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DECEMBER 2017 | VOL 2 ISSUE 4

THE CHANGE-SPOTTERS AND CHANGE-MAKERS

ADIEU 2017

BROUGHT BY

EDITORIAL

REDISCOVERING THE TITANS

ANUSHREE DIXIT ASSISTANT EDITOR anushree@gecmediagroup.com

It was yet another eventful year for The Titans. In the 4 issues of 2017, we covered more than 50 CIOs in various ice-breaking stories, case studies and thought-provoking interviews. Celebrating the first year of The Titans, the ‘Titans Badge of Honor’ felicitated over 60 CIOs from across the region for their contributions to the regional IT industry and their influential role in creating a digital nation. This year has also been instrumental in examining the progressive thoughts of the CIOs in breaking the cloud and digital legacies and venturing into some active projects and embracing new learnings. CIOs were cognizant about the responsibility that they are shouldering in justifying every single dollar spent on any new technology or in retaining the existing technology. There was a clear transition from a CIOs point of view of ‘No business beyond technology’ to being a ‘business enabler’ and we at The Titans are happy to have been a great medium in reflecting this. Today is all about revisiting technologies in newer ways; otherwise it wont be long when emerging technologies would also start seeming redundant. Going forward to 2018, the CXOs would need to revisit the core technology architectures. The demand of the hour would be the careful eye of the CIO in automating the operations and at the same time providing containerized secure environment for the organizations. Our special cover story on the 2017 round-up will give you a glimpse of some CIOs verdict on the 2018 market and what they look forward to. Looking forward to get back to you in a brand new year. Happy reading!

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DECEMBER 2017

THE TITANS

CATALYSTS

AWARDS 2018

RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE

MARCH, 2018

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CONTENTS

COVER STORY

ADIEU 2017 When IT brought enormous innovation to the business, CIOs took center stage in leading the game. A flashback and flashforward journey to bid adieu to 2017 and welcome 2018 with the change-makers who locked-in superior customer experience to the grassroot of business.

MY VIEWS

INTERVIEW

SOLUTION SPOTLIGHT

MY VIEWS

IDENTIFYING THE STRENGTH & WEAKNESS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGIES

BEING THE PRIMARY STRATEGIST OF THE ENTERPRISE

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO RAISE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES

FOCUSED GOALS

DECEMBER 2017

THE TITANS

MY VIEWS

IDENTIFYING THE STRENGTH & WEAKNESS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGIES “As Head of IT, it is my responsibility to eliminate / remedy any security threats which comes along with the technologies” same in your organization? Both AI & Botnet are the most attractive for me. I am testing Botnet in various areas such as smart parking, interactive smart restaurant table, Integrated Room Management system, QR readable door locks etc. We are trying to implement this with one of our upcoming hotels.

In contrast, which technology of 2017 did you find futile/ non-relevant for the present and why? I feel the e-wallet specifically bitcoins futile for the present day as this gives the hackers upper hand in compromising the other fruitful technologies.

How active are you as a IT head on social media? Do you find it a good platform to share knowledge or has it become too monotonous?

ILHAM ISMAIL, IT HEAD, HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT HOLDING What changes/evolution did the year 2017 bring to your thinking or mindset as a IT head? As an IT professional, I always test modern technologies to identify the strength & weakness. I am at present evaluating AI to incorporate with the chat function on our website. As a Head of IT, it is my responsibility to eliminate / remedy any security threats which comes along with these technologies.

Were you able to stick to your New year resolutions? Did you achieve/over achieve/ under achieve? Our new year resolutions were to go

THE TITANS

DECEMBER 2017

paperless / automating the processes. Hence, we made it a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) for our colleagues to reduce papers by 40%. We introduced new features such as workflow, resource management etc. We also gave the users responsive portal where they could view dashboard/ reports without being printed. After couple of months of implementation, we managed to achieve the set 20% reduction. At this point of time, we over achieved by reducing 50% & targeting to reach up to 90% by the end 2018.

Which technology of 2017 attracted you the most? Have you planned to implement the

I am active on social media to get the updates but careful in posting things specially my whereabouts. The attackers are very actively looking for high-profile users via social media to target them. I am not against social media as it is a fantastic platform for sharing the expertise, announcement etc. If we are vigilant of the threats, social media is a beneficial platform in the present era.

What is your 2018 resolution? What goals do you have for your organization? My 2018 resolutions are to further automate using latest technologies / machine reading technology. My goal is to create efficiencies and to eliminate human errors. I am also in touch with some vendors talking to them in creating the workspace management portal. In the process I am adopting the latest technologies and getting them talk to each other.

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INTERVIEW

BEING THE PRIMARY STRATEGIST OF THE ENTERPRISE “Creating a great IT strategy is more than just words on the page, it’s about transforming your department to become the major driver of growth, innovation, and competitive advantage for your company” the same in your organization? The most important things now a day is the automation and digital because such kind of technologies helping the companies to improve and increase the market share. It was so interested for me to know more about the technology FTTO . Such kind of solution is very powerful in my plan and strategy during the upcoming years specially that we are now in progress for building 3 malls in Abu Dhabi.

