Gulf Business Tech - February 2023

Paul Lalovich, partner at Agile Dynamics

Ivan Bjelajac, CEO of the MVP Workshop

Emilija Vukovic, president of the Serbian Blockchain Initiative

A poignant tale of destiny and polygamy— and one man’s personal struggle to come to terms with his two wives and two lives.

ALL

‘There I was, leading a daily double life …’

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ThinkPhone

by Motorola

Features a 6.6–inch FHD+ display and a 5000 mAh battery

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Sony Float Run

The headphones are lightweight with a flexible neckband that doesn’t slip when in motion

Editor-in-chief

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EDITORIAL

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THE FEED

Factors such as diversity and inclusion will continue to influence hiring decisions

TECH TRENDS 2023

Top predictions from the industry p.08

WHAT’S IN STORE

FOR THE TECHNOLOGY

INDUSTRY IN 2023?

LET’S EXPLORE…

WORDS: DIVSHA BHAT

ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THINGS that the year 2022 taught us was how fast things could change. During the past year, while some of the tech giants struggled to stay afloat many new startups made their way into the market. This shows how predicting the future is challenging. However, we shouldn’t avoid the trends when we see them.

CLOUD – TOP INVESTMENT SPACE

Globally, and in particular, the Middle East has seen a significant increase in cloud adoption over the last few years, with many organisations moving their data to the cloud. The public and private sectors in the region are leveraging cloud computing to improve their infrastructures and services and to streamline and organise their processes.

Looking at the numbers, Gartner predicts that, by 2023, worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services will rise by 20.7 per cent to a total of $591.8bn, up from $490.3bn spent in 2022. This is higher than the 18.8 per cent growth forecast for 2022.

“Current inflationary pressures and macroeconomic conditions are having a push and pull e ect on cloud spending,” said Sid Nag, vice president analyst at Gartner. “Cloud computing will continue to be a bastion of safety and innovation, supporting growth during uncertain times due to its agile, elastic and scalable nature.

Meanwhile, Veritas Technologies, the data management company, unveiled its international cloud survey results. The study found that the UAE organisations are making substantial progress in their transition to cloud computing, ranking as the world’s second-highest adopters of public cloud services.

Johnny Karam, managing director and vice president – International Emerging Region at Veritas Technologies, explains that the UAE is a global hub for digital transformation and is leading the charge when it comes to public cloud adoption globally. “Yet, as each new solution is introduced into an organisation’s technology stack, it adds more complexity and, if not appropriately managed, cost.”

According to Veritas research, 99 per cent of UAE organisations are overspending on cloud and are going over their allocated cloud budgets by an average of 45 per cent. “As the amount of data continues to grow year-overyear, so does the cost of storing it in the cloud, which is becoming harder to justify. Though most companies have realised advanced business strategies through cloud adoption, CEOs and boards will increasingly demand transparency surrounding the ROI of cloud spending.”

CYBERSECURITY – RISING THREATS TO CONTINUE

The cybersecurity landscape continues to worsen despite the e orts security teams have made over the years in order to combat these threats. John Pescatore, director of Emerging Security Trends at Sans Institute believes that the ransomware attacks are not going away and will remain a major threat this year. However, many attackers will choose an easier and less obtrusive

THE SEARCH FOR ‘RIGHT’ TALENT

The cybersecurity sta ng shortage places organisations at significant risk of attacks. In the event that an attack, an organisation will have di culty detecting it as soon as possible due to lack of skilled personnel. A delay in detecting a problem will increase the impact, and this can result in a longer and more expensive recovery process.

Recent studies have determined that 3.4 million people are needed to fill the global cybersecurity workforce gap. A report released by the World Economic Forum found that 59 per cent of businesses would su er a shortage of skills that would hinder their ability to handle a cybersecurity incident in the event that it occurred. The workforce gap increased by 26.2 per cent between 2021 and 2022, an improvement that can be attributed to data from 2022, which showed a worsening of the problem.

path to gain the same critical data. “We will see more attacks target backups that are less frequently monitored, can provide ongoing access to data, and may be less secure or from forgotten older files.

Security tools that typically monitor for these attacks, like Intrusion Prevention Systems, are also o ten turned o or ignored because they o ten trigger false alarms for data backup systems. This makes it even more di cult to distinguish between false and legitimate attacks.”

Meanwhile, Migo Kedem, VP – Growth at SentinelOne, says that the cybercrime economy will continue to thrive. “The attacks we saw in 2022 are more significant than those we witnessed in 2021. However, this is not just a trend; the reasons remain: Vulnerable products, the means of communication, and the speed it takes a zero-day to become an exploit.”

Karam advises that cyber professionals need to close the skills gap to understand what attackers are exploiting and why. “This year, we will see more o ensive training and increased focus on threat hunting to improve hunt-todetection time and examining endpoints and network tra c for anomalies to detect attacks and prevent them from causing damage. This will be especially important with an expanded attack surface from a continued hybrid workforce. At the same time, organisations won’t be able to hire during the recession and will need to upskill and make their sta better trained to defend against attacks. As such, we will also see a rise in purple teaming so that security professionals can practice with each other on penetration testing, uncovering, and defending against the newest cyberattacks.”

However, Rajesh Ganesan, president at ManageEngine, believes that finding and reskilling technology talent will continue to be challenging. “The rapid evolution of technology and the changing business landscape has put pressure on businesses to find and retain talent; the question of whether enterprises should find fresh talent or reskill existing employees is one that enterprises will have to make.

Factors like diversity and inclusion will continue to influence hiring decisions. We believe that continuing to train, educate and foster the careers of existing employees is the best course of action. That said, enterprises will have to choose for themselves how best to proceed.”

The year 2022 was plagued with technological and macro-economic upheavals, many of which carry forward and are combined with cyclic technology predictions for 2023 says Ross Brewer, EVP of EMEA and APJ, SimSpace

Across 2022, several events and trends stand out that will have a material effect on security practices in 2023. Every organisation will need to create a culture of continuous security improvements.

The list below is a subset of what trends and challenges C-level executives, and governance, risk and compliance teams are likely to face in 2023.

Industry mentoring

Threat actors of all types, funded and supported by nationstates, groups and single activists and criminal organisations, have stepped up their game. Chief information security officers (CISOs) need increasingly sophisticated assistance from the security industry to combat these attacks. Vendors must work together and provide solutions that address the security and business needs.

