to inboxes.

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Philips 2024 future health index: Saudi Arabia leads in adopting transformative healthcare technology Royal Philips has released the findings of the Future Health Index (FHI) 2024 Saudi Arabia report. The ninth edition of the report, which surveyed nearly 3,000 healthcare leaders in 14 countries, shows that Saudi Arabian healthcare leaders are at the forefront in the adoption of AI-enabled innovation to improve patient care.

The FHI 2024 for Saudi Arabia indicates that the local healthcare sector is marked by its pioneering adoption of AI, the positive impact of virtual care and automation on the workforce, and its collective commitment to environmental sustainability.

“This year’s Future Health Index investigates the significant progress and promising opportunities in ensuring timely, high-quality care for all,” says Akram Sirafy, General Manager, Philips Saudi Arabia.

Virtual Care and Automation are empowering a stretched workforce and enhancing patient care Most Saudi Arabian healthcare leaders (92%) believe that the use of technology

to automate repetitive tasks or processes is critical for addressing staff shortages in healthcare.

Significant progress has already been made in the space of automation, including digitizing health records, automating administrative tasks, and clinical workflow management systems, to increase productivity and satisfaction among healthcare staff.

All the Saudi Arabian healthcare leaders (100%) recognize the positive impact of

virtual care on easing staffing pressures and 90% say patients at their organization are positive about virtual care.

Saudi Arabian healthcare leaders have reported significant benefits of virtual care integration, including enhanced staff support for complex patient management (37%); improved patient appointment attendance (34%); creating new career options for healthcare professionals who want remote working (34%); and adding capacity to serve patients (33%).

Axis Communications to showcase the future of physical security and safety at Intersec Dubai 2025 Axis Communications will be exhibiting at Intersec Dubai 2025 where the company will showcase product innovations, demonstrate key product offerings, participate in thought leadership events, and engage with stakeholders from across the safety and security industries.

The 26th edition of the premier event will take place from 14 to 16 January 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. “The security landscape is constantly evolving and nowhere is that more apparent with the adoption of intelligent technologies. Backed by our reputation for, quality, reliability, and innovation, we’re ready to explore what’s possible and show business, industry, and government leaders the power and impact of Axis,” said Ettiene Van Der Watt, Regional Director for Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa at Axis Communications.

A major feature of the Axis exhibition stand will be a showcase of Axis’s vision of an

Ettiene van der Watt, Regional Director at MEA AI-enabled future where artificial intelligence transforms traditional processes and plays a role in how people live, and businesses operate.

Some key features include AI-enhanced cameras that can detect and respond to specific events, how enabled cameras and sensors can improve business processes through

quality control and predictive maintenance, cybersecurity through advanced threat detection and mitigation, and data analytics.

Stand visitors will also have the opportunity to enjoy hands-on demonstrations and learn more about the use of AI-powered applications with Axis solutions.

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Redington Gulf launches Reboot 2025 initiative to empower channel partners on Windows 10 end of support and transitioning to AI-powered PCs Redington Gulf has unveiled Reboot 2025, an initiative bringing together the PC ecosystem working with Windows. As Windows 10 approaches its end of support on October 14, 2025, businesses are at increasing risk of security vulnerabilities and diminished performance by continuing to rely on outdated PCs. To address this, Redington is empowering the channel ecosystem across MEA to drive awareness and help their customers seamlessly transition to Windows 11 Pro. Ronan Symth, Device Partner GTM Director, CEMA, Microsoft commented, “Reboot 2025 will unite Redington, OEMs, Intel, Microsoft, and partners to expedite the Windows 10 End of Support refresh before October 14, 2025. This initiative will help customers understand the risks of missing this deadline, highlight Windows 11’s productivity and security innovations,

Ronan Symth, Device Partner GTM Director, CEMA, Microsoft and guide them in selecting the right devices, including AI PC and Copilot+ options.”

As the largest PC distributor across MEA region, Redington is working with channels partners so that businesses are fully aware and prepared for the transition to modern PCs. Through its extensive network of channel partners, Redington aims to maximize the benefits of AI PCs for businesses across the

region. Key initiatives include: • Training Programs for Channel Partners: These programs are designed to equip partners with the necessary knowledge to help businesses harness the benefits of AI-powered PCs. • Trade-In Program: Redington provides businesses with a sustainable solution for disposing of old devices. Through this program, businesses can trade-in their old PCs via channel partners, reducing upfront cost towards the purchase of new PCs. • Device Lifecycle Management Services: Redington offers lifecycle management services for businesses with large PC fleets with limited in-house bandwidth to manage device lifecycles effectively.

These services include data wiping, configuration, deployment, and ongoing maintenance.

Pure Storage and Kioxia collaborate to drive scalability, efficiency, and performance in hyperscale data centers Pure Storage has announced a collaboration with Kioxia Corporation (“Kioxia”), a world leader in memory solutions, to develop cutting-edge technology that addresses the growing demand for high-performance, scalable storage infrastructure among today’s hyperscale environments.

Industry Significance: Traditional storage solutions, particularly those relying on hard disk drives (HDDs), struggle to meet the demands of hyperscale environments due to their limited speed, scalability, reliability, and excessive power consumption. HDDs are ill-equipped to handle the massive, fastgrowing volumes of data generated in these environments without introducing latency and bandwidth limitations, and are difficult to scale and integrate seamlessly into modern data centers.

News Highlights: With the combination of Pure Storage’s

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Bill Cerreta, GM, Hyperscale Pure Storage advanced data storage platform with Kioxia’s industry-leading QLC flash memory, hyperscalers can now keep pace with growing data demands without sacrificing performance.

Benefits include: • Increased Performance: Ultra-fast, low-latency performance for handling massive, data-intensive workloads, while

enabling greater reliability to keep pace with rapidly growing customer demands.

• Improved Cost Efficiency: Optimized storage costs and lower overall total cost of ownership (TCO) by reducing the need for extensive physical resources, while offering better scalability.

• Lower Power and Waste: Reduced energy consumption significantly compared to traditional HDDs, lowering operational costs, leading to a smaller overall physical footprint, cutting hardware waste and supporting more sustainable data center operations.

“Collaborating with Kioxia allows Pure Storage to bring the full potential of allflash storage technology to hyperscale environments. Pure has a decade of experience in delivering systems that manage flash for enterprise businesses.” said, Bill Cerreta, GM, Hyperscale, Pure Storage.

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Deloitte Middle East upgrades Tax and Legal Gen AI solution and enhances offerings to accelerate AI adoption Deloitte Middle East’s Tax and Legal practice has announced the launch of the second generation of its in-house pioneering AI-powered solution, Tax Genie 2.0, designed to drive innovation in an increasingly complex tax landscape. Deloitte is at the forefront of AI adoption to reshape and transform industries, with cutting edge solutions that set new standards for progress.

Developed by the Middle East chapter of the Deloitte AI Institute, Tax Genie 2.0 encompasses all areas of the Tax & Legal business, including tax, legal, finance, human resources, risk management, and beyond for Tax professionals. Tax Genie 2.0 is based on GPT-4o with RAG architecture. Using the principles from Tax sGenie 2.0, to help Tax & Legal clients ensure a successful adoption of Gen AI solutions, Deloitte employs a robust

approach to GenAI implementation that spans every phase—from initial assessment and strategy development to continuous optimization.

Muhammad Bahemia, Deloitte Middle

East Tax and Legal Leader, highlighted the transformative potential of Tax Genie 2.0, said, “The launch of the second iteration of Tax Genie exemplifies our unwavering commitment to innovation in tax and legal services across the Middle East. Our vision is to ensure our clients are well positioned on Gen AI to lead and succeed in the future.”

Although being an in-house platform, Tax Genie 2.0 is a flagship example of Deloitte’s GenAI capabilities. The platform features over 1,000 specialized workflows for a wide spectrum of tax, legal and operational matters. With an intuitive interface and workflow-based architecture, the platform is designed for ease of use, enabling tax and legal professionals to leverage its capabilities without the need for specialized technical skills.

Legacy technology unlikely to hinder AI and machine learning growth, study reveals Fewer companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) believe that legacy technology poses a barrier to digitalization at this time compared to 2022, according to a new study commissioned by Eaton, a global leader in intelligent power management. Companies are currently reaping the benefits associated with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to advance their digitalization efforts.

Eaton commissioned S&P Global Market Intelligence to survey digital transformation leaders from the data center, utilities, buildings and manufacturing sectors in the Middle East and other global markets. The findings of the study, detailed in the second Eaton Brightlayer® research report, show that digitalization strategies are being developed quickly in these sectors.

Fewer than one-in-four companies (23%) surveyed said that legacy technology poses a barrier to digitalization compared with one-inthree (33%) who were asked the same question in 2022. Newly emerging AI and ML applications, which show huge potential to transform businesses, are credited with this 10% shift in

Qasem Noureddin, Managing Director at Eaton Middle East sentiment over a period of less than 24 months.

Qasem Noureddin, Managing Director at Eaton Middle East, said, “Businesses in the UAE and KSA are accelerating their efforts towards digital transformation. This report emphasizes the pivotal role of digital technologies in driving business objectives and shows how urgently businesses want to implement technologies that incorporate

AI and ML. It shows that demand for data centers has increased, driven by artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.

Other B2B sectors in the UAE and KSA like manufacturing, utilities, and building/ facilities management continue to advance their digitalization efforts to achieve their digital transformation and sustainability goals, aligning with national objectives.”

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Arab National Bank leverages Riverbed observability and AIOps solutions to execute major digital banking upgrade and enhance customer experiences Riverbed has announced that Arab National Bank has collaborated with Riverbed to help deliver on its commitment to meeting the high expectations of its customers through “brilliant digital interfaces.” By implementing Riverbed’s Platform – including Network and Infrastructure Observability and AIOps solutions – Arab National Bank has seamlessly migrated its core banking application and delivered top-quality digital experiences for over two million customers and over 4,000 employees.

Providing innovative tailored financial solutions and a fast and simple experience is central to Arab National Bank’s mission, and the Bank sees Riverbed as an essential business partner.” said Alaa ElJabari, Head of IT Telecoms in the Network Department at Arab National Bank.

Most crucially, Riverbed also managed a

Moueen Zahreddine, Senior Regional Director, EMEA Emerging, at Riverbed critical migration of the bank’s core banking infrastructure to a new version of Infosys Finacle, an industry-leading universal banking solution. Such migrations, which are typically executed only once every decade, are highly complex and critical to a bank’s operations, requiring meticulous planning and flawless execution to avoid disruptions.

By leveraging Riverbed NetIM, an

infrastructure observability solution, the bank ensured minimal downtime, maintained seamless service delivery, and safeguarded customer experiences during the transition.

This successful migration not only modernized the bank’s core systems but enabled them to scale their operations to deliver more agile, innovative services in the future.

Alaa Eljabari also highlighted how the support of Riverbed’s team was critical to the success of the major CBS upgrade. “Riverbed’s Professional Services team worked closely with us to ensure we met our migration objectives.

We benefitted from complete visibility of our back-end systems, were able to see exactly what was happening, and had full control of this activity,” said Alaa Eljabari. “With Riverbed, you’re not just buying a product – you’re buying an end-to-end service. It’s like buying a car complete with a driver.”

Less than a fifth of IT professionals say cloud infrastructure meets their needs According to new data from SolarWinds, less than one in five (18%) IT professionals believe their present cloud infrastructure satisfies their business needs, indicating a large disconnect between expectations and reality when it comes to cloud adoption.