In contrast, which technology of 2017 did you find futile/ non-relevant for the present and why?

AHMED ASKAR, CIO, AL SAHRAA HOLDING GROUP What changes/evolution did the year 2017 bring to your thinking or mindset as a CIO? -Information leaders are meant to be the primary strategists of the enterprise. This may seem provocative to you, but why shouldn’t that be true? If you think about it, many of the most important business trends today, such as social media, mobile business, the internet of things, data analytics, all have IT at their core. And the IT department is arguably the one function that breathes life into all other parts of the business. Creating a great IT strategy is more than just words on the page, it’s about transforming your department to become the major driver of growth, innovation, and competitive advantage for your company.

THE TITANS

DECEMBER 2017

Were you able to stick to your New year resolutions? Did you achieve/over achieve/ under achieve? According to my IT strategy about Business Digital Transformation, we achieved to improve our Logistics activity and our company now one of the 5% companies that enter the Digital Age in the Middle east at the Logistics field now, we have the first Roadside Assistance and logistics Service all (Digital) that serving our customers and improve our business workflow.

In brief, which technology of 2017 attracted you the most? Have you planned to implement

I think that all IT Vendors now a day running to improve their technology to be focus in serving Digital Transformation I don’t think that there is any company outside this scope during 2017.

How active are you as a CIO on social media? Do you find it a good platform to share knowledge or has it become too monotonous? The media platforms are very important for any IT Head where you can share your success also it keep you in update at all the time about the technology market.

What is your 2018 resolution? What goals do you have for your organization? According to the company plans, we are working in 3 big projects related to our Investment at the Construction division for building 3 malls in Abu Dhabi owned by AL Sahraa Group. The 3 Projects will start kickoff in 2018. I am working now days in building the Strategic Plan of the technology that will be use all the 3 Malls.

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SOLUTION SPOTLIGHT

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO RAISE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES OMA Emirates has developed several payment solutions that address a range of industries. The opportunities have enabled OMA Emirates to broaden the customer base to include these lucrative sectors where there is a shift towards mobility based terminals while also being focused on the financial sector. n n n n

Delivery (Home) Home Services PoP Up Stores Events/ Exhibitions

On-Board Mobile PoS Ticketing / Transport Services n Mobile Ticketing – Buses / Cabs n Card Based Fare Systems n On-Board Sales (Airlines/ Cruises/ Long Duration Train Services)

NIRANJ SANGAL, GROUP CEO, OMA EMIRATES GROUP. Mobile payments have been gaining prominence in the last few years and a research report by Allied Market Research (AMR) forecasts that the global Mobile Payments Market is expected to garner $3,388 billion by 2022 and grow at a CAGR of 33.4% from 2016 - 2022. The report indicates that the major factors that are driving the growth is the increased penetration of smartphones, growth in m-commerce industry, lifestyle changes and the need for quick and easy transactions. Data, speed, efficiency, safety and transparency are some of the key advantages of the new mobile payments solutions and is not limited to only Mobile based Apps, today players such as Ingenico have introduced retail based solutions like iSMP (iPhone based Terminal), iCMP / Link 2500 (Standalone GPRS Terminals), UnAttended Solutions (i-self Series) for Kiosks, Vending Machines and Parking Solutions which offer the safe, secure and convenient shopping and payment options to end users.

THE TITANS

DECEMBER 2017

To tap into the new and unchartered sectors and as distributors for Ingenico in the Middle East, OMA Emirates has developed several payment solutions that address a range of industries. The opportunities have enabled OMA Emirates to broaden the customer base to include these lucrative sectors where there is a shift towards mobility based terminals while also being focused on the financial sector. These solutions cover services that include hardware, Payment Application and the integration for end users to have a seamless payment experience. OMA Emirates Mobile payment solutions include: In-Store Mobile PoS – Retail Outlets/ Hyper Markets/ Department Stores n Client Servicing n Queue Busting Out-Of-Store Mobile PoS E-Commerce/ F&B Delivery n Field Sales

To capitalize on the existing Benefit Beyond platform, OMA Emirates has recently broadened it’s Benefit Beyond platform previously focused only on being a loyalty card. It now has several additional services added on to the platform and provides customers with a wider range of end user benefits. The new and enhanced offerings include gift cards, prepaid cards and an easy to use mobile application. The prepaid, gift and loyalty cards work on a single integrated platform with transactions and settlements controlled by the OMA Emirates NanoSwitch. The process involves a common GPRS terminal and enables customers to choose an option for either one of the programs. Customers also benefit by redeeming a combined limit of points that they have accrued over any of the cards. Simultaneously through the Graphical User Interface on the BB mobile app, customers are able to view their available points on different loyalty programs. The OMA Emirates Loyalty application provides retailers and specialty providers gift card issuance and stored value programs in-house. This provides the opportunity for end users to use them across promotions, refunds and rebates. This is possible through an intuitive POS interface and is further strengthened with tailor made solutions that suit the individual retailers’ needs. Given the higher usage of loyalty programs, and the inclusion of gift cards and pre-paid options that the Benefit Beyond platform now offers, it strengthens profitability with minimal effort. In tune with the need to provide customer data, process and analyze the information, the program creates reports that deliver customer behavior and provides the opportunity to formulate and implement strategies for greater business profitability as well as to deliver a smoother and enhanced shopping experience.