Remote working and skills

Remote work is now an integral part of the workforce. Talent and elite skills are always in demand and making remote work secure will be critical to staying competitive. According to the latest ISC2 Work Force Study, the cybersecurity world is understaffed by 3.4 million professionals. The best investment for an enterprise is through tools and time spent to scale up skills. Therefore, all industries, sectors and organisations must invest in cybersecurity training.

Stack complexity

Security stacks are too complex. They need to be simplified and consolidated to optimise protection, making them easier to administrate and contain costs. 75 per cent of enterprises are already trying to do this, with a higher sense of urgency in the coming year.

In addition to the above, here are some forward looking, cyclic cybersecurity technology and platform predictions, conceptualised for 2023.

Platform consolidation

In 2023, we will see an acceleration in the growth of the

integrated cybersecurity platform. As part of the need to drive simplicity, Gartner indicates 57 per cent of CISOs want to get to 10 or fewer significant vendors, which will create a competitive market scenario for larger security platform vendors.

Edge of the enterprise

According to ESG, applications on the edge of the enterprise will grow by 54 per cent in 2023. They are also more attractive targets for threat actors than the fortified enterprise data centre. These applications are harder to protect because non-employees use them and real-time, transactional data is processed at the edge. Mitigating this risk will require new thinking, training and processes.

Incident disclosures and persistent patching

Transparency in disclosures of threat incidents, intrusions, ransomware, will be a focus in 2023. New SEC rules will come into play and enterprises will need to get their acts together. Additionally, over 50 per cent of breaches can be prevented with active patch management. This simple yet time-consuming task is the most useful thing security teams can do to prevent breaches.

Insider threats

Organisations are facing a rise in insider threats, which is expected to continue in 2023. Organisations must be able to audit user controls and conduct real-time risk assessments to mitigate unwarranted access to their systems.

THE CYBERSECURITY WORLD IS UNDERSTAFFED BY 3.4 MILLION PROFESSIONALS

Privacy

The approach of industry-driven data privacy regulations has meant many businesses have been exempted from this mandatory regulation. More and more countries will now become universally tough on data privacy and controls. According to Gartner, by end of 2023, modern data privacy laws will cover personal information of 75 per cent of the world’s population. The cybersecurity industry will need to proactively understand the impact of the above trends on their products, platforms and business model to remain relevant in 2023 and ahead.

TRENDS THAT WILL DOMINATE THE MARKET IN 2023

The year 2022 has been interesting for the world of blockchain, especially when it comes to cryptocurrency. Looking ahead, here are the top five emerging blockchain trends that are set to dominate the market in 2023.

Increased adoption by enterprises

This year, we can expect to see an increase in adoption by enterprises. Not only does blockchain increase security, but it also leads to greater trust, enhances capabilities, and ensures transparency and the traceability of data shared across an enterprise’s network by leading to more secure supply chain interactions. It can also cut costs due to a host of efficiencies, such as eliminating intermediaries.

Over the past few years, companies worldwide have come to notice the benefits of incorporating blockchain

technology into their day-to-day operations. The UAE is one of the first countries to capitalise on its potential and has begun to reap the many benefits brought on by it. In fact, the UAE government was one of the first in the world to prioritise blockchain adoption, with the launch of the Emirates Blockchain Strategy, among many other initiatives that followed, transforming the city into a hub for blockchain and crypto enthusiasts.

Greater interoperability between blockchain platforms

There are currently many different blockchain platforms that are not compatible with one another. As a result, this can make it difficult for businesses to use multiple platforms or to

switch from one platform to another. However, we will see more and more platforms working together in 2023 to create a more cohesive ecosystem and maximise the benefits of blockchain technology.

Dr Dustin Sebell, advisor, XinFin

This is important because cross-chain protocol permits data sharing across a range of blockchain networks, leading to the exchange of value and information and facilitating transfers between different kinds of tokens or assets.

Restored crypto investor confidence

The collapse of FTX, one of the crypto sector’s platforms, led to a colossal loss in investor confidence, as crypto markets plunged, and investors were left unable to access their assets.

However, this year could see a restoration of investor confidence as people worldwide continue to acknowledge the massive untapped potential of cryptocurrencies and the longterm future of blockchain and digital assets.

The good news, in all of this, is that the space is now being forced to re-examine its priorities. Far too much trust had been placed in a small handful of unaccountable and nontransparent individuals and entities by evangelists of an emerging technology that promises, funny enough, to free us from such trust altogether. Many had to learn this the hard way.

But the increased scepticism – of charismatic leaders, opaque exchanges, and overly centralised projects of all

THE FACT THAT THE ORIGIN OF GOLD BARS IS 100 PER CENT TRACEABLE AND DURING A TIME WHEN CLIMATE CHANGE SEEMS TO DOMINATE MANY INDUSTRY DISCUSSIONS, INVESTORS WHO ARE MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS MIGHT FIND THIS REASSURING

types and kinds – is progress or, rather, a return in the best sense of the word. Going forward, the space will be getting back to basics.”

Blockchain-based gold trading

The gold industry is currently betting on blockchain to help keep illicit gold bars out of the market. Applying it to gold trading can ensure the seamless tracking of production processes and transactions, enabling greater transparency and security in precious metal trading.

Blockchain, in this case, can facilitate the identification of smuggled goods or gold from conflict zones or countries where gold mining often violates human rights or is harmful to the environment. The fact that the origin of gold bars is 100 per cent traceable and during a time when climate change seems to dominate many industry discussions, investors who are more environmentally conscious might find this reassuring.

We are already beginning to see this trend come to fruition, with some recent key partnerships formed to tackle illicit gold trade. The London Bullion Market Association and the World Gold Council announced that they will be developing a digital system to track gold through the supply chain using blockchain.

Buying and selling digital assets of gold will soon become a reality for investors in Dubai, especially with the recent launch of a blockchain-based trading platform which works by tokenising the precious metal, ensuring it is backed by registered physical gold bars.

Digital commerce applications

The growth of the e-commerce sector, largely spurred by the pandemic, means that the collection of consumer data is on the rise, thus enhancing the need for better security. We can expect to see tremendous growth in the adoption of blockchain technologies in the digital commerce sector to solve this issue among others.

Blockchain transactions are instantaneous as they do not need to go through traditional banks. This eliminates delays in payment processing and pending transactions, making online financial transactions faster, easier and more secure. It is a win-win for both buyers and sellers.