The research, based on a survey of 272 global IT professionals, shows that despite the cloud’s promises of scalability and cost savings, the reality is mixed for many IT teams: only a quarter of those surveyed (25%) feel their organisation’s approach to the cloud is carefully considered and successful, while 23% admit their hybrid cloud strategy has created an overly complex IT environment. Despite this, less than a quarter (22%) of respondents have invested in external IT services to help with their cloud migration strategy.

In response to these cloud challenges, more than one in ten (16%) respondents have already repatriated workloads back

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Sascha Giese, Global Technical Evangelist, SolarWinds to on-premises. Meanwhile, a further 12% acknowledge that poorly planned cloud transitions have already resulted in long-term financial impacts on their organisations. This goes to show that

rushed cloud migrations can lead to costly fixes or reversals.

The data also indicates a lack of trust in cloud security, with nearly half (46%) of IT pros still storing their most sensitive data on-premises due to persistent security worries. However, the findings do highlight a continued focus on cloud strategies with the aim of reducing costs. In fact, nearly a third (29%) of respondents say they are prioritising cloud migration to cut operational costs.

Sascha Giese, Global Tech Evangelist at SolarWinds, said, “The truth is, managing complex hybrid-cloud ecosystems isn't easy.

While the cloud promises scalability and cost savings, the gap between expectation and execution is becoming increasingly evident. In this landscape, many businesses find themselves grappling with overly complex infrastructures that struggle to meet evolving needs.”

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AI, Quantum, digital cloningsome of the biggest cybersecurity trends we can expect in 2025

Morey Haber Chief Security Advisor BeyondTrust

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s 2025 approaches, we indulge in the traditional New Year habit of future-gazing.

In cybersecurity, we know planning is everything. We know to be forewarned is to be forearmed. At Dubai’s GITEX Global 2024 in October, we heard familiar warnings of escalating threats. Several ransomware groups, including Lockbit 3.0 and Rhysida, had been found aggressively targeting the region.

Meanwhile, AI is, in many respects, a boon to businesses but in the wrong hands has been feared to also be a bane. As we shall see, however, much of this fear has been unfounded.

As the years progress, industry experts also continue to fret over the implications of quantum computing. So, as in previous festive celebrations, Middle East CISOs and their teams enter the new year on a knife edge, looking to protect environments that are more vulnerable from an attack landscape that is more sophisticated. Let’s delve into nine developments that are sure to shape the security industry in 2025.

CISOs enjoy a tentative “phew” moment

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over the AI threat Some industries have undoubtedly benefitted from AI. But outside of these specific use cases, even the benefits of the GenAI technologies that made such headlines in the previous two years are now being seen in some quarters as overblown. In 2025, expect to see businesses return to more proven narrow-AI use cases to restore predictability to the ROI of AI projects. Automation and the upskilling of business functions are likely to be among the most common implementations. In parallel, we can expect threat actors, in an attempt to minimize their costs, return to using narrow AI to soften entry barriers. The fear of generative AI catalyzing a volume explosion in targeted, bespoke attacks is therefore unfounded.

Quantum creep Previous estimates suggest that where a digital machine would take 300 trillion years to crack 2-megabit RSA encryption, a 4,099-qubit quantum computer would only need 10 seconds. This post-quantum reality could be with us by the early 2030s, so we will probably continue to see individuals and organizations urge action on this critical future problem because of the implications it has for societies. We could see critical-infrastructure organizations, such as regional banks, telcos and government agencies, form exploratory committees to examine NIST’s post-quantum encryption standards. These will be important first steps on the long road to adoption — a road that is likely to be signposted with many new regulatory standards built around post-quantum cryptography.

Farewell Windows 10 October 2025 will see end-of-life (EoL) announcements for Microsoft Windows 10. Only the most recent machines — those that have both Secure Boot and TPM (trusted platform module) will be eligible for Windows 11 upgrades, meaning everyone else will lose access to updates, including security patches. If this sounds like a recipe for vulnerability that is because it is. Expect to see a fire sale of obsolete PCs in the second half of 2025. The forced obsolescence will be good news for the hardware market, however, especially ARM, which will likely see a volume shift to its mobile-friendly processors. Alternative OSes like Linux and Ubuntu will also benefit from organizations trying to minimize replacement costs.

Digital cloning Breach data repurposed to create fake online personas. It is a new approach to identity theft called “reverse identity theft”, in which an identity is linked to another without the knowledge of the legitimate party. Campaigns are already underway to merge fictitious data with legitimate data, especially where names are common. We can expect this to escalate in 2025.

Nation vs nation: the critical infrastructure problem As regions like the GCC build their national infrastructures in line with economic-diversification “Vision” programs, critical infrastructure sectors like healthcare and finance will be shiny objects for threat actors, especially those backed by nation states.

In cyberwarfare, critical infrastructure is the first target and legacy systems are the most tempting. In 2025, government funding for cybersecurity will concentrate on boosting the cyber-maturity of critical-infrastructure organizations as they continue to merge their OT and IT environments.

Chancing in the moonlight With its large expat populations, the GCC may come to experience overemployment, with residents taking on multiple remote jobs. While many regional employment contracts explicitly prohibit it, the workers that choose to operate this way will be tempted to outsource some of their workload to AI. This is likely to occur under the employer’s radar and may include the creation of fake employees. Such moonlighting will give rise to more shadow IT and all the security implications it implies, as well as legal issues surrounding content creation that failed to observe risks such as plagiarism.

Guarding the Paths to Privilege As identity compromises increase in frequency, 2025 will be the year CISOs begin to consider the Paths to Privilege™ that allow lateral movement — the insidious practice of gaining increasingly greater access rights. Privilege escalation is an issue that must be addressed through rigorous examination of trust relationships, configurations, and the processes by which entitlements are granted. Attackers are adept at manipulating cloud permissions, roles, and entitlements. Their attacks are preventable through a thorough re-evaluation of hygiene.

Too many tools Cybersecurity investments will continue to favor multiple point solutions that do not play well together. This will lead to detrimental effects on reporting and visibility, and security teams will bear the brunt — more gaps, more vectors, more paths to privilege.

Cyber-insurance — some changes The way cyber-insurance providers calculate risk will see some changes in 2025 to factor in AI and quantum computing. Expect to see more “acceptable use” clauses regarding these technologies and get ready for a long hunt for policies without such restrictions or without exclusions for incidents where either AI or quantum computing are involved in a breach.

Prepare for a bumpy ride Threat actors are not waiting. They are not trend-watching. They are creating the trends. Defenders must create some trends of their own or invite disaster. They should make cyber hygiene their New Year’s resolution.

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Tech’s big bang in 2025: AI is the spark igniting a new era John Roese Global Chief Technology Officer and Chief AI Officer – Dell Technologies

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he year is 2025, and we’re witnessing the technological equivalent of the “big bang” with AI at the epicenter of how we live, work and play. Just as the universe expanded rapidly after its inception, technology is exploding into new realms, redefining industries and reshaping our future. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, business professional, innovator or student, understanding these shifts is vital to navigating this brave new world.

The rise of agentic AI architecture “Agentic” will be the word of the year in 2025. The birth of agentic AI architecture marks a new chapter in human-AI interaction. Generative AI (GenAI) tools are evolving to enable AI agents, which are poised to revolutionize how we engage with AI systems.

In the consumer world, we’ve seen early agent approaches with virtual assistants, chatbots and navigation apps. In 2025, a new, more advanced set of agents will emerge.

These agents will operate autonomously, communicate in natural language and interact with the world around them, including working in teams of other agents and humans.

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They will also be fine-tuned and optimized to perform assigned, specific skills, like coding, code review, infrastructure administration, business planning and cybersecurity.

AI agent systems will feature diverse cognitive, orchestration, and distribution architectures tailored to specific tasks. As complexity grows, multi-agent systems will emerge, requiring the rapid evolution of tech stacks to support agentic systems effectively.

To realize AI’s full potential and the rise of agentic architecture, enterprises must upgrade infrastructure – everything from data centers to AI PCs. This distributed infrastructure optimized for agentic AI can address security, sustainability and capacity considerations by distributing the AI workload across the entire IT infrastructure (cloud, data center, edge, and device).

Scaling enterprise AI from concept to reality Enterprises are poised to take AI from ideation to scale. Enterprise AI is simply the application of AI technology to a company’s most impactful processes in its most important areas to improve the productivity of the organization. It requires customers to answer two important questions: • First, what problem am I trying to solve? Developing a framework to prioritize AI efforts to the most important, impactful areas is critical.

• AI solutions must be implemented with a scalable, reusable foundation, not as random projects on various tools. Enterprises should identify the essential AI systems needed to solve initial critical problems and use that foundation to address future AI challenges.

At Dell, for instance, our priority areas are our global supply chain, our services capability, our sales engine and our R&D capacity. Any impact on these areas results in significant ROI over other areas like HR, finance and facilities.

Enterprises should identify key processes for AI opportunities, like automating content discovery for sales meetings using GenAI, freeing up time for customer-facing activities and boosting revenue.

In 2025, the preferred approach is to adopt off-the-shelf AI tools within private infrastructure, alongside tools that accelerate data modernization (e.g., data meshes). With recent advancements in Dell AI Factory, adopting and implementing this infrastructure is now easier than ever.

In 2025, we have clear, repeatable approaches for prioritization and more turnkey and well-defined AI platforms and AI infrastructure options. 2025 is a year when it simply becomes easier to know what to do and how to do it when adopting AI in the enterprise space.

Sovereign AI accelerates global adoption Sovereign AI efforts are accelerating AI adoption worldwide. This concept revolves around a nation’s ability to create AI value and differentiation using its own infrastructure and data, designing an ecosystem aligned with local culture, language and intellectual property. In an era where data security is paramount, countries are opting for sovereign AI strategies and solutions, often with strong collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Some countries are creating national AI resources to benefit both governments and private industries by providing access to compute power and data. Others focus on collaborative strategies, encouraging private industry to modernize and lead AI ecosystems.

Sovereign AI boosts accessibility, protects infrastructure, drives

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economic growth, and enhances competitiveness. With increasing investments in infrastructure, data management, talent, and ecosystem development, this trend is expected to continue.

AI and the fusion of emerging technologies AI’s true potential lies in its connections with other emerging technologies. While AI itself is transformative, its impact multiplies when combined with quantum computing, intelligent edge, Zero Trust security, 6G technologies and digital twins, to name a few.

This fusion creates a dynamic environment ripe for innovation and addressing existing challenges.

For instance, quantum computing in collaboration with AI will significantly impact most industries by providing the computing capability needed to scale AI to domains where classical computing struggles – like complex material science, drug discovery and complex optimization problems.

AI and telecom are already coming together to transform how cellular networks operate and how fundamental elements of these systems, like spectrum optimization, work. Even the future of the PC is influenced by AI, as we now see the AI PC not just as a client device but part of the end-to-end AI infrastructure. With agentic architectures, we expect to shift agents out of the data center and onto the edge or to the AI PC. Zero trust security and AI are converging, with zero trust providing optimal security. While implementing it in legacy IT is tough, AI’s greenfield infrastructure makes it easier. We expect customers to adopt zero trust by default in new AI factories to ensure AI’s success.

AI becomes an essential skill for everyone AI will become an indispensable tool across professions and industries. Much like past technological advancements, AI is poised to transform the job market. Routine, task-oriented roles may diminish, but new opportunities will arise, such as software composers, AI content editors and prompt engineers.