MY VIEWS

FOCUSED GOALS Chain will be a Game Changer for many of the processes and one of the process which we have started studying is Supply Chain where we think it will provide a detailed view of each step and complete transparency to all the stack holders.

In contrast, which technology of 2017 did you find futile/ non-relevant for the present and why? Artificial Intelligence is not relevant for the current market scenario and will be useful only after 3 years in our business areas where we would like to move from big Physical Showrooms to Digital Showrooms.

How active are you as a CIO on social media platforms? Do you find them a good platform to share knowledge or has it become too monotonous?

DILEEP SOMANI, CIO, OTE GROUP Tell us about the year 2017. What changes/evolution did it bring to your thinking or mindset as a CIO? Digital Transformation is happening and we need to move quickly with this change. We are focused towards mobility and cloud adoption within our organization. Already using IaaS from Microsoft Azure where all our development and Test Servers are migrated. Similarly, using SaaS from SAP for Mobile Applications.

Were you able to stick to your New year resolutions? Did you achieve/over achieve/ under achieve? Yes, we were able to achieve our targets particularly on new adoption of technology as mentioned above. One of the areas we are focused is User Interface and using

three-way strategy for our SAP Application with the objective of helping users to have simple and friendly interface for their day to day work – n Mobility – All the business areas, we have delivered one or more mobile app for internal users thereby improving their productivity. n Fiori App – Wherever possible we are trying to use SAP Fiori App to help users in doing things in much improved and easier way. n SAP Persona – Providing Easy to use Persona Screens for Power Users.

Which technology of 2017 attracted you the most? Have you planned to implement the same in your organization? Block Chain. Yes, but may be sometime in year 2019. I personally believe that Block

I am not very active. It is a good platform for knowledge sharing but definitely, it is monotonous. Actually, it takes a whole lot of time and reduces the overall productivity. I believe that use of Social Media is good to certain extent, which helps you in increasing the awareness but most of time it is very repetitive and addictive. We need to strike a balance as a user of Social Media.

What is your 2018 resolution? What goals do you have for your organization? Two major targets: n DR On Public Cloud - The cost of maintaining Dedicated DR is very high and we need to maintain / replace the infrastructure based on ageing. Now we have started our journey to move the DR on Public Cloud which is not only reducing our cost but helping us to get rid of Infrastructure challenges and will be more focused on data availability. n IOT Project – We want to do the pilot for two of our business scenarios in this area. One in the Automotive Service and another in Electronics Home Appliances business by analyzing and recommending the preventive maintenance before failure.

DECEMBER 2017

THE TITANS

MY VIEWS

HAWK EYE ON EMERGING TECH

For the Group CIO of Safeer Group, the success mantra is simple; “We strategize, we improve. We refine. And ultimately, we win the prize: more new customers that actually produce good LTV.”

In brief, which technology of 2017 attracted you the most? Have you planned to implement the same in your organization? Digital Transformation and Blockchain had been my major technology revolution attraction of the year 2017. We have a massive database with a diversity and depth of transactional data. We track not only what, when, and from whom consumers buy, but also the channel utilized for each purchase. We strategize, we improve. We refine. And ultimately, we win the prize: more new customers that actually produce good LTV. We also made our in-house solution for keeping a track of what our customers buy using Digital Analytics, Customer Analytics, Inventory & Shelf Space Analysis and Category Wise Sales Analysis.

KUMAR PRASOON, GROUP CIO, AL SAFEER GROUP What changes/evolution did the year 2017 bring to your thinking or mind-set as a CIO? A large amount of historical data was available to tap into the power of Customer Centric analytics, however initially we were not very much equipped to leverage this information adequately to understand and plan our business in a scientific, structured and systematic way. The Retail Smart Digital Transformation Strategy enabled us to unearth this Customer Centric valuable information from our retail systems and provide you with granular insights to let Al Safeer make the best business decisions.