The gold industry is currently betting on blockchain to help keep illicit gold bars out of the market. Applying it to gold trading can ensure the seamless tracking of production processes and transactions, enabling greater transparency and security in precious metal trading”

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHARGING AN ELECTRIC CAR

IF YOU’RE NEW TO EVS, HERE’S A CHARGING PRIMER TO GET YOU UP TO SPEED

Most electric vehicle (EV) owners talk about a moment of zen – a point, typically a few weeks after buying their car, at which all the anxiety about charging and range just disappears. They’ve figured out the new technology and realised it wasn’t so hard after all.

But for new owners, or the EV-curious, charging can be intimidating. How does it work? How long does it take? What is a kilowatt-hour, anyway? If you’re new to EVs, here’s a charging primer to get you up to speed.

GET A CHARGER AT HOME (OR WORK), PLUG IN AT 20 PER CENT, TOP UP TO 80 PER CENT. RINSE. REPEAT

Where can I charge an electric car?

There are three options: a private charger, a public fastcharging site or a slower public charging site. The first option is typically the best and cheapest and doesn’t involve waiting. Another smart strategy is to top up at a public station in a place where you would be spending some time anyway – say, the gym or the grocery store. These chargers typically add somewhere around 30 miles an hour. They’re also relatively cheap to build and thus are popping up all over the place, particularly in shopping centres and in o ce parks.

How do you charge an EV on a long trip?

You’ll probably want a so-called fast-charger to top up along the way. There are about 8,000 of these sites in the US, dotting service stations and rest stops along interstate highways and other major roadways. Once you punch in a destination, most EVs will now map the most e cient route, including stops for charging.

Those who prefer the do-it-yourself approach can build their own itinerary via an app like Plugshare, a platform in which drivers crowdsource information on charging locations, including feedback on each site’s speed and reliability.

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

Most of the time, somewhere around 15 minutes will be enough at a fast charger. The latest electric vehicles and charging infrastructure are built to get the job done quickly. When the machinery on both sides of the cord is fairly current, a quarter hour will add more than 160 kilometres of range for the vast majority of contemporary EVs, which is typically plenty unless you’re on a long road trip.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?

In the wild, probably somewhere around $18. That’s for a 15-minute session with an average contemporary EV at a typical rate (35 cents per kWh). In truth, though, this is probably the most complex question in charging. Prices vary widely by state and by network, and pricing structures di er too, with some companies charging by kilowatt hour and others by time. To complicate matters further, rates can vary based on the time of day and there are memberships, which provide lower per-unit prices in exchange for a monthly or annual fee.

How much does it cost to charge an EV at home?

On average, about $50 a month. Though again, it varies widely based on where you live and how e cient your EV is at turning electrons into miles.

How accurate are EV range estimates?

O cial EV range estimates reflect a mixed-route driving regimen as determined by the Environmental Protection

Agency. Higher-speed cruising is only part of the equation; ditto stop-and-go tra c. Generally speaking, if you are going fast on an interstate, your observed range will be slightly lower than the estimate. In tra c or running errands around town, the opposite will be true – your battery will stretch farther than expected.

Keep in mind, your choices matter too. Cranking the AC, carrying heavy cargo and accelerating quickly, among other things, will hamstring distance.

Can you charge a Tesla at a non-Tesla station?

Yes. If you’ve got a Tesla, you can plug in at pretty much any public charging station, though you will need an adapter. Because of the sheer number of Teslas relative to other EVs, private, for-profit charging networks still desperately need your business.

What happens if my EV runs out of battery?

When range is getting low, most contemporary EVs do the math and automatically navigate to a nearby charger. Many also activate some form of “limp-home” function, a setting that shuts down climate control and other non-essentials in order to squeeze a few more miles of distance. Even when the battery is all but dry, your car

will drag itself along slowly – the accelerator pedal will feel mushy – to at least die in a safe place. At that point, there are emergency roadside charging services in some markets, but in many places, you’ll need a tow truck to move your bricked EV to a plug.

What’s the most efficient way to charge an EV?

If you want to prioritise battery life, charge mainly on slower networks, don’t fill up all the way and don’t drive until empty. Get a charger at home (or work), plug in at 20 per cent, top up to 80 per cent. Rinse. Repeat.

The government reckons most EV batteries will last between 12 and 15 years. And remember, the longer that you own your electric vehicle – and the further you drive – the more carbon it o sets. Get it up around 200,000 miles and it will start glowing green.

THE GOVERNMENT RECKONS MOST EV BATTERIES WILL LAST BETWEEN 12 AND 15 YEARS. AND REMEMBER , THE LONGER THAT YOU OWN YOUR ELECTRIC VEHICLE – AND THE FURTHER YOU DRIVE – THE MORE CARBON IT OFFSETS. GET IT UP AROUND 200,000 MILES AND IT WILL START GLOWING GREEN

THE LATEST TECH NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD

iPhone exports from India double to surpass $2.5bn

Apple exported more than $2.5bn of iPhones from India from April to December 2022, nearly twice the previous fiscal year’s total, underscoring how the US tech giant is accelerating a shift from China with geopolitical tensions on the rise.

Foxconn Technology Group and Wistron Corp. have each shipped more than $1bn of Apple’s marquee devices abroad in the first nine months of the fiscal year ending March 2023, people familiar with the matter said.

Volkswagen targets signifi cant EV returns from 2026

Volkswagen AG sees investments in new software and electric-vehicle technology peaking in the next two to three years with a goal of making significant returns from batterypowered models from then onward.

By 2026, Europe’s biggest carmaker will be making “hardly any” investments in legacy combustion-engine technology, VW chief financial officer Arno Antlitz said in an interview with Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

“The double investment burden will fade then, and that’s when we want to make significant returns from electric mobility,” he said.

Fujitsu to divest entire $1bn air-conditioning unit stake

Fujitsu is aiming for a quick sale of its entire stake in air-conditioning manufacturing unit Fujitsu General to help streamline its operations, and isn’t considering a partial divestment, its chief executive officer said.

The Japanese IT firm, which made everything from laptops and supercomputers to chips, mobile phones and home appliances, has hived off much of its consumer product lineup to focus on communications and information technology systems for businesses.