Recent surveys reveal 72% of IT leaders identify AI skills as a critical gap requiring immediate attention. Organizations must invest in developing their workforce’s AI fluency. AI skill development will be focused on defining the AI/human relationship where AI completes more of the tasks, but people define what needs to be done. This allows professionals to focus on higher-level tasks, critical thinking and complex problem-solving.

With AI, it’s not just about the work that goes away, it’s about the new roles humans play in shaping, directing and leading AI work.

AI-enabled businesses can use the evolution of the human-machine relationship to accomplish tasks in different ways and expand the art of the possible.

AI is tech’s grand evolution Just as the Big Bang set the stage for the development of galaxies, stars and planets, the rapid growth of AI is creating new opportunities, industries and ways of living and working.

As we approach 2025, enterprise AI adoption is set to accelerate, driven by improved processes, tools, and ecosystems. At Dell, initial AI projects have shown strong ROI, and we expect widespread adoption across enterprises. CIOs must stay informed, prioritize AI fluency, invest in talent, and explore innovative solutions to lead in this tech revolution. The future belongs to those who can harness AI's power—now is the time to act.

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Shane Grennan Senior Director, Partner Sales & Business Development, Fortinet

Channel trends 2025 by Fortinet How will AI and machine learning advancements shape the channel landscape, and what opportunities will they create for partners to differentiate themselves?

AI and machine learning are reshaping the channel landscape by empowering partners to provide customers with tools like real-time threat detection, behavioral analytics, and predictive insights. As these technologies evolve, partners can differentiate themselves by offering advanced AI-driven cybersecurity services beyond traditional reactive measures. Opportunities also lie in leveraging AI to automate routine tasks, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver actionable intelligence.

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This allows partners to provide bespoke solutions that address the unique needs of their clients, positioning themselves as strategic advisors in an increasingly complex digital environment.

With cybersecurity threats becoming more sophisticated, what innovative solutions should the channel prioritize to stay ahead of the curve?

There is no doubt that cybersecurity threats are getting more sophisticated, and the channel must adopt solutions that proactively address this evolving landscape. Fortinet recommends that partners leverage AI-driven threat detection and response systems, which use behavioral analytics to identify anomalies and mitigate realtime risks. Anti-adversary frameworks are another crucial focus, enabling businesses to address threats during the reconnaissance and weaponization stages of an attack. With the increasing adoption of multi-cloud environments, channel partners should also prioritize multi-cloud and hybrid cloud security solutions to safeguard the growing attack surface.

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How can channel partners align their business models with the increasing focus on sustainability and eco-friendly technology solutions?

Aligning with the global push for sustainability requires partners to embrace eco-friendly practices, such as advocating for and providing customers with energy-efficient solutions and sustainable IT frameworks. At Fortinet, our sustainability approach has four pillars: addressing cyber-risks to society, diversifying cybersecurity talent, respecting the environment, and promoting responsible business across our value chain.

We encourage our partners to reimagine their portfolio to include green technologies like energy efficient solutions, recycling programs, and software that optimizes energy consumption.

Additionally, positioning themselves as advocates for sustainability through education and awareness campaigns can strengthen their value proposition. Collaborating with vendors that prioritize sustainable practices will further reinforce their credibility and align with clients’ environmental goals.

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Technology trends for Channel in 2025

by Riverbed How will AI and machine learning advancements shape the channel landscape, and what opportunities will they create for partners to differentiate themselves?

Ghassan Abou Rjeily Regional Channel Sales Manager – Emerging EMEA, Riverbed

Investments in AI and machine learning over the past few years have been remarkable, creating significant opportunities for channel partners to differentiate themselves. For example, AI can automate repetitive tasks such as generating purchase orders, issuing certificates, or drafting contracts. These time-intensive processes can be completed much faster, enabling partners to focus on creativity, engineering, and more strategic activities.

Additionally, AI empowers partners to develop customer-specific solutions by analysing data, including customer information, behaviour, preferences, and other metrics. This allows for the creation of tailored offerings that address unique customer needs.

Most importantly, AI and ML can improve service quality and business continuity by enabling proactive issue resolution before they impact employees or customers.

AI-driven observability and security tools, for instance, help customers achieve significant cost savings by preventing breaches or performance degradation. In many cases, issues are resolved automatically without the need for human intervention, enhancing efficiency and reliability.

What strategies should channel partners adopt to capitalizeon the growing demand for edge computing and localized data

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solutions in 2025?

To capitalise on the growing demand for edge computing and localised data solutions, partners must invest in their resources by providing necessary training and enablement programs. Establishing labs is crucial to allow engineers to experiment and develop self-sufficient solutions. As technologies evolve, morphing and merging them to create personalised solutions will be key, and this requires a hands-on approach.

While partners may not manufacture technology, allocating a research and development budget to innovate by leveraging multiple solutions together is vital. Such investments enable partners to develop vertical-specific products, which they can OEM or brand as tailored solutions addressing unique customer pain points. These strategic moves position partners as industry leaders capable of meeting evolving demands.

With cybersecurity threats becoming more sophisticated, what innovative solutions should the channel prioritize to stay ahead of the curve?

To stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity threats, partners must innovate and go beyond conventional security solutions. Standard security measures alone are no longer sufficient to identify new threats or malicious behaviors.

The integration of observability solutions adds an essential layer of insight, acting as “artificial eyes” that detect and analyze behavioral changes—whether technological or human. This telemetry provides critical data for security teams to identify emerging threats undetected by traditional security tools.

By feeding this data into security systems, partners can enhance threat analysis, proactively isolate incidents, and mitigate risks before they escalate. Such proactive strategies position channel partners as trusted advisors in the cybersecurity space.

How can channel partners align their business

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models with the increasing focus on sustainability and eco-friendly technology solutions?

There are two components for a partner to align their business model with the focus on sustainability and eco-friendly technology.

Internally, the partners should invest in energy efficient solutions such as paperless documentation, cloud migration and green datacenters while promoting green initiatives such as utilizing recycled material and energy efficient office appliances. Externally, the partners would need to adopt by providing solutions to their customers that would help them contribute to the environment.

Observability solutions could help in providing the visibility on energy consumption by identifying unnecessary use of electrical power, e-waste management by identifying the components that really need to be replaced versus the ones that could be improved by simple modifications, carbon-tracking tools to help identify the devices that are polluting the environment the most and last but not least, promoting a remote workforce which would reduce the carbon emission caused by transportation and natural waste generated by humans moving from one place to the other. All of these initiatives among many more should be adopted.

What role will hybrid cloud architectures and multi-cloud solutions play in channel strategies, and how can partners prepare for this evolution?

Hybrid architecture is efficient, but it comes with high risk of complication and chaos. The need to have proper observability tools to allow the partner to properly manage and observe the services in a multi-cloud environment or hybrid environment come as a ‘must to have’ technology. From experience, customers who adopted multi-cloud or hybrid architecture were not able to properly track their services, so it’s very hard to identify the issues and proactively act to avoid business interruptions. AI and ML in such architectures, play a major role to help the NOC team track their applications and provide necessary adjustments to the business.

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AI's role in redefining channel success How will AI and machine learning advancements shape the channel landscape, and what opportunities will they create for partners to differentiate themselves?

Walid Issa Senior Manager, PreSales and Solutions Engineers - Middle East & Africa, NetApp

AI and machine learning are already redefining the channel landscape, enabling partners to unlock new efficiencies and deliver smarter, data-driven solutions to their customers. From predictive analytics that optimize storage and resource usage to AI-powered security and automation tools, partners have a unique opportunity to elevate their value proposition.

However, for partners, the real differentiation lies in how they help customers operationalize AI and make it work for them. Partners who can demonstrate tangible outcomes, like reduced costs, faster time-to-insight, or proactive risk mitigation, will stand out. Partners can and should also leverage AI to enhance their own service offerings. It can be through AI-driven support, optimized infrastructure management, or tailored recommendations.

Partners should also focus on expertise, fine-tuning and tailoring solutions that cater to industry-specific AI needs and supporting customers with scalable, hybrid cloud infrastructures to fuel their AI initiatives.

What strategies should channel partners adopt to capitalize on the growing demand for edge computing and localized data solutions in 2025?

The demand for edge computing and localized data solutions stems from the need for real-time decision-making and reduced latency. For channel partners, success lies in tailoring edge strategies to customers’ operational needs.

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Partners must start by shifting from a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to delivering outcome-based edge solutions. This involves assessing workloads and identifying where edge deployments make the biggest impact. This can be in manufacturing, retail, healthcare, or smart city infrastructure. Partners should also consider offering hybrid edgecloud solutions, which is key. Customers want seamless integration between their on-premises edge devices and centralized data centers or clouds. Partners who can architect flexible, scalable solutions will lead the pack. Lastly, a strong focus on data security and governance at the edge is non-negotiable. Partners need to address this upfront, demonstrating how localized solutions can keep data safe and compliant without compromising on performance.

With cybersecurity threats becoming more sophisticated, what innovative solutions should the channel prioritize to stay ahead of the curve?

Cybersecurity isn’t just a necessity, it’s a cornerstone of digital trust. For channel partners, the priority must be on proactive, AI-driven threat detection and prevention solutions.

Innovative offerings like AI-based anomaly detection, zero-trust architectures, and integrated data protection frameworks should be central to channel strategies. Partners also need to look beyond standalone solutions. A holistic approach that integrates cybersecurity into hybrid cloud and edge environments is essential, as data no longer resides in one place.

Another area for differentiation is cybersecurity as a managed service. Many organizations struggle with in-house expertise. Partners who can provide end-to-end services—covering detection, response,

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and recovery—will build lasting customer relationships and recurring revenue streams.

How can channel partners align their business models with the increasing focus on sustainability and eco-friendly technology solutions?

Sustainability is a business imperative, and not a buzzword anymore.

Channel partners have a major role and responsibility in helping customers reduce their carbon footprints while optimizing performance.

To align with this shift, partners should focus on energy-efficient IT solutions, from storage systems designed for reduced power consumption to hybrid cloud architectures that optimize workload placement for efficiency. Partners must also be transparent, showing quantifiable sustainability metrics, like carbon savings or reduced e-waste, which can strengthen their value proposition and win over ecoconscious customers.

What role will hybrid cloud architectures and multicloud solutions play in channel strategies, and how can partners prepare for this evolution?

Hybrid cloud and multi-cloud architectures are becoming the de-facto approach for enterprises looking to balance agility, performance, and control. Channel partners who embrace this shift will be at the forefront of IT transformation. The role of hybrid and multi-cloud lies in giving customers the best of both worlds; the flexibility of the cloud and the control of on-premises environments. For partners, this means designing solutions that enable seamless workload mobility, centralized management, and consistent performance across clouds.

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Channel Partner strategies for 2025 by Sophos How will AI and machine learning advancements shape the channel landscape, and what opportunities will they create for partners to differentiate themselves?

Harish Chib VP Emerging Markets, Middle East Africa, Sophos

AI and machine learning (ML) are reshaping the cybersecurity and IT landscapes by enabling predictive threat detection, automation, and personalized customer experiences. For channel partners, these advancements create opportunities to: • Differentiate Offerings: Leverage AI/ML-powered solutions, like Sophos Central Platform with Sophos XDR/MDR offering, to provide customers with proactive threat intelligence and automated response capabilities, addressing the complexity of modern cyber threats.

• Enhance Efficiency: Offer managed services with AI-driven tools to optimize IT operations, reduce human intervention, and lower operational costs for customers.