Were you able to stick to your New Year resolutions? Did you

THE TITANS

DECEMBER 2017

achieve/over achieve/ under achieve? The key success highlights with respect to the CIO’s goals and objectives for 2017: n Utilize Business Technology Planning process to achieve vertical based objectives n Develop a holistic understanding of business, technical, risk/cost requirements for each customer n Identify opportunities to reduce overall Run-the-Engine costs n Enhance delivery of future initiatives by leveraging Service Oriented Architecture best practices n Reduce overall system risk through improvements in efficiency and effectiveness n Leverage existing technology investments to deliver the next generation of IT solutions

What is your 2018 resolution? What goals do you have for your organization? n Expedites in-store operations, including item look-up, receiving, adjustments, stock counts, and inter-store transfers n Streamlines management of store-labour expenses and in-store processes n Improves controlofinventorymanagement for reduced carrying costs n Prevents stock-outs and overstock using instore location level tracking n Helps save the sale by using real-time crossstore inventory access n Delivers accurate store inventoryvisibilityto all channels n Streamlines store management, improving efficiency and reducing costs n Improves inventory control n Minimizes the need for extensive staff training, reducing labour costs n Improves customer satisfaction through rapid delivery of merchandise to the sales floor

CIO SPEAK

CREATING BUSINESS-RESPONSIVE ARCHITECTURES “Financialindustryisundergoingahugetransformationwithanaggressivego-to-marketstrategywhere speed and agility is the name of the game.” service them as per their expectation. We are already in the digital wave launching our first mobile app late last year and having a good response from our customers. We are carrying forward the unfinished agenda in the digital space to service our customers & enhance their experience across various digital channels.

In contrast, which technology of 2017 did you find futile/ non-relevant for the present and why?

SIVA KUMAR V, HEAD OF IT, DUBAI FIRST What changes/evolution did the year 2017 bring to your thinking or mindset as a IT head? 2017 was quite challenging. In terms of changes, we have started seeing the importance of having a business responsive enterprise architecture model to support the changing business needs and its strategies which we embarked on. I, as an IT head, due to closer involvement with the business, could very well appreciate the business mindset and take proactive measures to empower them technologically.

Were you able to stick to your New year resolutions? Did you achieve/over achieve/ under achieve? Never had any New Year resolutions in particular. However, we successfully

delivered quite a few important projects like CRM and other digital initiatives while we deferred some planned deliveries as per business requirements which has the direct bearing on market sentiments and dynamics.

Which technology of 2017 attracted you the most? Have you planned to implement the same in your organization? Financial industry is undergoing a huge transformation with an aggressive go-tomarket strategy where speed and agility is the name of the game. In this space, digitalization and mobility are the two great technologies which attracted the most due to the instant reach & adoption of these technologies by the end customers. With such tech savvy customers in the region, it is but natural to be there in the digital space to

In my view, with the advent of new technologies which are on the horizon pushing envelope, some of the existing technologies ought to become irrelevant. Considering these exiting advancements, some of the technologies under stress of becoming less relevant in the times are believed to be around Integrated systems, which might push the pure play standalone. Data center infrastructure systems as they are effectively addressing the agile requirement of the business & seems to have a better viability, manageability & TCO. Even the BOT based software are slowly pushing the voice driven interaction model for effective customer service. AI coming of age to become the new User Interface (UI) of every digital business brand pushing the conventional UI.

How active are you as an IT head on social media platforms? Do you find them a good platform or has it become too monotonous? For knowledge sharing, the professional media like LinkedIn are quite useful and I do use them quite often. With so much happening in technology, it is never boring or monotonous. Some report shows LinkedIn to be the #1 platform for B2B marketing and eMeetings. From my perspective, this even allows the B2C to connect well and helps customers to understand the markets, competitive technologies and innovations better.

DECEMBER 2017

THE TITANS

TOP CIO IN MENA

MR.FAHAD DESHMUKH ICT MANAGER & BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANT, JAZEERA EMIRATES POWER ORGANIZATION

Jazeera Emirates Power /SPIE Oil & Gas Middle east & central Asia/Schlumberger

NO. OF YEARS IN SERVICE 18

THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN:

Strategy Formulation & its Implementation ,Being as major stakeholder & responsible in strategy formulation, its implementation in ideagate, decisions to design , develop & market few automation oriented software product such QHSE system , ERP system for service/project based industry , stock share analyzer & idea blue , here I had to manage these projects with limited budgets and resources , to implement this strategy in Kuwait & GCC market , we have worked closely as a team of programmers , domain consultants & marketing experts to make sure these solutions are well designed , well-pitched , have successful implementations to the clients in the region

DIGITIZATION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION MEANS:

“The adoption of big data, cloud, BI, artificial intelligence (AI), mobile technology and the digitization of business will be the primary driver of successful organizations over the next years. Businesses will need to understand the macro trends driving consumerism and global economies to remain relevant.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY OR SOLUTION WOULD YOU BE LOOKING INTO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS?

Big data, cloud, BI, artificial intelligence (AI), mobile technology, IOT

THE TITANS

DECEMBER 2017

YOUR MARKET VERDICT:

Increasingly based on digital technologies and on the new business models it allows. In addition to making traditional research tools more powerful, it will allow for new and near costless types of innovation that require little or no R&D effort. Examples include the digitization of existing products and processes, distributed manufacturing, block chains, and advertising-based “free services” as well as the prospect of more “uberized” activities in multiple sectors, including transport, banking, entertainment, education & healthcare etc.