US inks $25m deal to fight Ebola with Moderna Technology

University of Texas researchers have clinched a US Department of Defense contract worth up to $25m to develop vaccines using Moderna’s messenger RNA technology.

Scientists at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, in partnership with Moderna, were awarded $13.5m over three years to design, manufacture and test mRNA vaccines for Ebola and other lethal pathogens. The project covers the shots’ development through Phase 1 clinical trials and UTMB could receive an additional $11.1m to study alternative ways of administering the vaccines.

Bosch doubles down on China with $1bn EV parts plant

Robert Bosch is spending around $1bn to make electric-vehicle components in China, as the automotive supplier hopes to benefit from the country’s shift away from the combustion engine.

Bosch plans to build a facility in Suzhou in Jiangsu province to develop, test and manufacture car parts and automated-driving technology mainly for local automakers, the German manufacturer said.

“This is an important step on the way to future mobility in the world’s largest car market,” CEO Stefan Hartung said in a statement.

Sony and Honda unveil Afeela EV

Sony Honda Mobility said its electric vehicle will launch under the brand Afeela, the latest debut in a field already crowded by earlier entrants such as Tesla.

Cars bearing the new marque will capitalise on the expertise of Sony Group and Honda Motor, Sony Honda Mobility chief executive officer Yasuhide Mizuno said, unveiling the venture’s first prototype during Sony’s CES press conference in Las Vegas.

The new company is also collaborating with Qualcomm. and Epic Games to enable 5G connectivity and entertainment.

- WITH INPUTS FROM BLOOMBERG

U I D B L

W N Y O U R

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES OFFER A SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNTRIES IN GROWTH MARKETS TO ENTER THE GAME AND COMPETE

As we stand on the cusp of a new era, the question on everyone’s mind is: What does the future hold? With the advent of Web3, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, it’s clear that the world as we know it today is set to undergo significant transformation. Emerging technologies are a significant opportunity for countries in the growth markets to enter the game and compete. According to Mohamed Baaqil, partner at Impact Partners, emerging technologies present more opportunities for developing countries to enter the market than traditional technologies. “While mature and mostly dominated by established companies, emerging technologies are relatively new and have fewer established players. This provides an opening for developing countries to enter the market, especially those with a large pool of young, tech-savvy individuals who can drive innovation and development.”

However, developing countries are falling behind as the world becomes increasingly techoriented. Large monopolistic companies use their limitless resources to dominate underdeveloped markets. A good example is a global player in ride-sharing services, running local taxi services out of business wherever they set their operations, like in many African countries. Furthermore, the advertisement and marketing sectors have also seen this in action, as “big

tech” has brought local media on the verge of extinction in developing countries. Thus, creating strategies that appropriately balance technology sovereignty and interdependence becomes critical. This way, developing countries can continue improving without sacrificing their ability to compete globally with large corporations, according to Franklin Peters, chief executive o cer, Boundlesspay.

WHY IS TECHNOLOGY SOVEREIGNTY SO VITAL?

Technology sovereignty refers to a country or organisation having control over its own technology infrastructure and not being dependent on foreign technology or companies. Emilija Vukovic, president of the Serbian Blockchain Initiative, says, “Technology sovereignty allows a country to maintain control over its critical infrastructure and sensitive data. It encourages and supports domestic technology companies that can lead to job creation and economic growth, it allows a country or organisation to make its own decisions about the technology it uses, and how it uses it rather than being dependent on foreign technology or companies, privacy and data protection

Franklin Peters, chief executive officer, Boundlesspay

Mohamed Baaqil, partner at Impact Partners

Emilija Vukovic, president of the Serbian Blockchain Initiative

are protected through technology sovereignty, investing in domestic research and development can lead to new technologies and intellectual property that can be used to create new products and services which generate economic benefits; finally, having a robust domestic technology sector can help countries be more competitive on the global stage.

“We also believe it is important to consider how the right to control personal data can contribute to the ability of individuals to control their own digital identity and their right to digital self-determination.”

While data protection and privacy are key outcomes of technology sovereignty, however, it goes beyond data, as it encompasses national security, economic independence, political sovereignty, innovation and development, comments Saad Abujubara, partner at Impact Partners.

FUTUREPROOFING BY BUILDING YOUR OWN

Amidst the pressing demands to achieve critical sustainable development goals, governments in developing countries face the additional complex task of embracing new digital technologies such as blockchains. Moreover, countries in the growth markets are familiar with the constant demands for change propelled by the so-called “digital revolutions.” As a result, many national and even regional governments have taken action in one way or another to harness the potential benefits of new digital technologies. While pilots and on-the-ground digital initiatives pushed by the private sector, governments in

TO HELP COUNTRIES AND ORGANISATIONS PLACE THEIR BETS ON TECHNOLOGIES,

many countries, reacting slowly, mainly focused on policy and strategy development.

Blockchain technology o ers unprecedented opportunities for organisations seeking continuous innovation by providing new ways to innovate across many industries. Unfortunately, when it comes to technology, developing countries are playing catchup. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t making progress. According to Paul Lalovich, partner at Agile Dynamics, “Building on your blockchain network can allow for experimentation and innovation, leading to new opportunities to bring together people across the digital highway from the Atlantic to the Pacific.”

To help countries and organisations place their bets on technologies, Ivan Bjelajac, CEO of the MVP Workshop, and his team established 3327 Studio. An R&D digital collective with a mandate to map technologies on a Web3 Technologies Radar, which shows di erent technologies in today’s blockchain landscape, their current return on investment, and how important they will be to business leaders and organisations in the future.

As we look to the future, it is clear that technology will play a crucial role in shaping our world. While some countries may be ahead of the curve, it is essential to recognise the progress being made by nations like Saudi Arabia. Leaders such as Yasser Alobaidan, chairman of Jawraa, are driving innovation and paving the way for a new era of decentralised technology. The future is bright for nations like Saudi Arabia, as entrepreneurs like Jawraa and their team are at the forefront of a technological revolution.

AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE, IT IS CLEAR THAT TECHNOLOGY WILL PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN SHAPING OUR WORLD

IVAN BJELAJAC, CEO OF THE MVP WORKSHOP, AND HIS TEAM ESTABLISHED 3327 STUDIO

Saad Abujubara, partner at Impact Partners

Ivan Bjelajac, CEO of the MVP Workshop

Paul Lalovich, partner at Agile Dynamics

Yasser Alobaidan, chairman of Jawraa

“Web3 and the metaverse have the potential to revolutionise the way we interact and conduct business online. The Middle East has been investing in emerging technologies, and it’s expected that this will continue in the coming years”

NEW FRONTIERS FORGING

PAUL LALOVICH, PARTNER AT AGILE DYNAMICS TELLS DIVSHA BHAT

HOW WEB3 DELIGHT RIYADH IS CONNECTING GLOBAL AND LOCAL WEB3

PLAYERS FOR ENHANCED COOPERATION OPPORTUNITIES

In your view, how do you see the growth of emerging technologies in the Middle East, such as blockchain, Web3 and the metaverse?

It is di cult to predict exactly how emerging technologies such as blockchain, Web3, and the metaverse will grow in the Middle East, but it is likely that they will have a significant impact on various industries. Blockchain technology has the potential to increase transparency and security in various sectors such as finance and supply chain management. Web3 and the metaverse have the potential to revolutionise the way we interact and conduct business online. The Middle East has been

investing in emerging technologies, and it’s expected that this will continue in the coming years. However, the adoption of these technologies may be a ected by factors such as government regulations and infrastructure.

How is Web3 becoming a more prominent part of today’s economy and what are the top industries that are using it?

Web3 is becoming increasingly prominent as more businesses and industries are starting to explore its potential benefits. One of the top industries using Web3 is finance, specifically in the form of decentralised

finance (DeFi) which is a digital asset-based financial system built on blockchain technology. DeFi allows for the creation of decentralised financial products such as lending, borrowing and trading platforms.

Another industry that is exploring this technology is gaming, specifically in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) which are digital assets that are unique and cannot be replicated or exchanged for an equivalent. NFTs are being used in the gaming industry to represent in-game items such as weapons, armour and collectibles, and players can buy, sell and trade them on various platforms.

Other industries include supply chain management, digital identity and real estate.

Can you tell us more about Web3 Delight? What is the vision of the event?

Web3 Delight is an event focused on the next iteration of the Internet across the growth markets and the technologies that power it, such as blockchain, DeFi and NFTs. The event brings together experts, developers and enthusiasts in these fields to discuss the latest trends, challenges and opportunities in Web3 technology.

The vision of the event is to educate and inspire attendees on the potential of Web3 technology to revolutionise various industries and to connect them with others in the Web3 community.

The event is designed as a platform for sharing ideas, insights and best practices for building decentralised applications and services on top of Web3, and for fostering collaboration and innovation in the Web3 ecosystem.

Why did you choose Saudi Arabia as one of your locations for the event? Would you be able to give us some insights into the speakers and topics of the panel discussions?

With a vision to engage, empower and support an advanced economy that is proactive, customised, collaborative and secure, a ter Lagos and Abu Dhabi, Web3 Delight Riyadh is uniting both global and local

Web3 players to facilitate cooperation opportunities towards enhancing the digital transformation ecosystem.

Web3 Delight is the first event of its kind in the kingdom fully dedicated to Web3 tech and brining a unique blend of native tech leaders and traditional industry. Saudi Arabia has been actively working to diversify its economy and become a leader in technology and innovation. Saudi government has invested heavily in building a robust infrastructure and creating a favourable environment for technology companies to operate and grow.

One of the initiatives that the kingdom has undertaken to promote technology is the Vision 2030 plan, which aims to develop the country’s technology and digital infrastructure, and to create a thriving startup ecosystem.

Another reason why Saudi is an attractive location is its strategic place at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, making it a hub for international business and trade. Additionally, the country has a young population that is highly educated and tech-savvy, which makes it an ideal market for technology companies to reach and test new products.

Finally, the Saudi government has been taking e orts to promote the country as a destination for business and tourism, which could be a catalyst for organising a conference in the country.

What are some of the learnings people might be able to take away from the event?

The key message that has been resonating across the pathway of the Web3 Delight is ‘Build Your Own!’. The theme of the kicko event in Lagos, Nigeria, was ‘Wake up the lion’. We believe in technology sovereignty. We think people should be able to move freely between di erent technologies, platforms and networks. We want to ensure that people can choose which technologies they want to use, and not be stuck with one because it’s the only available option. Blockchain can be the future, but it’s up to us to forge the frontier.

Please share the roadmap of Web3 Delight for the year ahead.

Web3 Delight is a series of events stretching from Nigeria, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Vietnam to the Philippines. Events are oriented towards boosting cooperation and interconnectivity between growth markets based on blockchain technology while driving the adoption of Web3.

ONE OF THE INITIATIVES THAT THE KINGDOM HAS UNDERTAKEN TO PROMOTE TECHNOLOGY IS THE VISION 2030 PLAN, WHICH AIMS TO DEVELOP THE COUNTRY’S TECHNOLOGY AND DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AND TO CREATE A THRIVING STARTUP ECOSYSTEM

The key message that has been resonating across the pathway of the Web3 Delight is ‘Build Your Own!’. The theme of the kickoff event in Lagos, Nigeria, was ‘Wake up the lion’”

USHERING IN A NEW ERA OF INCENTIVES

SYNTHETIC EQUITY IS AN ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL REWARDS FOR AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE

Synthetic equity refers to a collection of strategies and instruments used to provide employees with financial advantages of share ownership without actual shares changing hands. It is a potent instrument that practically all advanced investment organisations may utilise to attract, retain and reward competent employees.

The favourable economic qualities of equity are embedded into synthetic equity plans, also known as

equity alternatives, without the financial obligations coming from purchasing shares from the initial owner. Instead, synthetic equity programmes o ten develop into cash payments to the employee and a corresponding deduction for the employer. Since it represents compensation, synthetic equity may be easily adjusted to handle almost any scenario.

The following scenarios exemplify the situations in which synthetic equity is an optimal solution:

An employee desires ownership-like benefits but is unable or unwilling to assume the financial risk of purchasing and paying for company equity.

An employee aspires to ownership but lacks the credentials or licenses required for a role of a full equity partner in the company.

Employees feel uncomfortable providing personal guarantees or accepting responsibility for credit lines, o ce leases, payroll-related expenditures, or the commitments made under buy-sell or continuity agreements.

A company owner wants to share the economic worth of equity rather than the actual equity. This includes owners not interested in supporting this transaction with seller financing.