• Add Value: Use AI/ML insights to deliver advanced analytics and reporting, helping customers make informed decisions about security and operational risks.

• Upskill Teams: Invest in training to integrate AI/ML solutions into customer environments effectively.

What strategies should channel partners adopt to capitalize on the growing demand

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for edge computing and localized data solutions in 2025?

Edge computing and localized data solutions are becoming vital as businesses prioritize low latency, compliance, and real-time decisionmaking. To capitalize on this demand, channel partners should: • Focus on Vertical Expertise: Tailor edge computing solutions to industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and retail, which benefit from real-time processing.

• Strengthen Security Posture: Offer endpoint protection, secure access, and network segmentation for edge environments to address vulnerabilities.

• Partner with Vendors: Collaborate with vendors like Sophos for comprehensive solutions that secure edge devices and data flows.

• Educate Customers: Help customers understand the benefits of localized data processing, such as improved compliance and reduced latency, to drive adoption.

With cybersecurity threats becoming more sophisticated, what innovative solutions should the channel prioritize to stay ahead of the curve?

The increasing sophistication of threats like ransomware, supply chain attacks, and AI-driven malware necessitates innovative solutions. Channel partners should prioritize: • Managed Detection and Response (MDR): Offer 24/7 monitoring and threat response services to provide peace of mind to customers.

• Zero Trust Architectures: Promote a zero-trust approach with solutions that enforce least-privilege access across Hybrid work environments.

• AI-Driven Security: Integrate solutions like Sophos XDR (Extended Detection and Response) to enable predictive and automated threat mitigation.

• Advanced Threat Intelligence: Use vendor-provided insights to

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offer tailored advice and remediation strategies.

How can channel partners align their business models with the increasing focus on sustainability and eco-friendly technology solutions?

Sustainability is becoming a crucial consideration for businesses worldwide. Channel partners can align by: • Promoting Energy-Efficient Solutions: Advocate for green data centers, energy-efficient hardware, and solutions designed to optimize power usage.

• Encouraging Cloud Adoption: Highlight the environmental benefits of moving workloads to the cloud, where shared resources reduce carbon footprints.

• Recycling Programs: Partner with vendors offering recycling initiatives for outdated IT equipment.

What role will hybrid cloud architectures and multi-cloud solutions play in channel strategies, and how can partners prepare for this evolution?

Hybrid cloud and multi-cloud architectures will dominate IT strategies as businesses strive for flexibility, scalability, and resilience.

Channel partners should: • Enhance Cloud Expertise: Train teams to design, deploy, and secure hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

• Focus on Security: Offer comprehensive cloud security solutions, ensuring consistent protection across diverse environments.

• Address Data Sovereignty: Help customers comply with local data residency requirements while leveraging global cloud platforms.

• Promote Interoperability: Provide solutions that seamlessly integrate across on-premises, private, and public clouds.

• Adopt a Service-Oriented Model: Transition from one-time sales to recurring revenue streams through cloud-managed services and subscriptions.

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Stefan Leichenauer VP Engineering at SandboxAQ

Asanka Abeysinghe CTO at WSO2

Cathy Mauzaize President, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at ServiceNow

Chrystal Taylor Evangelist & Product Marketing Manager at SolarWinds

Dinesh Varadharajan Chief Product Officer (CPO) at Kissflow

Joe Dunleavy Global SVP & Head of AI Pod at Endava

Joe Dunleavy Global SVP & Head of AI Pod at Endava

Morey Haber Chief Security Advisor at BeyondTrust

Omar Akar Regional VP for META & CEE at Pure Storage

Richard Seiersen Chief Risk Technology Officer at Qualys

Adrian Hobbs Chief Technology Officer at Core42

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2025

PREDICTIONS Morey Haber, Chief Security Advisor at BeyondTrust Guarding the Paths to Privilege As identity compromises increase in frequency, 2025 will be the year CISOs begin to consider the Paths to Privilege™ that allow lateral movement — the insidious practice of gaining increasingly greater access rights. Privilege escalation is an issue that must be addressed through rigorous examination of trust relationships, configurations, and the processes by which entitlements are granted. Attackers are adept at manipulating cloud permissions, roles, and entitlements. Their attacks are preventable through a thorough re-evaluation of hygiene.

Quantum creep Previous estimates suggest that where a digital machine would take 300 trillion years to crack 2-megabit RSA encryption, a 4,099-qubit quantum computer would only need 10 seconds.

This post-quantum reality could be with us by the early 2030s, so we will probably continue to see individuals and organizations urge action on this critical future problem because of the implications it has for societies. We could see critical-infrastructure organizations, such as regional banks, telcos and government agencies, form exploratory committees to examine NIST’s post-quantum encryption standards. These will be important first steps on the long road to adoption — a road that is likely to be signposted with many new regulatory standards built around post-quantum cryptography.

Joe Dunleavy, Global SVP & Head of AI Pod at Endava Transformative role of Agentic AI In 2025, agentic AI is set to transform business operations by driving autonomy and transparency across complex workflows, particularly in heavily regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, and energy. Acting as proactive, intelligent partners, these AI agents automate complex processes and adapt in real time, all under strategic human oversight. This integrated collaboration

between AI and people enables organisations to boost efficiency without sacrificing transparency and control, ensuring compliance with robust audit trails. Placing AI at the core of competitive strategy empowers businesses to navigate and anticipate evolving challenges, with people guiding and refining AI’s role for meaningful impact.

Itay Glick, VP of Products at OPSWAT Increased focus on data privacy and compliance With regulations like GDPR and CCPA gaining traction, organizations are under heightened pressure to protect sensitive data. This growing focus on data privacy is exemplified by a significant enforcement action taken in May 2023, when Ireland’s Data Protection Commission fined Meta €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) for unlawfully transferring personal data from the European Union to the U.S. This case illustrates the severe financial repercussions organizations can face when failing to adhere to data protection laws.

Shift from Cloud Services to On-Premises Solutions As organizations reassess their data security strategies, many are moving from cloud services to on-premises solutions to maintain greater control over their data and mitigate risks associated with cloud vulnerabilities. This trend has gained momentum following high-profile breaches like the MOVEit cyberattacks in 2023, where weaknesses in cloud infrastructure were exploited, leading to widespread data exposure.

By transitioning to on-premises systems, organizations aim to enhance their security posture, reduce reliance on third-party providers, and better align with compliance requirements.

Omar Akar, Regional VP for META & CEE at Pure Storage 2025 will see stricter selection on AI projects as bubble starts to burst Organisations are going to be more selective on AI projects next year. While the two years since

ChatGPT was released have brought a boom in AI investment, I anticipate companies will pull back spending before fatigue sets in.

I expect the market will realign — the existing growth could become unsustainable because projects aren’t delivering ROI and realism will set in. Many organisations aren’t going to be able to convince business leaders that they need to invest in new technology when existing AI or GenAI projects haven’t delivered the promised benefits.

While FOMO is still a huge driver for investment, we expect this will be tempered in 2025.

Non-customised AI solutions will fall out of favour in 2025. RAG will become a nonnegotiable inclusion for enterprises and it will take over as the adopted method of implementing AI. As business leaders demand ROI from the speculative investment they’ve already made in AI, RAG will be crucial for success. This is because it provides a standard approach to customisation, improving results and reducing the possibility of hallucinations, rather than building, training and fine tuning individual models from scratch.

Richard Seiersen, Chief Risk Technology Officer at Qualys The increasing use of AI will not alter the basics of cybersecurity strategies While several regional enterprises are looking for the next best AI solution in an effort to fight fire with fire, I am reminded of the famous Alphonse Karr quote, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” As such, a better question is, “What do businesses stand to lose (i.e. what is the value at risk) from AI abuse and misuse?”

And what portion of this risk can be addressed with current security capabilities? For example, is securing an AI agent from threats like spoofing, tampering, information disclosure, denial of service, or escalation of privileges actually novel?

Does it require new investments to build up a dedicated “AI” security stack? Similarly, consider that AI models consist of open-source and firstparty code deployed on premises, in the cloud, or both. Infrastructure, software-pipeline, and supply-chain security practices still apply. So again,

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the question is, do we really need a complete security rethink?

My recommendation is that security teams proactively address these evolving threats by developing robust threat models and establishing guardrails — essentially, “secure by default” solutions. Ultimately, the key challenge lies in balancing the desire for rapid digital transformation with the imperative of safeguarding enterprise assets against potential AI-related abuses.

are designed to address complex, data-intensive challenges in fields such as drug discovery, materials science, healthcare diagnostics, financial modelling, and industrial optimisation. The precision and data-driven insights provided

by LQMs far exceed what typical AI tools can achieve. For regional companies operating in these sectors, adopting LQMs could facilitate breakthroughs, positioning the region as a leader in next-generation AI applications.

The relationship between CISOs, the C-suite, and boards will evolve toward more strategic collaboration, driven by a focus on economic and operational efficiency

As AI models scale up in size and complexity, dedicated infrastructure becomes crucial.

The focus in AI is shifting from algorithmic advancements alone to the physical infrastructure that supports AI applications at scale. Custombuilt data centres and high-performance hardware, paired with optimised energy management systems, are necessary to handle the computational demands of massive models.

In response, governments and organisations in the Middle East have begun investing in AI-supportive infrastructure. Initiatives like Dubai’s AI Lab and specialised AI data centres reflect a recognition that AI innovation hinges on a strong physical foundation. For organisations, these infrastructure investments are no longer just an option, but a requirement to sustain growth and drive innovation. Building robust infrastructure will enable Middle Eastern companies to handle the demands of complex AI applications and position the region as a leader in AI capabilities.

The CISO that focuses on economic and operational efficiency will be fast friends with business focused leaders. The modern CISO will see risk management as minimizing business impact without breaking the bank. It’s that simple in theory. In practice, the CISO must do this in a structured manner that is explainable to business stakeholders and executable by operators, which goes back to measurement as a career skill and core security capability. Clear, measurable communication will be essential, allowing CISOs to translate complex security strategies into actionable insights for business leaders. In short, our relationship with business folks who are focused on winning will be improved to the extent we adopt the right concepts, objects and methods of measurement. This approach will foster stronger partnerships with the C-suite, enhancing decision-making and driving business outcomes, while managing cyber risk effectively.

Stefan Leichenauer, VP Engineering at SandboxAQ Rise of Autonomous AI Agents and Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) The future of AI extends beyond traditional language-based models (LLMs) and is now evolving toward autonomous agents capable of decision-making through environmental interactions. This agentic approach represents a new frontier, enabling systems that adapt to dynamic conditions — a significant advantage in sectors where conventional data analysis may fall short.

Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) are instrumental in this evolution, leveraging extensive quantitative data combined with physics-aware architectures. Unlike language models, which predominantly process text, LQMs

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AI Infrastructure Becomes a Competitive Differentiator

Cathy Mauzaize, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at ServiceNow AI is the data, and data makes the AI As more companies experiment with generative AI, many find their projects fail due to unclean or inaccurate data. This is the constant challenge: without good quality data, AI projects cannot succeed. Proof of concepts often fall short because they aren’t based on real data and lack the time needed for proper training of the AI. The best planned AI initiatives are shifting from proof-ofconcept to proof-of-value, focusing on solving real problems — and these are set to become more than just buzzwords in 2025. Instead of merely demonstrating feasibility, projects should start with a concrete challenge and use real data to address it.