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NO. OF YEARS IN SERVICE 12

THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN:

The most challenging phase has been the transformation in culture to a more digital first mindset. Making the organization as a whole to think and strategize in a manner that is consistent with the digital evolution, has been a key challenge.

DIGITIZATION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION MEANS:

Digitization for my organization means efficiency and innovation. Digitization is increasingly helping us reimagine norms and principles of carry out tasks from daily routine activities to massively complex projects.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY OR SOLUTION WOULD YOU BE LOOKING INTO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS? The key for us is to think cloud first. Our ability to leverage on the enormous potential of the cloud services is key for us in order to take the next steps.

THE TITANS

DECEMBER 2017

YOUR MARKET VERDICT: There has never been more opportune moment to tap in the potential of the digital technologies that are enabled by CAMBBRIC (Cloud, Artificial Intelligence (AI) , Mobility, Big Data, Blockchain, Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT) and Cyber Security).

COVER STORY

THE TITANS

DECEMBER 2017

COVER STORY

OMAN SAW A POSITIVE GROWTH DESPITE OF THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES THAT THE COUNTRY WENT THROUGH.

YAHYA MAWALI, ICT Advisor, TRA - Oman.

“The year 2017 has been interesting and challenging as the region, especially Oman, has been financially strapped, thus holding back most of exciting implementations scheduled for this period. However, this challenge did not stop us; the marching went on to do what we could. I would summarize 2017 under ICT perspective asOn the positive note, it was The year of Blockchain awareness and promotion throughout the region, however on the negative side, it was the year of increasing Cyber threats, Ransomware being in the forefront, making investment on InfoSec the top priority for many”

ABDULLAH HAMOOD KHALID AL BARWANI, GM – IT Security, Omantel.

“This year has been a very busy year for Chief information security officers (CISOs) as it carried a record breaking attacks and breaches such as WannaCry and the Verison attack that impacted millions of customers. It also included historical attacks on “attackers” such as the attack on Cellebrite and freedom hosting that hosts dark web sites. It proves once again to CISOs that no system is un-hackable and it is just a matter of time. Hence more focus needs to be put in building the technology and the skillset to monitor and discover when attacks happens and how to systematically and structurally respond to security incidents”

WORDS BY ANUSHREE DIXIT As someone quoted correctly, ‘the trick for a business is delivering it’. Some of the great project implementations that we came across in 2017 were a striking

witness of the seamless delivery models that the CIOs chose with the help of the right technology ingredient. Though 2017 was a challenging year

for the market, there was a prominent equilibrium in experimenting new technologies while keeping innovation near.

DECEMBER 2017

THE TITANS

COVER STORY

FOR UAE, THE SITUATION WAS RIPE WITH EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES LIKE AI, MACHINE LEARNING AND BLOCKCHAIN AND THE CIOS WERE ALL HANDS BUSY WITH THE INNOVATIONS COMING ACROSS THEIR WAY.

AJAY RATHI,

ASHITH PIRIYATTIATH,

Senior Director IT, Meraas

Group IT Head, Al Masah Capital.

“2017 was a very challenging year for most of the CIOs. Keeping a balance between systems of operation, experimentation of new technology and future innovation kept us all busy. The new year 2018 will see this challenge amplified further as business requirements in terms of agility and simplicity of operation coupled with focus on Artificial Intelligence and blockchain will keep the ball rolling. Exciting times are ahead for IT”

“2017 was is the year of large scale Digital transformation for AL Masah group and all our entities. Approaching the end of last quarter of 2017, positive results are visible and 2018 will be definitely an year of assessment of Digital transformations in terms of ROI and to plan bigger projects.”

MOHAMMAD SHAHZAD,

MARIO FOSTER,

Chief Information Officer, RDK Commercial Investment.

Group CIO, Al Naboodah Enterprises.

“For us this years was extremely productive, same day of joining, board wanted to deliver value added Digital transformation initiatives instantly.Strategically chosen cloud computing option to deploy email system across group, ERP on Cloud, security, IaaS etc. to achieve Rapid time to Value, scalable, innovative and cost-effective solutions for our multi- location mobile workforce.I believe multi-cloud platforms will grow exponentially because the time has come for “Outcome-as-a-Service” and “Everything-as-a-Service” 20

THE TITANS

DECEMBER 2017

“2017 has been one of the busiest years for ANGE Group IT team, where we started with building a new Data Center utilising Hyper-Converged technology, then we upgraded multiple applications, introduced Multifunction Print Services (MPS), completed two security related projects, launched our Mobility platform, and just recently launched our completely new ERP System across the Group. For 2018, we are taking digital transformation to the next level by considering solutions such as advanced Business Intelligence (BI), Robotic Process Automation (RBA), Cloud DR (DRaaS), several IT/Information Security solutions, and we also have plans to implement multiple business specific related solutions”

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COVER STORY

BUSINESS NEEDS ARE DRIVING THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS ON A MULTITUDE OF PLATFORMS. IT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO SERVICE MULTIPLE GROUPS OF STAKEHOLDERS AND MAKE THEIR EXPERIENCE AS SEAMLESS AS POSSIBLE - SO THAT THEY DON’T EVEN NOTICE THE CONSTANT TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION GOING ON AROUND THEM.