A company owner wishes to motivate an employee to work on increasing the company’s value but also wants to discourage them from leaving and creating competition for the business, engaging in client solicitation, or performing other actions that might harm the company.

An owner planning to leave the company in the following 5-year period wishes to reward one or more critical workers at the time of the sale without requiring them to purchase and pay for equity.

TOKENISATION OF BUSINESS AND INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE

The above method has been known for decades. The critical challenge in the modern business world is ensuring that innovation and productivity are rewarded equitably across an organisation. At the same time, executives must be compensated for creating these conditions.

However, rewarding innovation and equitably delivering executive-level incentives and rewards across the organisation from the top to the shop floor is the alternative made possible only by deploying smart contracts and blockchain technology – tokenising business and individual performance.

The tokenisation of business elements such as performance and innovation is one of the newest ways to drive planned outcomes. The process is about moving your business to blockchain.

Although it may seem complicated and challenging to implement, almost any entrepreneur can tokenise the building blocks of their business. Tokenisation is simply transforming a company’s value into a digitised resource in the form of tokens.

Tokens represent a value within the organisation in a transparent and auditable way. They can be cashed in upon completion of the vesting period if both company and individual targets have been met. What makes Synthetic Equity on the chain unique is its transparency, auditability of incentives, and most notably, equitable distribution of tokens corresponding to each employee’s job size.

CONCLUSION

In the hands of a forward-thinking business leader, synthetic equity is a potent instrument. It may be utilised to solve the di culty of attracting, rewarding, and maintaining top talent to create a great practice or viable business without the challenges of selling and paying for an actual ownership stake.

Like full stock, synthetic equity may refocus the employee’s attention and motivate them to contribute to a flourishing and profitable company. has these elements business

company.

Tokens represent a value within the organisation in a transparent and auditable way. They can be cashed in upon completion of the vesting period if both company and individual targets have been met

SYNTHETIC EQUITY PROGRAMMES OFTEN DEVELOP INTO CASH PAYMENTS TO THE EMPLOYEE AND A CORRESPONDING DEDUCTION FOR THE EMPLOYER

THE NEXT DIGITAL PHASE IN PLAY

VARA has established a metaverse HQ in the virtual world, ‘The Sandbox’. It is the world’s first regulator to debut in the metaverse

Digitalisation has swept the globe as the precursor to the fourth industrial revolution, increasing business efficiency and cutting operational costs. The GCC too is undergoing a digital paradigm shift. Several countries in the region are looking at digital transformation as a way to diversify their economies.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

In the UAE, technology is entering a new era. Last year, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, issued the Dubai Virtual Asset Regulation Law to establish a legal framework to protect investors and implement international standards for virtual assets industry governance.

The Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority has established a metaverse HQ in the virtual world, ‘The Sandbox’. It is the world’s first regulator to debut in the metaverse.

Meanwhile, Dubai announced the ‘Dubai Robotics and Automation (R&A) Programme’ that aims to boost the development, testing and adoption of R&A. The initiative will provide 200,000 robots over the next 10 years to improve productivity and e ciency in various industries.

Positioning itself as a frontrunner in emerging technologies, Dubai also launched its metaverse strategy. Over the next five years, Dubai Metaverse Strategy is expected to contribute Dhs4bn to the national economy while creating 40,000 virtual jobs.

SAUDI ARABIA

There has been a dramatic increase in digital transformation projects over the last couple of years due to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

In an announcement last year, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, announced the design of a new zero-carbon city, ‘The Line’ in Neom. The city’s design will be completely digitised, and the construction will be industrialised to a large degree by using advanced construction technologies.

Meanwhile, Neom announced a $175m Series E investment in Volocopter, a German aircra t manufacturer. The joint venture will o er electric air taxi services in Neom to connect areas such as The Line, Oxagon and Trojena together.

Additionally, there is significant growth in the gaming and esports industries. This growth has also been reflected in the government’s announcement of a

THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL IS UNDERGOING A DIGITAL PARADIGM SHIFT AND THE COUNTRIES IN THE REGION ARE LOOKING AT NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AS WAYS TO DIVERSIFY THEIR ECONOMIES

WORDS: DIVSHA BHAT

National Gaming and Esports Strategy. Furthermore, in terms of the adoption of Web3 technologies, the Royal Commission for AlUla entered the metaverse with an immersive 3D model of Hegra’s Tomb of Lihyan, son of Kuza, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

OMAN

Throughout the past few years, the Sultanate of Oman has embarked on an ambitious journey aimed at transforming the country by empowering its people through the e.Oman initiative, which opens up thousands of job opportunities for Omanis in the IT sector within the digital economy.

In line with the government’s vision, private sector organisations also support the industry’s growth by staying a step ahead of technology adoption. For example, logistics provider Aramex concluded the pilot phase of its drone delivery programme in Muscat. The test flights were conducted in association with US-based UVL Robotics, a drone technology provider.

Meanwhile, Equinix, the digital infrastructure company, announced plans to build a data centre in Salalah. The data centre, being built in partnership with Omantel, the regional wholesale carrier will become a key interconnectivity point for traffic flows between Asia, Europe and Africa.

QATAR

Embracing the opportunities and challenges of the fourth industrial revolution, Qatar’s National Vision 2030 focuses on digital transformation. Qatar is enabling the digital ecosystem by leveraging technology tools such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI). For instance, in partnership with Microsoft, Qatar’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announced the launch of the country’s first

hyper-scale cloud data centre region. Regardless of size or industry, businesses can now host cloud workloads in these data centres.

Meanwhile, having hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the country upgraded its digital infrastructure. AI was used at the technological centre to monitor spectators, forecast crowd swells and regulate stadium temperatures. The Lusail Stadium, the 88,966-capacity arena, had facial recognition technology allowing the crew to zoom in on fans.

Equinix, the digital infrastructure company, announced plans to build a data centre in Salalah

BAHRAIN

The concept of digital transformation is a key component of Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030, a national development plan focusing on sustainability, competitiveness and fairness. In pursuit of these significant goal, the kingdom has adopted a wide range of digital tools. As a result, the nation has witnessed a surge in economic growth and employment opportunities.

Meanwhile, during the first three quarters of 2022, Bahrain’s Economic Development Board received $98m (BHD37m) in direct investments from 14 international firms. These investments are expected to create over 770 jobs to support the kingdom’s Economic Recovery Plan objectives.