Another key to AI success, that we will see become more prevalent, is transparency around

how data is being used and the value it provides to its owners. However, success isn’t just about having data, it’s about having clean and complete data — that is governed in a secure and compliant fashion. AI search technology can assist by seamlessly integrating data from various sources of both structured and unstructured data, such as Workday, Qualtrics or even Microsoft Excel, and connecting it quickly for more effective AI outcomes. To truly get value from AI, organisations need to bring together three things: the availability of clean, complete data; transparency around how that data is governed and used; and the right philosophy to get value from the work.

Security, risk and governance break into the CEO agenda There was a time during the rise of BYOD and rapid digital transformation when IT teams were primarily concerned with the impact of ‘shadow IT’ — an unregulated growth in the use of apps and devices outside traditional business controls.

This led to fragmented systems, compliance risks, and inefficiencies that required large investments of time and resource to address. As AI transitions from hype to its own ‘iPhone moment’ in mainstream business, the lessons from that notso-distant era serve as a cautionary tale.

The deployment of AI introduces both operational risks and broader strategic, reputational, and ethical concerns. Missteps in AI governance — such as algorithmic bias, misuse of data, or poorly defined accountability — can lead to significant regulatory penalties and erode trust with customers, partners, and employees.

Amazon’s experiment in AI recruiting which revealed gender bias in the tool’s selection process is just one early example. The complexity and scale of these risks mean they are no longer confined to the CIO’s domain but require direct attention from the CEO and the broader C-suite.

This shift is not just about managing risks.

C-suite engagement can ensure AI delivers its promised value. Effective governance can provide a competitive edge by ensuring responsible innovation, safeguarding brand reputation, and enabling transparency. CEOs must lead the charge in embedding AI ethics and governance into their organisation’s culture, setting the tone for accountability and aligning AI initiatives and use cases with broader business strategy.

In this phase of accelerated AI adoption, the CEO’s involvement in governance is not optional — it’s a business imperative. The companies that recognise this will not only mitigate risks but also position themselves to unlock AI’s full potential responsibly.

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Asanka Abeysinghe, CTO at WSO2 Acceleration in digital modernization This year, platform engineering made significant strides, with organizations trying to build more scalable and efficient systems.

Kubernetes continued its rapid adoption as the standard for container orchestration, simplifying deployments across various environments. Large language models (LLMs) became a major trend, with many companies eager to integrate them into every aspect of their operations, sometimes stretching their practical applications.

In 2025, businesses will focus more on value creation by building strong business capabilities and continuing their digital modernization. Core technologies like API management, integration, and identity and access management will be widely adopted to enhance operations and security. Companies will also prioritize improving developer productivity through internal developer platforms (IDPs) and leveraging SaaS commodity services while striving to create unique differentiators. Additionally, agentic AI powered by small language models (SLMs) will drive the development of more autonomous systems, with AI strategies increasingly led

by Chief AI Officers (CAIOs) to align with business goals. Hybrid cloud strategies will advance through cloud repatriation and greater Kubernetes adoption, providing enhanced flexibility. Furthermore, advancements in post-quantum computing will begin to address complex computational challenges, ensuring stronger security and performance as quantum technologies evolve

Chrystal Taylor, Evangelist & Product Marketing Manager at SolarWinds Diversification of IT infrastructure In 2025, we’ll see an even greater push toward diversified IT infrastructure. It’s no longer about being all on-prem, all-cloud, or all-SaaS — companies are finding a need to balance across these platforms to drive efficiency and better manage costs. We’ve had enough time with these technologies to know what works where, and we’re getting smarter about budgeting for them.

Proliferation of AI AI and machine learning are becoming essential tools in IT, helping teams connect the

dots between systems and data. Whether it’s automating correlation, supporting root cause analysis, or spotting seasonal anomalies, AI is taking on the heavy lifting that used to be manual.

It’s not perfect, but it’s making a big difference in how quickly and effectively we can solve problems.

We’re also seeing AI integrate more deeply into tools like monitoring, observability, and incident response systems. For example, it can pull data from observability solutions and generate clear, concise summaries for technicians, saving them the time of sifting through raw data. Generative AI is also helping draft responses and even forecast capacity needs, like predicting when storage will run low, which keeps everything running smoothly.

Of course, with all this excitement, there’s still a learning curve. Like any new tech — think back to assembly lines — it’s about adapting and evolving your skillset. The people who take the time to understand AI and figure out how to work with it will be the ones who thrive.

Prompt engineering is already becoming a hot skill, and as AI keeps evolving, we’ll need to keep improving how we manage data and handle new regulations.

AI isn’t taking over jobs — it’s changing them.

And for those willing to embrace the change, the opportunities in 2025 are endless.

Dinesh Varadharajan, Chief Product Officer (CPO) at Kissflow Citizen Development, Ready for Reality The convergence of Low-Code No-Code (LCNC) platforms with Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly GenAI, will finally make citizen development a reality. While LCNC platforms are already a proven technology with a well-documented ability to reduce the learning curve and cognitive load for coders, it still requires business users to undergo a significant transformational journey to solve their own problems and create powerful digital applications using these platforms. However, with GenAI now being actively utilized by organizations of all sizes, the technology has now converged with LCNC platforms.

Together, these paradigms eliminate technical barriers by enabling intuitive, natural languagebased interactions, empowering business users to build solutions with minimal effort and expertise. Through 2025, we will see the promise of citizen development realized in its truest form.

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The Continued Pivot Towards Personalization In recent years, we have already seen companies focus more heavily on personalization of digital experiences and in 2025, technology will only deepen this focus, transforming how users interact with digital systems. Natural languagedriven interactions will continue to replace traditional forms and interfaces, with generative AI-powered chat seamlessly integrating into applications for conversational, intuitive user experiences. This shift will expand to multimodal interactions, where voice recognition, video inputs, and computer vision enable users to engage through audio, video, and images, catering to diverse preferences and needs.

Complementing these advancements, the adoption of composable UI components will redefine personalization by allowing applications to dynamically assemble tailored interfaces based on individual user contexts. Leveraging design systems and micro frontends, IT teams will craft adaptive experiences that feel uniquely designed for each user. Together, these trends signify a paradigm shift—personalization is no longer an added feature but the cornerstone of user-centric technology in an increasingly interactive and immersive digital landscape.

Adrian Hobbs, Chief Technology Officer at Core42 Groundbreaking developments in AI and focus on sustainability In 2025, the Middle East will be at the forefront of technological transformation, driven by accelerated AI integration, a robust focus on data privacy, and a pivotal shift towards energy sustainability. We foresee groundbreaking developments in AI, particularly in generative, agentic AI, and multimodal models, which will revolutionise industries from finance to healthcare and beyond. As organisations amass vast amounts of data, the emphasis on stringent data privacy and compliance with evolving data sovereignty regulations will be paramount. Furthermore, as climate change and resource conservation take center stage, the imperative for energy-efficient and ecofriendly technologies will become undeniable.

At Core42, we are dedicated to leading this transformation, developing solutions that empower our clients to excel in this dynamic tech environment. Our mission is to redefine business operations through smarter, more secure, and sustainable digital infrastructure, furthering the region’s leadership in innovation.

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2025 Technology predictions from Veeam software Veeam’s senior global and regional executives share their views on next year’s top technology trends in the Data Resilience space.

In 2025, we’ll be waiting for the NIS2 hammer to fall “It almost goes without saying that leaders will continue to wrestle with regulation in 2025, especially with the arrival of DORA for the finance sector. However, next year’s biggest regulation story will be the first major NIS2 penalty. National regulators will give organizations time to become compliant – many countries have even extended their deadline – but expect to see the first big statement fine for noncompliance towards the end of next year.

“We saw this with Google in 2019, a year after the GDPR came into effect. National regulators will want to set a precedent and show they mean business. If geopolitical tensions continue on the same course next year, the EU will want to ensure Critical National Infrastructure is as resilient to cyber threats as possible. They’ve got the regulation in place, so they will want to show they’re not afraid to swing the hammer for noncompliance.”

- Andre Troskie EMEA Field CISO Veeam

Look out for Ransomware-as-a-Distraction in 2025 Ransomware has been a consistent blight on businesses in recent years, but it has been fairly consistent at least. I believe this will change next year, with ransomware evolving beyond its current model. Expect to see more attacks using encryption as a distraction, while more sophisticated attacks target data integrity or siphon sensitive information.

Ransomware incidents demand attention and resources, but this creates an opportunity for hidden threats to infiltrate deeper systems.”

“Equally concerning, we could see more and more attackers skip the encryption phase altogether, simply stealing data through exfiltration and then sending a ransom demand.

While this doesn’t disrupt operations in the same way, it is much harder to detect and protect against. Often after a successful theft, only then will attackers encrypt data, to serve as a distraction to buy them time to sell what they’ve stolen.”

“Finally, what keeps me up at night is not the worry of data encryption or theft but of attackers injecting malicious code into a healthy data set to render it worthless all of a sudden. As organizations become increasingly data-driven, this could be dire, not least because it would be incredibly hard to detect. Data resilience must include multi-layered detection to identify concurrent threats and prevent hidden breaches”.

- Edwin Weijdema EMEA Field CTO, Veeam

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The Rise of the Cloud Data Lakehouse “As demand for storing and utilizing data grows, enterprise IT architecture will continue to evolve. Specifically, I expect the Cloud Data Lakehouse to become a popular choice next year combining the scalability of a data lake with the more structured data management capabilities of a data warehouse. It addresses the demand for a unified data management approach while delivering the analytic capabilities that are gradually becoming non-negotiable for the modern enterprise.”

“As with most trends in the cloud space, cost and scalability are going to be key drivers.

However, the pressure to be AI/ML-ready and compliant with evolving data regulations will be what moves the needle. By hook or by crook, enterprises will be working towards being more data-centric in 2025, so expect to hear the term Data Lakehouse more and more next year.”

- Michael Cade Global Field CTO Cloud Strategy Veeam

“Resilience Drills” will take off in 2025 “I think most organizations have moved on from just looking at their cybersecurity and now have broadened their scope to the wider concern of cyber resilience. Because of this, expect to see much more attention given to “Resilience Drills” next year. It’s not enough to just test your security. You must test how your organization responds and recovers “right of bang”.

“Much like fire drills, resilience drills will become a more regular practice next year, simulating ransomware and cyber threat scenarios to test and refine an organization’s data resilience measures. These exercises will involve both IT and executive teams to ensure rapid, coordinated response and seamless recovery. As threats grow more sophisticated, resilience drills will be essential for keeping data resilience strategies agile and effective.”

- Mena Migally Regional VP, EMEA East Veeam

The rise of sovereign clouds and data portability “Evolving regulatory requirements and geopolitical pressures will force enterprises to re-think where their cloud data really ‘sits’. Expect an increased focus on data residency, ensuring data stays within specific national or regional borders. As part of this shift, we’ll see more demand for sovereign clouds – localized cloud environments that keep data within specific jurisdictions to support compliance and mitigate risk.”

“This, in turn, will highlight the need for data portability across hybrid environments.

Enterprises might find out too late in the game that moving data between clouds isn’t easy.

They’ll also need to consider ‘related’ data like backups or Large Language Model (LLM) training data, where those are being kept, and what risk is present. It’s a familiar story- the cloud gives businesses more options and flexibility, but taking advantage of these securely and sustainably will require some joined-up thinking.”

- Mohamad Rizk Senior Regional Sales Director Middle East & CIS, Veeam

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Turning challenges into growth

Jagat Shah Chairman and CEO MITSUMI Distribution

How is Mitsumi adapting to the evolving dynamics of the IT channel, particularly with the rise of digital transformation and AI-driven technologies?