SHAILESH MANI, GM – Information Systems, Flemingo International

“The year 2017 was a great year for us with lots of achievements in IT. We are working towards transforming our existing infrastructure environment from physical to virtual and private could environment”

VIMAL MANI, CISO, Bank of Sharjah

“The whole of this year high volume of financial technology startups have emerged across the globe driven by Fintech innovations such as Distributed Ledger Technology, Crypto Currencies etc.Being a banker, I strongly believe that Blockchain technology will transform the financial services sector by increasing transaction efficiency, transparency and security while reducing costs.” ANSHUL SRIVASTAV, CIO, Union Insurance

“Technology is now a primary asset of any business, 2017 has been in history will be remembered as a year of redefining business through technology. With dawn of 2018 Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Thingsand Digital Transformation will see some wonderful use cases getting implemented during the year. Technology will be infused in every business strategy and incumbents will redefine business models’ on the basis of that.” 22

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The regional banks saw a great transformation too. Blockchain, Fintech etc have paved a great future for the institutions to rethink customer service on new platforms. Bain & Company, in its eighth annual retail banking study, partnered with Research Now to survey more than 133,000 consumers in 22 countries. It found that across most countries at least half of respondents said they are open to buying a financial services product from a technology company. This is particularly true in countries where the banking experience is more time-consuming and cumbersome. For example, in India and Mexico, 91 percent and 81 percent of respondents, respectively, expressed a willingness to run their finances through major tech firms. Interest is similarly high in countries that have long used non-bank payment systems, such as in China, where many consumers conduct financial transactions via WeChat. Here, 88 percent of consumers said they would bank with a tech firm. FINALLY 2018 would undoubtedly be an amazing year. The good thing is that the organizations and the CIOs have a clear roadmap in their mind about how they wish to see their business running. Based on the market observation, one thing definitely has to change. There are still many CIOs and IT Heads who prefer to be unseen from the media or any other platforms. We would definitely urge them to come forward and share their experiences on key platforms. Knowledge sharing is an evergreen model to avoid disasters while fostering symbiotic growth.

MY VIEWS

GOING DIGITAL! In a chat with ECMEA, Rabih Merhy, Cluster Director of IT, for Amwaj Rotana shares about how technology plays an important role in the hospitality industry and how the hotel has enhanced its guest experiences. stages for our industry where customers are still not familiar with it.

In contrast, which technology of 2017 did you find futile/ non-relevant for the present and why? Most of the 2017 technologies were developed based on a requirement or need, however, they still lacked in some areas. I believe we did not have a complete software that can answer those requirements. As an example, Internet Protocol television (IPTV) providers are innovative when it comes to using the same functionality in an easier way through an iPad or mobile App. We need to think bigger and wider bringing a technology that offers significant changes in the industry. We need to step out of the basic, traditional functions of using a TV for entertainment, bills or On-Demand video.

RABIH MERHY, CLUSTER DIRECTOR OF IT, AMWAJ ROTANA Tell us about the year 2017. What changes/evolution did it bring to your thinking or mindset as a CIO/IT head? 2017 was the year of improvements. We made sure that we are up-to-date with all current technologies used and ensured the use of new innovative ideas to enhance current users experience. Being in the hotel industry, it is important to take into consideration all aspects and analyze them in order to enhance our guest’s experiences and exceed their expectations. 2017 also showed us how technology plays a role in the booking decision making process.

Were you able to stick to your New year resolutions? Did you achieve/over achieve/ under achieve? In 2017, we over achieved our targets by

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How active are you as a CIO/ IT head on social media platforms? Do you find them a good platform to share knowledge or has it become too monotonous?

completing all our planned projects and we also made sure to add some more. At the start of the year, we introduced upgraded complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and installed SMART TVs in all our rooms. Furthermore, our new network infrastructure is now eco-friendly and consume less power.

I always try to stay up-to-date with the latest platforms and find myself using LinkedIn and Twitter from time to time. I catch up on the latest news and topics dealing with major technologies and inventions and keep myself up-to date with any major breakouts in the industry. Often, I find information first through social networks than any other form of media.

In brief, which technology of 2017 attracted you the most? Have you planned to implement the same in your organization?

What is your 2018 resolution? (if at all you are a ‘Resolutionmaking’ person) What goals do you have for your organization?