Regarding connectivity, stc Bahrain has announced plans to build a 5.5G network in partnership with Huawei, making it the first company in the Middle East to adopt this technology. The announcement is part of stc Bahrain’s strategy to develop the infrastructure for the next generation of 5G (5.5G) within three years.

KUWAIT

The New Kuwait 2035 vision goes beyond infrastructure mega-projects to challenge Kuwaitis, especially the youth, to boost their role in the economy and society. The Kuwaiti government has prioritised the digital transformation of the public and private sectors. Meanwhile, the telecom landscape in Kuwait is widespread and robust. stc was the first operator to launch an end-to-end 5G SA network based on a cloud-native core. Additionally, Zain completed the first live trial in the region of open and virtual radio access networks in Kuwait.

The ICT market in Kuwait was valued at $20.61bn in 2021 and is estimated to growth to $30.58bn by 2026

THE GCC IS UNDERGOING A DIGITAL PARADIGM SHIFT WITH SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN THE REGION LOOKING AT DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AS A WAY TO DIVERSIFY THEIR ECONOMIES

CRYPTO LENDERS MORPH INTO MINERS

Crypto lenders have repossessed so many Bitcoin mining rigs they’re resorting to plugging them in and extracting tokens themselves.

Lenders are getting creative as to what to do with the mining machines they accepted as collateral for the some $4bn in rig-backed loans they underwrote when the rally in Bitcoin seemed unstoppable. With the recent surge in loan defaults and plunge in cryptocurrencies, the value of new generation machines has dropped 85 per cent, according to data from Luxor Technologies.

While some machines are just sitting in warehouses, waiting for prices to recover, lenders like New York Digital Investment Group (NYDIG) are using debt negotiations to find alternative solutions. In December, NYDIG agreed to pay Greenidge Generation Holdings not only for its mining rigs but to operate them in exchange for debt reduction. The deal e ectively made Greenidge – once one of the largest Bitcoin miners – a hosting firm while NYDIG became the miner.

“Lenders are flooded with mining rigs,” said Wolfie Zhao, head of research at TheMinerMag, a research arm of mining consultancy BlocksBridge. “One way for the lenders to prevent further losses from the defaulted loans is to keep the collateralised machines running and generate some income.”

It’s an option lenders are taking more seriously, especially those that already have mining capabilities to build on, including Galaxy Digital LP and Digital Currency Group’s Foundry.

Bitcoin mining – which uses specialised computers known as rigs to validate transactions on the blockchain in exchange for rewards in the token – was among the most lucrative businesses in crypto. Miners had sought to leverage that value in the runup of Bitcoin’s historic rally. But with a surge in energy prices and Bitcoin down 58 per cent on the year, a number of loans are now underwater. A Valkyrie index of Bitcoin miners is down 75 per cent from a year ago, even a ter this weeks 30 per cent jump on optimism a US economic recovery could prop up crypto prices.

NYDIG originated about $378m in rig-backed loans to miners between October 2020 and May 2022, according to data compiled by TheMinerMag. Already it’s received about 26,200 machines from Stronghold Digital Mining to eliminate the miner’s $67m debt, and it’s likely to take over another batch of machines from Iris Energy a ter it defaulted on $103m in machine-backed loans.

Lenders have been moving more rigs out of storage, said Mason Jappa, chief executive at crypto-mining services company Blockware Solutions.

“Some lenders are already on the lookout for highquality hosting sites,” he said. “Lenders can recover some losses if they can find reliable Bitcoin mining facilities with cheap electricity, but they are hard to find.”

Of course, lenders may still choose to sell some of the machines, “even at a steep discount,” Jappa said. But they may not want to sell a large amount. As more miners such as Core Scientific go bankrupt, even more machines are expected to hit the market. If that depresses prices even further, that means even greater losses for lenders.

WITH THE RECENT SURGE IN LOAN DEFAULTS AND PLUNGE IN CRYPTOCURRENCIES, THE VALUE OF NEW GENERATION MACHINES HAS DROPPED 85 PER CENT

NYDIG ORIGINATED ABOUT $378M IN RIG-BACKED LOANS TO MINERS BETWEEN OCTOBER 2020 AND MAY 2022

Making data ‘smart’

Data and analytics can help organisations create competitive advantages and drive innovation

At the same time, with the increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics, the importance of responsible innovation has never been greater.

How do you empower customers to transform data into intelligence?

How has data analytics evolved over the past few years?

Over the past few years, we have witnessed the acceleration of digital transformation across all industries and verticals. However, as organisations need to digitally transform with agility and speed, they require the flexibility and scalability of the cloud and an analytics platform that is accessible to users of all skill levels.

We have also entered the era of real-time analytics. The ability to analyse data from varied datasets for both real-time and predictive insights that inform strategic decision-making gives organisations a competitive edge they need to adapt to today’s pace of change. Most importantly, it can provide unparalleled levels of customer experience personalisation, which is becoming crucial in determining which companies will win in the market.

To drive innovation, make datadriven decisions and create competitive advantages, organisations need data and analytics, which they must put to work in efficient, and creative ways. Modern organisations generate huge amounts of data via operations, products and services, and also have access to significant open data sources. SAS enables customers to transform large volumes of data into actionable intelligence by providing them with a portfolio of platforms and solutions, deployable either on premises or on cloud, that can process, analyse and extract the required insights. With the integration of AI into our platform and solutions, we optimise every phase of the analytics life cycle, from data to discovery to deployment. The results are greater operational efficiencies, the opening of new growth opportunities and increased competitiveness.

How are you democratising analytics across wide range of industries? Share some success stories. We believe that analytics and AI are

crucial for pursuing innovative solutions to traditional problems. Therefore, the whole organisation’s workforce must have a solid grasp of analytics and AI in general. The greater an employee’s level of comprehension, the more valuable questions they will ask, which results in the development of exciting new concepts. It ultimately comes down to using technology to think collectively on a broader scale. One of the regional success stories comes from Emirates Health Services (EHS), which democratised data-based decision-making by removing traditional barriers. Another successful project was with The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) which selected SAS Visual Analytics coupled with SAS Data Management, to help the department augment its reporting process and explore all its data spread across over 40 data sources.