At Mitsumi, we understand the rapidly evolving nature of the IT channel, driven by digital transformation and AI-driven technologies.

These trends are reshaping the industry, demanding a strategic and flexible approach. In response, we have crafted a clear strategy that aligns with data-driven business objectives while allowing flexibility to adapt to market changes.

A key part of our adaptation involves significant investments in modern infrastructure, including cloud computing and advanced data management systems. Equally important is fostering a culture of innovation and agility within our organization. By doing so, we empower our partners with the tools, resources, and training needed to seamlessly integrate AI and data-driven solutions into their operations.

Leveraging artificial intelligence has been pivotal for us in gaining deeper customer insights, optimizing processes, and managing

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risks effectively, all while adhering to ethical practices. This approach not only ensures sustainable growth but also adds long-term value to our partners and clients.

Collaboration is another cornerstone of our strategy. Partnering with established solution providers as well as startups enables us to drive innovation and remain at the forefront of industry trends. Additionally, adhering to measurable KPIs and establishing dynamic feedback mechanisms allow us to continuously improve and fine-tune our approach.

By staying adaptive, customer-focused, and forward-thinking, Mitsumi ensures that businesses within its network can thrive in today’s digital era. Through our comprehensive and proactive measures, we are not just responding to change but driving it by positioning ourselves as a leader in the evolving IT landscape.

How do you prioritize vendor partnerships, and what key attributes do you look for when expanding your portfolio?

We approach new partnerships with a long-term outlook, focusing on innovation, reliability, and alignment with our core values. Our evaluations revolve around a partner’s proven performance, roadmap for emerging solutions, and the capacity to support the channel effectively. This includes a readiness to adapt to shifting customer demands, especially in areas such as cybersecurity and data-driven decision-making.

Mitsumi looks for vendors with cuttingedge, scalable technologies that address the needs of diverse industries. Our focus is on solutions that bring value to our partners and end customers, particularly in highdemand areas like artificial intelligence, enterprise solutions, cloud computing,

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and data security. Vendors with a strong commitment to research and development stand out as they enable us to stay ahead in this competitive industry.

Collaboration and mutual growth are integral to Mitsumi’s approach. We seek vendors who share our vision of fostering growth across the MEA region by delivering high-quality, future-ready solutions. Their ability to provide consistent support, training, and marketing resources is also critical for ensuring successful and longstanding partnership within our ecosystem.

Mitsumi also values long-term relationships and relies on regular performance reviews to assess partnerships while implementing feedback systems to analyse sustainable growth.

Through these carefully curated partnerships, Mitsumi Distribution continues to lead the way in delivering transformative IT, telco, AI, and enterprise

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solutions across the MEA region.

What specific initiatives or programs do you offer to empower your channel partners to scale operations and adapt to market demands?

At Mitsumi Distribution, we recognize that our channel partners are integral to our success, and we are deeply committed to their growth by providing tailored support to help them navigate the everevolving IT landscape across Africa and the Middle East. To enable them to scale their operations and meet the demands of a dynamic market, we have implemented a range of impactful initiatives. Our approach begins with empowering partners through skill enhancement programs, where they not only gain in-depth knowledge of emerging technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity but also receive the skills to implement the solutions in an efficient manner. These efforts ensure they remain competitive and well-prepared to address customer needs effectively.

In addition to fostering knowledge and expertise, we provide structured financial support through flexible credit options, empowering our partners confidently pursue ambitious projects while mitigating cash flow challenges. This financial backing is complemented by access to Mitsumi’s extensive portfolio of leading global IT brands, enabling partners to meet diverse market demands with innovative and tailored solutions. To further strengthen their operations, we actively support partners in adopting cutting-edge digital transformation tools, helping them streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and gain data driven insights for smarter decision-making.

To help our partners strengthen their market positioning, we offer a range of tailored resources, including customized marketing materials, strategic guidance, and targeted sales support. These efforts are further bolstered by incentive programs that recognize and reward exceptional performance, fostering a competitive environment where mutual growth and success thrive. To ensure every partner receives the support they need, our dedicated account managers provide personalized attention, timely assistance, and valuable market insights, enabling them to seize

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emerging opportunities with confidence.

Together, these comprehensive initiatives not only empower our partners to expand their local footprint but also contribute to building a future-ready ecosystem poised for enduring success in the IT industry.

Operating across diverse markets in Africa and the Middle East, what unique challenges and opportunities do you see for distributors in these regions, and how is Mitsumi addressing them?

Africa and the Middle East are vibrant and rapidly evolving regions, offering immense opportunities for IT distributors, yet they come with their own set of unique challenges.

On one hand, the demand for technology solutions is accelerating, fuelled by growing digital transformation initiatives, increasing mobile penetration, and expanding economic sectors. On the other hand, distributors face hurdles such as varying regulatory frameworks, infrastructure gaps, supply chain complexities, and diverse market maturity levels across countries.

At Mitsumi Distribution, we view these challenges as opportunities to create value for our partners and customers. To navigate the diverse regulatory environments, we leverage our deep regional expertise and maintain strong relationships with local authorities to ensure compliance and smooth operations.

Our investment in advanced logistics and supply chain systems helps overcome infrastructure-related bottlenecks, ensuring timely delivery of products even in remote areas.

The diversity of markets also calls for a tailored approach. We take the time to understand the unique dynamics of each country, enabling us to provide customized solutions that align with local needs as per their individual use cases. By offering flexible financing options, we empower partners to navigate financial constraints and seize growth opportunities. Additionally, our partnerships with leading global IT brands give us unparallel access to an extensive portfolio of cutting-edge technologies, allowing us to cater to a broad range of customer requirements across industries.

Africa and the Middle East also represent tremendous opportunities for fostering entrepreneurship and accelerating market innovation. We actively support our partners by providing localized IT solutions that address region-specific challenges, such as

bridging the digital divide in underserved areas or supporting the digitization of traditional industries. Furthermore, we focus on nurturing strong, long-term relationships within our ecosystem by organizing regional forums, facilitating collaborative projects, and enabling knowledge exchange initiatives.

By addressing challenges with a proactive and targeted strategy, Mitsumi Distribution is driving innovation, enabling sustainable growth, and laying the foundation for a bright future in Africa and the Middle East.

What are your strategic priorities for Mitsumi in the next five years, and how do you envision the distribution model evolving to stay ahead in a competitive market?

Our primary aim over the next five years is to build a holistic ecosystem that allows us to flexibly adapt to shifts in technology and customer demands. We plan to invest more resources in the new wave of AI and data driven solutions while still prioritizing cloud-based offerings, secure connectivity and analytics. Through close collaborations with established industry solution providers, we will aim to expand our portfolio of AI-driven solutions and ensure seamless delivery and cutting-edge technology for our partners and end customers.

Another essential part of our strategy will involve strengthening regional networks and empowering local talent. By nurturing specialized skills, we can address the needs of an ever-evolving client base, by providing tailored services for an array of use cases.

We strongly believe that in today’s dynamic market, distributors who invest in flexible frameworks and tailored offerings to specific segments outperform their counterparts.

In parallel, we will refine our distribution model to emphasize greater supply chain visibility, speed, and scalability. Our decades of experience coupled with data driven insights will allow us for better forecasting and inventory control. The real-time transparency at the heart of our distribution model helps us reduce costs and optimizes response times, enabling our partners to maintain momentum in competitive markets.

Ultimately, our vision for the future revolves around adaptive growth, robust support structures, and a commitment to lasting partnerships. By consistently improving our model, we aim to stay agile and relevant in an ever-changing landscape.

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What fuels Seagate’s bold ideas?

Seagate is redefining the future of data storage through innovation, sustainability, and AI-driven solutions. Maarten Guijt, Vice President EMEA at Seagate Technology, shares insights on their strategy and vision for the region.

How do you tailor your go-to-market strategy around the region?

The strategy is twofold: it’s both territory-based and vertically aligned with key segments. Given the diversity across the region—over 100 countries, 70 languages, and vastly different cultures—regional leadership is crucial. In terms of focus, the core segments include enterprise nearline data center products, video applications, and NAS. A specialized, vertical team operates across these three regions, collaborating with local teams to address specific needs.

Seagate’s storage portfolio spans storage solutions, SSDs, and data recovery systems. Innovation is prioritized in response to the evolving data storage landscape, driven by rapid data growth fueled by internet and IT penetration, content creation, and replication.

The vision is clear: to lead in mass-capacity storage by introducing efficient technologies. This includes the new Mosaic technology, built on Hammer technology, which enables higher storage density. The overarching goal is to store more efficiently, doing more with less.

Is AI something which interests you?

The data storage market, like many industries, has undergone significant fluctuations, experiencing both downturns and periods of renewed growth. In recent years, companies have prioritized investments in advanced processing technologies, such as GPUs from NVIDIA, to enhance their computational capabilities.

However, it has become increasingly clear that processing power alone is not sufficient. As AI continues to evolve and expand, the demand for robust, efficient, and scalable storage solutions has grown exponentially. AI generates massive volumes of data, and its quality and effectiveness rely on access to extensive datasets and iterative algorithms. This cycle of data generation and usage directly contributes to the growing demand for advanced storage systems.

The implications of AI-driven data growth are now more visible than ever. Organizations recognize that to support AI’s rapid advancements and the data it requires, underlying storage infrastructure must evolve in both capacity and efficiency.

This brings us to the critical issue of sustainability. In regions where sustainability goals are becoming central to economic and technological development, the focus has shifted toward solutions that not only meet the growing demand for storage but also align with environmentally conscious practices.

How do you see Seagate is going towards the

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Maarten Guijt Vice President EMEA , Seagate Technology sustainable goal of Dubai and UAE in general?

Like most corporate organizations, we have a robust sustainability plan in place that governs our operations, including purchasing practices, manufacturing processes, and supply chain management. These adhere to the highest sustainability standards, ensuring compliance with global environmental goals.

However, while such policies form the foundation of sustainability efforts, they are fairly standard across most companies today.

To make sustainability impactful in this region, we’ve taken a step further by introducing recertified drives. These are drives that have been returned by data center clients, such as cloud service providers (CSPs), after three, five, or seven years of use. While these drives remain operational, the changing capacity needs of CSPs prompt their return.

Seagate ensures that these drives undergo a thorough testing process at the factory level, where they are securely wiped of all data and recertified for resale. This approach prevents functional drives from being discarded

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prematurely and extends their lifecycle, aligning with our sustainability goals. These recertified drives are then distributed through our channel partners, with a strong focus on markets like Africa.

In terms of expansion, Seagate has an emerging market strategy targeted at accelerating business in specific countries.

For instance, we’ve prioritized Saudi Arabia, where we’ve seen significant growth and are on track to double revenue. This strategy involves allocating additional resources, including people, and building stronger partnerships with distributors and system integrators.

While Saudi Arabia remains our primary focus, we are exploring other key markets, such as Egypt, to replicate this approach.

Upcoming trade shows like Intersec, GISEC, and GITEX will also play a critical role in shaping our regional and global expansion efforts.

What will be your go-to pick that will be showcasing at intersec??

As you asked about AI, it’s essential to discuss how AI impacts data storage needs for AI-driven customers, a theme we’ll highlight at Intersec this January.