I am amazed with the automation in general and the In-Room technologies for hotels, where it offers guests new experiences during their stay and satisfies their needs. As a hotel, we are aiming towards that direction and started working on the first phase. Business intelligence and robotics had a lot of improvements in different sectors; however, it is beneficial and still at the initial

I always try to have at least one or two set goals each year. In 2018, we need to continue working on refreshing and upgrading our infrastructure that has a direct impact on guest experiences. Almost everything is digital now and one of my main goals for 2018 is turning all our stands digital and displaying all our news and promotions on all screens found in the hotel.

TOP CIO IN MENA

MOHAMMAD KHALED AL HASSAN IT COMPLIANCE COORDINATOR ORGANIZATION: Regulation & Supervision Bureau

NO. OF YEARS IN SERVICE: 16 years

THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN:

The following can be considered the challenges for any organizations looking to improve the services and customer expectations: n System integrations issues to integrate the services in order to minimize customer steps / journey. n Services availability n Fast growing business needs which requires future view from IT to meet the business prospective.

DIGITIZATION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION MEANS:

Happiness of people Future accelerations since we have to shape the future with elaborations of technology and digitization n Future foresight n Readiness for any resilience since the digitization help on operations and business continuity. n Single point of access to all services and required information. n n

WHAT CHANGES/ EVOLUTION DID THE YEAR 2017 BRING TO YOUR THINKING OR MINDSET AS A CIO/IT HEAD?

Year 2017 brings to innovate more on the services and exceed the expectations of the clients as well as the stakeholder view on the technology to be used for customer happiness. Employing AI to be part of the services will bring new method of service delivery to assure people’s happiness.

PLEASE MENTION A FEW 26

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PROJECTS INITIATED BY YOU.

n Having video conference in the police car connected with command and control. n Having Integrated management system (IMS) to combine all the government compliancy requirements with international such as ISO 27001, ISO 20000, ISO 22301, ISO 90001 and others, so one implementation instead of multiple. n First 3 biometric solution worldwide which combining iris, facial and finger print so you can travel now with your emirates ID only. n Implementing Abu Dhabi ERP solution which connect 56 government entities in

Abu Dhabi within same system with 100,000 + users. n Developing the smart policing car

WHAT IS YOUR 2018 RESOLUTION? WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION?

We are on future accelerations era, where everyone should plan on expansion of the IT and tremendous changes on business needs.

YOUR MARKET VERDICT:

n Market needs more innovative solutions and services rather than box moving only, you have to be pioneer in order to compete and success on market contains wide range of products. n Before developing any solutions, solution providers should assure the alignment between business requirements and expectations within the developed solutions

CASE STUDY

MOHAP RE-INVENTS WAREED Ministry of Health and Prevention launches new SBAR app in move to foster more innovation for the nursing profession. Move is part of continuing efforts to enhance and improve Ministry’s electronic healthcare system ‘Wareed’

H.E AWADH SEGHAYER AL KETBI, ASSISTANT UNDERSECRETARY FOR SUPPORT SERVICES, MOHAP As part of the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s (MOHAP) continuing efforts to provide world-class and fully-integrated health care services, the Ministry has announced the launch of a new app, SBAR, which has been designed and developed to help foster and utilize innovations for the nursing profession-including the strengthening of

communication ties among health care specialists and the automation of electronic processes. The launch of the new app also demonstrates the Ministry’s commitment to surpass customer expectations and to establish a smart and efficient health care system. H.E Awadh Seghayer Al Ketbi, Assistant Undersecretary for

Support Services, MOHAP, expressed the Ministry’s keenness in fully utilizing the capabilities of Wareed, which aims to seamlessly link all clinical, operational and administrative data within a unified system. Looking to further complement Wareed’s interoperability, MOHAP has also launched a ‘Smart Electronic Patient Portal,’ which is a new website that has been designed in several languages to allow individuals key access to their health files and communicate directly with the healthcare providers of the Ministry. Mubaraka Ibrahim, Director of Health Information Systems Department, MOHAP, shared that the SBAR app minimizes the risk of human error usually caused by manual operations and promotes the use of electronic and paperless documentation and processing. The new application contributes to reduce the direct intervention with the patient by 75 per cent, resulting in an additional 556.500 hours per year with patients without any additional staff and providing more than 2.000 hours of nursing services—enabling nurses to spend more time with the patients. The SBAR app reduces time and the use of less resources by eliminating manual notes for process-related tasks upon the admission of patients, which has caused many errors. This will also enable emergency room nurses to dedicate more time to patient care.

DECEMBER 2017

THE TITANS

MY VIEWS

BLENDING THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY INGREDIENTS

“We have been experimenting with Watson technology and made a few good prototypes which are very viable commercially for implementation. Autobots are also very close to being the real thing for the future connection between consumers and businesses, there has to be more fine tuning into this but the results and amazing.”