With the rise of AI and the massive generation of data it entails, storage demands have increased significantly. To address this, Seagate launched a cutting-edge technology called Mozaic which we will showcase on January 17, 2024, during Intersec. Mozaic introduces advanced storage solutions, such as a 30-terabyte drive, providing greater

capacity for cloud service providers. We’re not stopping at 30 terabytes either—40 and 50-terabyte drives are on the horizon, with 40 terabytes expected to launch soon.

In terms of using AI internally, Seagate applies AI extensively in its production facilities and processes. AI is also being incorporated into our go-to-market strategies, ensuring efficiency and innovation across all functions.

An excellent example of AI integration in our products is our Skyhawk series of AI drives. These drives, starting at 8 terabytes, are specifically designed for critical applications such as video surveillance and infrastructure monitoring. For instance, in the case of an accident on Sheikh Zayed Road involving a red car, an AI drive’s faster refresh rate ensures quick retrieval of critical footage, such as the license plate.

Similarly, at airports, AI drives support split-second data retrieval, crucial for operational safety.

Seagate has been a pioneer in this space, with AI-enabled drives in the market for over five years, catering to critical infrastructure needs.

What are your focus areas or 2025?

Our strategic focus aligns with three key pillars: • Enterprise Growth: We aim to deepen our presence in enterprise environments, particularly in emerging markets like Saudi Arabia, which is experiencing rapid growth in data center demand driven by AI and mass-

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capacity storage needs.

Consumer Business & Branding: We are refining our brand narrative to align with trends like AI, introducing initiatives such as recertified drives, which support sustainability goals by extending the lifecycle of used drives through factory-level testing and resale.

• Sustainability: We’re making sustainability tangible by promoting recertified products in the region. Our first order for recertified drives was recently placed, marking a significant milestone.

Additionally, partnerships play an important role in our strategy. We are strengthening relationships with key distributors.

Finally, Seagate is committed to equipping its teams with advanced skills and responsibilities, enabling them to handle the current industry challenges, such as balancing tight supply and rising demand. Our teams are not just salespeople—they are business leaders, trained in technology, market strategies, and fostering partnerships.

We’re also emphasizing regional understanding, especially in emerging markets like the Middle East and Africa, where unique cultural and business nuances require a tailored approach. This collaboration between Seagate and its partners ensures we address enterprise needs more effectively while exploring broader opportunities like NetworkAttached Storage (NAS).

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The evolution of cyber defense at Rubik Infotech Can you provide an overview of your experience in the cybersecurity field?

Over the past decade, we have accumulated extensive experience in the cybersecurity field. Our journey began with a foundational role in network security, where we honed our skills in identifying and mitigating potential threats to an organization’s IT infrastructure. As we progressed, we took on more complex challenges, including the implementation of advanced intrusion detection systems and the development of comprehensive incident response strategies.

We have worked with both small and large enterprises, providing tailored security solutions that address unique organizational needs. We have led teams in conducting vulnerability assessments, deploying encryption protocols, and ensuring compliance with industry standards such as ISO 27001 and GDPR.

What interests you about working with Rubik Infotech, specifically in the cybersecurity domain?

Rubik Infotech stands out in the cybersecurity domain due to its innovative approach and commitment to excellence. The company leverages cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to provide robust and scalable security solutions. What particularly excites us about joining Rubik Infotech is the opportunity to collaborate with a team of seasoned experts, engage in continuous learning, and contribute to pioneering projects that push the boundaries of cybersecurity.

Moreover, Rubik Infotech places a strong emphasis on fostering a culture of innovation and agility, allowing its professionals to stay ahead of emerging threats and trends. The company’s diverse portfolio of services, including threat intelligence, risk management, and compliance solutions, aligns perfectly with our experience and aspirations in the field. By joining Rubik Infotech, we believe we can make a significant impact, enhancing the security posture of our clients and driving the future of cybersecurity.

How do you stay updated with the latest trends, threats, and technologies in the cybersecurity landscape?

Rubik Infotech stands out in the cybersecurity domain due to its innovative approach and commitment to excellence. The company leverages cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to provide robust and scalable security solutions. What particularly excites us about joining Rubik Infotech is the opportunity to collaborate with a team of seasoned experts, engage in continuous learning, and contribute to pioneering projects that push the boundaries of cybersecurity.

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Jitesh Chauhaan Founder and Managing Director By leveraging advanced threat intelligence platforms and conducting regular threat analyses, the company ensures that it is always one step ahead of potential security risks. Furthermore, Rubik Infotech’s commitment to fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation enables its professionals to swiftly adapt to new challenges and technologies, maintaining their expertise and competitive edge in the ever-evolving cybersecurity field.

What specific cybersecurity certifications or training do you hold, and how have they contributed to your expertise?

At Rubik Infotech, our team holds an array of esteemed cybersecurity certifications and has undergone rigorous training to ensure the highest level of expertise. The certifications include Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified

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Information Security Manager (CISM), and ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, among others.

These certifications are testament to our deep understanding of security principles, ethical hacking techniques, information security management, and compliance with international standards.

Additionally, our professionals have participated in specialized training programs and workshops conducted by leading cybersecurity organizations and institutions.

This extensive training has equipped our team with cutting-edge skills and knowledge, enabling us to tackle complex security challenges with confidence and precision.

Our commitment to continuous education ensures that we remain at the forefront of cybersecurity advancements, ready to implement the most effective and innovative solutions for our clients.

What is your understanding of Rubik Infotech’s cybersecurity services and solutions?

Rubik Infotech offers a comprehensive suite of cybersecurity services and solutions designed to address the full spectrum of security needs for diverse clients. Their offerings encompass threat intelligence, which provides proactive insights into potential threats and vulnerabilities, allowing businesses to mitigate risks before they materialize. The company’s risk management services are tailored to identify, assess, and prioritize risks, ensuring that the most critical issues are addressed with strategic and effective measures.

Additionally, Rubik Infotech excels in compliance solutions, helping organizations adhere to industry regulations and standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, and ISO 27001. Their

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expertise extends to incident response and recovery, providing rapid and effective support in the event of a security breach to minimize impact and restore normal operations swiftly.

Rubik Infotech’s commitment to innovation is evident in their advanced security technologies, including AI-driven threat detection, automated response systems, and robust encryption methods. By integrating these cutting-edge tools with their deep industry knowledge, Rubik Infotech delivers customized solutions that enhance the overall security posture of their clients, safeguarding critical assets and sensitive information.

containing threats. By leveraging real-time data and analytics, the company can make informed decisions and deploy effective countermeasures swiftly.

Rubik Infotech’s incident response protocol also includes continuous monitoring and post-incident analysis to learn from each event and enhance future response strategies. This proactive approach ensures that the organization remains resilient and prepared to handle multiple security incidents simultaneously, maintaining the security and integrity of their clients’ systems and data.

How do you prioritize incident response efforts when multiple security events occur simultaneously?

What are the key differences between securing on-premise networks versus cloud-based environments?

At Rubik Infotech, prioritizing incident response efforts amid simultaneous security events involves a strategic and structured approach. The first step is to classify and categorize incidents based on their severity, potential impact, and urgency. High-priority incidents, such as those affecting critical systems or involving sensitive data breaches, are addressed immediately to mitigate significant risks and minimize damage.

The Incident Response Team (IRT) employs a triage system to allocate resources efficiently and ensure that each incident is handled by the most qualified and available professionals. Collaboration and communication are key, with team members coordinating their efforts to streamline the response process and avoid duplication of efforts.

Additionally, Rubik Infotech utilizes advanced threat intelligence and automated response tools to assist in rapidly identifying and

Securing on-premise networks requires direct management of physical hardware, infrastructure, and local access controls, while cloud-based environments rely on shared responsibilities between the provider and the user. On-premise solutions offer greater control and customization but can be more expensive and complex to manage. Cloud security, on the other hand, benefits from the provider’s advanced security measures and scalability, though it introduces concerns about data sovereignty and compliance.

On-premise systems necessitate robust perimeter defenses, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, whereas cloud environments emphasize identity and access management, encryption, and secure configurations.

Furthermore, cloud security must address multitenancy risks and ensure continuous monitoring and incident response capabilities to protect against evolving threats.

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Exploring Suntronix’s role as an Apple authorized reseller in India Can you tell us a bit about Suntronix and its role in the Apple ecosystem?

As an Apple Authorized Reseller, we are a trusted provider of Apple products, including repairs and support of Apple devices across India.

We play a key role in ensuring customers have a smooth experience with their Apple devices.

Our team is trained in Apple products so we can assist customers effectively. From choosing the right product to after-sale service, we provide expert guidance.

We actively listen to customer feedback through reviews or direct conversations. We then review this feedback to identify areas for improvement. If necessary, we adjust our services and offer additional training to our team to resolve specific issues. Customer feedback has always helped us in growing and improving continuously.

To succeed at Suntronix, you need a passion for technology, especially Apple products. Problem-solving skills and being a team player are also important. Being adaptable to new technologies will help you thrive in our fast-paced environment.

The customer was extremely happy, and it was a great moment for our team to show our expertise and commitment to helping customers with even the toughest issues.

We focus on offering personalized recommendations to each customer based on their needs, usage, and requirements.

Understanding what they value most in Apple products (performance, design, camera, etc.) helps us provide better guidance and make the buying process smoother.

To improve the post-purchase experience, we implement a follow-up system where customers are contacted to ensure they are satisfied with their product and have all the support they need.

Offering proactive support after the sale can build loyalty and trust.

What is the company’s approach to customer service when it comes to Apple products?

At Suntronix, we prioritize delivering fast, friendly, and knowledgeable customer service. Our team undergoes specialized training in Apple products to assist customers effectively. From selecting the ideal product to providing comprehensive after-sales support, we offer expert guidance throughout the entire customer journey.

Our commitment to customer satisfaction is evident in the positive feedback we receive. For instance, a customer named Prassana Tg praised our staff for their excellent support and clear explanations, stating, “Good support from the staff of Suntronix and nice explanation given.”

How do you manage customer feedback and ensure that it’s used to improve products and

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Pradeep Daga Managing Partner, Suntronix services?

At Suntronix, we actively seek and value customer feedback through various channels, including reviews and direct conversations. This feedback is essential for identifying areas where we can enhance our products and services. When we receive constructive criticism or suggestions, we thoroughly analyze the information to determine necessary improvements. If specific issues are identified, we may adjust our services or provide additional training to our team to address these concerns effectively. This commitment to listening and adapting has been instrumental in our continuous growth and improvement.

What qualities do you believe make a person successful at Suntronix?

To succeed at Suntronix, you need a passion for technology, especially Apple products. Problem-solving skills and being a team player are

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also important. Being adaptable to new technologies will help you thrive in our fastpaced environment.

Describe a time when you faced a challenging technical issue related to an Apple product. How did you resolve it?

Recently, a customer came to us with a very old iMac and needed to recover 24 years of data. Many service centers turned down the request because the iMac was so old and the task seemed risky. However, our technical team took on the challenge.

We carefully opened the iMac, which required a lot of skill to avoid damaging it. After some hard work, we successfully retrieved all of the customer’s valuable data, including memories from the past 24 years.

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The customer was extremely happy, and it was a great moment for our team to show our expertise and commitment to helping customers with even the toughest issues.

ensure they are satisfied with their product and have all the support they need. Offering proactive support after the sale can build loyalty and trust.

How would you approach improving the overall customer experience when buying Apple products from Suntronix?

Are there any new Apple products or technologies that Suntronix is particularly excited about?

We focus on offering personalized recommendations to each customer based on their needs, usage & requirements.