Tell us about the year 2017. What changes/evolution did it bring to your thinking or mindset as a CIO/IT head? 2017 has been a fabulous year— the year of the Blockchain and AI. These technologies have brought a new light to the possibilities of what the future can hold. the impact of these technologies has a far-reaching impact on humans and businesses and we have just caught the tail end of it, from banking, healthcare, manufacturing, services and the list goes on. I, as a leader in technology, see that businesses will be led by technology whether it touches the consumer directly or indirectly, there will be jobs that will be lost but newer opportunities will also be created to manage these technologies.

Were you able to stick to your New year resolutions? Did you achieve/over achieve/ under achieve? I usually like to set some boundaries for my yearly goals and I have to say not all are easy ones, I believe that helps stretch my imagination and takes me out of my comfort zone and brings 28

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the real challenges. We have been experimenting with Watson technology and made a few good prototypes which are very viable commercially for implementation. Autobots are also very close to being the real thing for the future connection between consumers and businesses, there has to be more fine tuning into this but the results are amazing.

In brief, which technology of 2017 attracted you the most? Have you planned to implement the same in your organization? AI has been the forefront for 2017, there are no limitations on its implementations and capabilities and the different kinds of human challenges it can help resolve and take the emotion out of the many complex areas where human factor plays an important role.

In contrast, which technology of 2017 did you find futile/ non-relevant for the present and why? I will not say that a particular technology is irrelevant, sometimes innovations are

ahead of time or just the right problem to solve has yet to be found. If we spoke of AI a few years back we would have been called fools, but today with the right computing power behind us we are making jumping leaps on its implementation.

How active are you as a CIO/IT head on social media platforms? Do you find them a good platform to share knowledge or has it become too monotonous? I do have a twitter handle @Kashif_ RRanaand Linkedin https://www. linkedin.com/in/krana/ I share relevant information as needed and strong.

What is your 2018 resolution? (if at all you are a ‘Resolution-making’ person) What goals do you have for your organization? My view of 2018 is very optimistic, I plan to kick off initiatives on AI and Blockchain to bring business value and customer engagement.

MY VIEWS

KASHIF R. RANA EX- VP TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION @ ETIHAD AVIATION GROUP PRIOR CIO @ COCA-COLA AND GE

DECEMBER 2017

THE TITANS

TOP CIO IN MENA

LASHEEN UMMAR CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER ORGANIZATION

Masafi Co. LLC

NO. OF YEARS IN SERVICE 6 Year

THE MOST CHALLENGING PHASE OF YOUR BUSINESS HAS BEEN:

The speed and scale at which digitization has taken over the business landscape is unprecedented. We had the advantage of entering the digital age at a time when people were yet to begin the process of behavioral adaptation to this transformation. Little did we know that this edge would also prove to be our biggest test... My most junior team members today are ‘digital natives’. But for the majority of the organizational ecosystem, learning new skills has been as big a challenge as letting go of old habits and battling the heightened sense of insecurity that comes with encountering anything unfamiliar. The most important thing in this case has been to pace the uptake of new technology. Organizations must remember that instead of trying to rush people through the process of digitization, the focus should be on making the change organic through an enterprise-wide paradigm shift.

DIGITIZATION FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION MEANS:

Making people more mobile rather than static. We are constantly looking to increase mobility across all verticals and operations. Anytime, anywhere access to information in my organization has given birth to a culture of collaborative, networked learning that requires an innate sense of curiosity. Greater transparency across all levels of the enterprise translates into better coordination and decisionmaking. Digitization has essentially lent a social aspect to workplaces. It doesn’t matter if you are the CEO or an intern, the rules of the game have changed for everyone. Employee engagement has come under the same organizational umbrella as

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customer experience.

WHAT TECHNOLOGY OR SOLUTION WOULD YOU BE LOOKING INTO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS?

We have already mastered the Internet of Things; now is the time for Internet of All Things. This nascent technology is quickly

becoming all pervasive, which gives my organization unparalleled possibilities to streamline processes and manage operations more effectively. Till now, businesses have been using Internet of Things to monitor complex operations. It’s time to explore running these operations with cutting-edge technologies, giving the systems the ability to make autonomous decisions based on sensor data and analytics. Doing this will allow my people to channelize their energies toward more productive and creative endeavors, and innovate better.

YOUR MARKET VERDICT:

I expect enterprise digitization to accelerate unfettered riding on the wings of Cloud technology. Government-backed digitization efforts in United Arab Emirates will also make sure that enterprise IT makes inroads in businesses across all sectors. Organizations will strive to replace the big caulks of capital investment with more flexible and laconic operating expenses by transforming ‘software-as-a-service’ into ‘anything-as-a-service’, leading to an extraordinary uptake in usage-based consumption. More and more cognitive technologies like computer vision and machine learning will be embedded into software applications to deliver a new level of value for enterprises. The market will reward agility, which will force technology companies to focus more on what they do the best and shed the rest.

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