Understanding what they value most in Apple products (performance, design, camera, etc.) would help us provide better guidance and make the buying process smoother. To improve the post-purchase experience, we implement a follow-up system where customers are contacted to

We’re excited about Apple’s latest innovations, especially the new hardware and software updates that continue to enhance performance and user experience. One area we are particularly looking forward to is Apple’s increasing integration with AI, which promises to make devices smarter. We’re also eager to see how AI and machine learning will drive future innovations, making Apple products even more powerful and personalized for our customers.

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Building resilience in cybersecurity What is your company’s vision as you aim for $500 million in revenue?

Our vision as we aim for $500 million in revenue is to become the region's most trusted and innovative partner in cybersecurity and IT distribution. We aspire to lead the market by empowering businesses with cutting-edge technologies, fostering digital transformation, and delivering exceptional value to our vendors, partners, and customers.

This ambitious target reflects our commitment to excellence, continuous innovation, and customer-centric solutions. By building strategic partnerships, investing in talent, and addressing the evolving needs of the industry, we aim to set new benchmarks in service delivery while contributing to a secure and sustainable digital future.

What key factors will drive your growth toward this ambitious target?

Several key factors will drive our growth toward achieving the $500 million revenue target: Strengthening relationships with leading vendors and introducing cutting-edge technologies to address evolving market demands, continue to focus and invest in key markets like Saudi Arabia and exploring new high-growth regions across the Middle East and Africa.

Delivering tailored cybersecurity and IT solutions that address specific customer needs while ensuring exceptional service quality.

Investing in AI-driven security, Zero Trust architectures, cloudnative solutions, and IoT/edge security to stay ahead of the curve.

Enhancing partner capabilities through training, certifications, and robust support frameworks to drive shared success.Focusing on employee growth and engagement to maintain a skilled, motivated, and loyal workforce.

These factors, combined with a commitment to excellence and innovation, will ensure we achieve our ambitious growth goals.

enabling us to scale effectively and achieve our ambitious revenue goals.

How do you differentiate your distribution model to achieve this scale?

Can you share the major milestones you’ve set for the next 3-5 years?

We differentiate our distribution model by focusing on innovation, value-added services, and a customer-centric approach that goes beyond traditional distribution by offering robust support, including technical expertise, partner enablement, and pre- and post-sales assistance, to ensure successful deployments and customer satisfaction. Prioritizing cutting-edge solutions like AI-driven security, Zero Trust, cloud-native architectures, and IoT/edge security to address future demands.

Providing extensive training, certifications, and resources to empower partners with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed, building deep relationships with vendors and partners to develop tailored solutions and shared growth strategies.

This differentiated model positions us as a trusted partner,

Certainly! Here are the major milestones we’ve set for the next 3-5 years to guide our growth and success to achieve $500 million in annual revenue by expanding our market presence and driving sustained growth in the region We will be effectively working on Market establishing AmiViz as leadinig distributor of dedicated cutting-edge cybersecurity and IT solutions across the MENA region.

Achieve process optimization and scalability by leveraging analytics, automation, and digital tools to enhance efficiency and retain and nurture a high-performing workforce, creating a culture of growth, innovation, and excellence.

These milestones align with our vision to become the region’s most trusted and innovative IT distribution partner.

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Ilyas Mohammed COO Amiviz

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Can you discuss your plans for market expansion—geographically or into new product categories?

Our market expansion plans for the next few years are focused on both geographic growth and diversifying our product portfolio to meet evolving customer needs, we aim to deepen our presence in high-growth regions, where we’ve already made significant investments. Additionally, we plan to expand into untapped markets across the Middle East & Africa and other strategic locations.

Our approach includes building localized operations, forging regional partnerships, and offering tailored solutions to cater to specific market needs.

We are committed to enhancing our

offerings by introducing emerging technologies. This includes AI-driven security solutions, Zero Trust architectures, cloud-native platforms, IoT and edge computing security, and Extended Detection and Response (XDR). These technologies address the growing demand for advanced cybersecurity and IT solutions across industries. To support these plans, we will continue collaborating with innovative vendors to bring cutting-edge technologies to our partners and customers.

How are you approaching partnerships, acquisitions, or alliances to accelerate growth?

We take a strategic and collaborative approach to partnerships, acquisitions, and alliances

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to drive accelerated growth and deliver value across the ecosystem. Here’s how: Vendor Partnerships: We prioritize relationships with innovative and leading technology providers, ensuring our portfolio addresses emerging cybersecurity and IT demands. By aligning with cutting-edge vendors, we enhance our value proposition to partners and customers. Channel Partner Enablement: We foster strong relationships with channel partners through regular training, certifications, and comprehensive support. This empowers them to succeed and drives mutual growth.

By leveraging these approaches, we aim to strengthen our ecosystem, expand our footprint, and achieve our ambitious growth targets efficiently.

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Big data and security What’s next for enterprises?

What strategies can large enterprises implement to effectively manage data?

The rapid digitization of our world has led to an expanding digital landscape, bringing with it significant challenges, particularly in managing big data. Over the past decade, the volume, variety, and velocity of data have grown exponentially, making effective data management increasingly complex.

For large enterprises across various sectors and regions, managing risks, protecting organizational assets, and driving business growth necessitate a comprehensive understanding and control of their data. Consider this analogy: if alerted to a sniper on a building, focusing on a single structure is insufficient; the threat could be anywhere, requiring visibility across the entire area.

Similarly, organizations need holistic visibility over their entire dataset to effectively manage potential risks.

Data manifests in multiple forms—structured, unstructured, and various telemetry types. The increasing adoption of cloud services globally adds layers of complexity, introducing additional data from cloud logs and access points.

Addressing these challenges requires robust data management strategies, advanced analytics, and comprehensive security measures to ensure organizations can go through the complexities of the digital age effectively.

How can organizations effectively integrate next-generation security tools?

Securing an environment begins with establishing fundamental security controls, such as monitoring endpoints (devices and employee activities) and securing network perimeters. These areas are often associated with various acronyms, including Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) and Network Detection and Response (NDR).

Implementing these foundational security measures is essential for every organization.

However, the more pressing question is: who orchestrates all this data? How do you make sense of it all and find the needle in the haystack within each data stream? This is where intelligence comes into play. If you're searching for a sniper, you need actionable intelligence that narrows down the area where you're likely to find them. Behavioral analytics, for example, can provide insights into where to focus your attention.

The first attempt at addressing all of this is something called a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system. Hugh Njemanze, often referred to as the 'father' of SIEM, introduced this concept around 2008. He co-founded ArcSight in May 2000 and served as CTO as well as Executive Vice President of Research and Development. He later became the President of Anomali.

When SIEM was first introduced, big data wasn't as well understood, and the cloud had yet to take off. At that time, the cloud wasn't a pronounced concept, and big data was still in its

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Ahmed Rubaie Chief Executive Officer Anomali

infancy. However, the idea of using a tool like SIEM to consolidate and analyze data was groundbreaking and received a thumbs-up from the industry. SIEM's introduction paved the way for other vendors, leading to incremental innovation in the field.

Of course, today's technology has advanced far beyond those early days. However, the introduction of SIEM and subsequent incremental innovations laid the foundation for what we see in modern data and security technologies.

Since then, the realization has emerged that if you're going to manage data effectively, you need to be in the cloud. This led to the next wave of so-called "next-gen SIEMs." These next-generation SIEMs leverage cloud-native architectures to provide scalable, flexible, and efficient data processing capabilities.

They integrate advanced analytics, machine learning, and automation to enhance threat detection, response, and overall security posture.

What are the challenges associated with integrat-

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ing non-cloud-native security platforms?

The integration of certain systems has presented challenges due to their lack of true cloud-native architecture.

Amidst these developments, Extended Detection and Response (XDR) emerged, often promoted as a revolutionary solution.

However, in reality, XDR has largely become a marketing term. At its core, XDR was intended to provide comprehensive visibility enriched with context. Despite significant focus on this concept, no customer—at least to my knowledge— considers it a panacea. It simply doesn't function that way.

Engaging with large enterprise customers reveals that managing these challenges is fundamentally a data issue. This is where our proprietary technology comes into play.

Leveraging our extensive expertise in data— stemming from our founder's introduction of the first data management tool—we have evolved beyond being merely a SIEM solution.

In operations, think of a robot as a co-pilot. Our co-pilot is omnipresent,

transcending all platforms—not just ours. It analyzes structured and unstructured data from various sources. Unlike other co-pilots confined to their own platforms, our solution extends beyond those limitations.

How does your platform integrate business operations with IT security?

IT and security are often seen as something mysterious or detached from the core operations of a business, which shouldn’t be the case.

Our co-pilot helps bridge this gap by tailoring communication to suit different audiences. The co-pilot integrates business operations with security, ensuring management plays an active role in safeguarding IT systems, while security becomes an integral part of overall business operations. Security is just another risk to manage, and when done properly, it can even contribute to business growth. This is the focus of our co-pilot—solving business problems, aligning teams, and empowering them.

One of our unique features is our co-pilot’s

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access to the world’s largest intelligence repository. It filters vast amounts of data, highlights the most relevant insights, and enables users to take action on critical information.

We’re also known for our intelligencesharing capabilities.

Particularly in industries like oil and gas, banking, aviation, and healthcare, we facilitate the sharing of security intelligence, allowing organizations to stay informed about emerging threats.

While some may be reluctant to share, we believe it benefits everyone—because that’s what cybercriminals do.

To sum up, we’re more than just a security tool—we’re a comprehensive platform for IT and security operations. Our co-pilot consolidates data, enriches it with intelligence, and delivers actionable insights to users.

As far as our partners are concerned, they amplify our reach. Partners, like system integrators and MSSPs, play a critical role in promoting our solutions. We deeply value our relationships with key partners, including resellers like Starlink, and look forward to expanding our collaboration.

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PRESENTS

SEC_RITY IS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT U!

15 A P R I L - U A E | 17 A P R I L - K S A 21 A P R I L - Q ATA R | 21 A P R I L - PA K I S TA N NOVEMBER - INDIA (MUMBAI)

#ZeroTrust Security | Strive for Assurance: Verify, Never Assume

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L A S T

W O R D S

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AI in 2025

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I is as effective as the human brain that uses it. This is what I've recently discovered, and it accurately describes the role that AI plays. Our AI agent can do as well and effectively as we instruct it to do. Many deepfakes and cybersecurity issues related to AI are nothing more than the cruelty of the human brain.

With the potential to boost the economy by $4.4 trillion each year, advancements in the future years will give one of our generation's most significant economic opportunities.

While I have been vocal about the usage of AI, it is critical to discuss the trends that we may expect with AI in the year 2025.

In 2025 From copilots to rational AI agents Autonomous intelligent systems, which can learn and adapt to new environments, are becoming more popular and valuable in a variety of industries. 70% of executives and 85% of investors (venture capital, private equity, and commercial banks) believe AI agents will be one of the top three most impactful technologies in 2025. While AI will continue to improve, security will be a worry to address by 2025.

As AI systems grow increasingly autonomous and integrated into vital activities, security will emerge as a top priority. Organizations will focus on creating complete security frameworks for AI systems that address risks in model architecture, data pipelines, and deployment infrastructure. This provides protection from rapid injection attacks, model poisoning, and data leaking. To track AI activity, identify irregularities, and guarantee adherence to legal and ethical criteria, improved monitoring systems will be created.

AI is evolving fast, with new uses emerging every day. So, how can we balance innovation with security and ethics to build a better future? This question is for you all!

Sehrish Tariq Assistant Editor GEC Media Group

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