Share your plans for the year ahead. We had a strong closing for the past year, and we are excited about what 2023 holds for SAS. We serve a broad spectrum of clients in different industries like banking, government, telco, healthcare and manufacturing. Some examples are helping banks fight financial crimes and reduce fraud, driving predictive analytics to empower governments to fulfill the needs of their citizens, improving patient care and saving lives with enhanced healthcare analytics and enabling merchants to keep the shelves stocked through smarter demand planning. We are assisting companies in reorienting, reinventing and redefining industries as we know them, and we will continue to support our customers in building a better tomorrow, with the ethical use of AI.

SAS ENABLES CUSTOMERS TO TRANSFORM LARGE VOLUMES OF DATA INTO ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE BY PROVIDING THEM WITH A PORTFOLIO OF PLATFORMS AND SOLUTIONS

RAVI ACHARYA Managing director and regional head – Middle East, Turkiye and Africa, SAS

IS CHATGPT WORTH THE HYPE?

CHATGPT IS A GOOD TOOL FOR BUSINESSES AND HERE ARE SOME WAYS THEY CAN USE IT TO THEIR BENEFIT

WORDS: FAIZAN AMIN KAPADIA

The business sector has o ten found itself flooded with new concepts, tools and ideas. At the moment, one of the most discussed tool is ChatGPT. It was launched in November 2022 by OpenAI, an artificial intelligence (AI) research firm co-founded by Elon Musk and Sam Altman along with other renowned names. Before ChatGPT, OpenAI delivered important AI models including DALL-E and DALL-E 2 and also received an investment of $1bn from Microso t in 2019. Within the first week of its launch, ChatGPT crossed one million users worldwide.

How to use ChatGPT?

Generating research-backed and accurate text used to be a tough task before ChatGPT arrived. Although it solves a great problem, using it is fairly easy and involves just a few steps.

Visit https://chat.openai.com/chat on your browser.

Enter a question or instruction according to the results you need. Copy and use the text. For a new subject or record, you can click on “New Chat”.

But what exactly is ChatGPT? The AI-based chat tool can generate unique content for a variety of queries, relying mainly on supervised and reinforced learning. With its ability to create text, it o ers an ideal solution to processes that require authentic, well-researched and accurate content.

In its own words, “ChatGPT is a large language model that has been trained on a dataset of conversational text. It can generate human-like text in response to prompts given to it. It is based on the GPT (generative pre-trained transformer) architecture and has been fi ne-tuned for various use cases such as question answering, language translation and text completion.”

Simply put, the tool can generate text in response to queries and instructions. You can enter a basic query to get accurate information and also enter a command regarding the kind of content you wish to generate, ChatGPT will be up to the task.

You can use ChatGPT for a variety of purposes including generating an email, tweet or informative text. It can also help you with answering questions, where you simply have to enter a query to get the response. Importantly, you can click on “RegenerateResponse” to get a new and unique answer for your query.

Businesses can also use ChatGPT for extensive research, internal communications and marketing copies. For advanced results, the model can be trained and fine-tuned to generate industry-specific and accurate results by providing a dataset. It is important to provide instructions in a detailed and accurate manner, with examples of the output with understandable patterns.

How does ChatGPT help businesses?

Going by the fact that ChatGPT can create human-like text in a matter of seconds, it is evident that businesses can utilise it in different ways. Text-based communications form the basis of different business processes. With ChatGPT, productivity can be increased significantly by reducing the time required to generate instructions, messages and memos. Along with that, the chat tool can help in the following major areas:

01. Content marketing and lead generation

Content marketing has been at the core of every business that exists online. To maintain a strong SEO presence and social connectivity, companies constantly require engaging and useful content. With the smart use of ChatGPT, the content can be created with relative ease and in lesser time, allowing firms and individuals to always be ahead of their schedules, without compromising on quality.

ChatGPT can be used to generate marketing content like articles, blogs and social media posts among others that needs help in continuous in-flow of leads through content marketing.

02. Online customer support

Another major area where the tool can help is online customer support. Its API can be used to provide direct chat support on the websites and communication platforms like Slack and Microsoft Teams to generate automated responses. Though to reach that degree of automation, the companies have to be articulate in feeding the tool with a dataset that carries all the instructions and information that can be needed.

Why ChatGPT?

In its present form, it is undoubtedly a useful tool for individuals and businesses. Yet, the best thing about ChatGPT is that it can adapt to different situations and can follow instructions. Its parent company, OpenAI, also collects data from the users to make improvements in the tool, so we can expect it to only get better.

“ACCORDING TO OPENAI BLOG POST, THE MODEL IS STILL FAR FROM REPLACING OR SUBSTITUTING HUMANS AT WORK, AS IT LACKS ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING AND CRITICAL THINKING ABILITIES, WHICH CAN SOMETIMES RESULT IN PLAUSIBLESOUNDING BUT INCORRECT OR NONSENSICAL ANSWERS”

Can ChatGPT replace humans at work?

It depends on where we are looking at. In terms of generating useful text, ChatGPT does reduce human involvement to some extent as the content can be used for di erent purposes without any supervision. But, according to OpenAI blog post, the model is still far from replacing or substituting humans at work, as it lacks ethical decision-making and critical thinking abilities, which can sometimes result in plausiblesounding but incorrect or nonsensical answers.

Drawbacks, threats and criticism

As the tool is in its early days, it is not free from drawbacks and shortcomings. Amidst the praise and excitement, the chat tool has also garnered some criticism. First and foremost being that it relies completely on its training data, which is huge, but still not limitless. So it can at times miss out on certain aspects and perspectives important for a subject. For instance, it is already been noted that ChatGPT has a le t-wing bias, which can be due to the data provided to it.

The next major concern is about security, as the chat tool can be used unethically as well. According to a report by Netskope Threat Labs, the content creation and coding functionalities of the tool can assist in the development of malware and phishing material. Though the report also concludes that the tool can be even more helpful for security teams to enhance online protection.

Present and future with ChatGPT

Despite shortcomings and criticism, ChatGPT is presently the most advanced AI-based language model

at present. But, instead of being the culmination, it can be the beginning of an era of great advancements in AI and machine learning.

ChatGPT deserves all the hype it is getting, as it solves some important problems for individuals and businesses alike. With consistent improvement and advancements expected, the current and potential users are set to benefit even more in the coming years.

CHATGPT CAN BE USED TO GENERATE MARKETING CONTENT LIKE ARTICLES, BLOGS, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS NEEDED TO HELP A CONTINUOUS IN-FLOW OF LEADS THROUGH CONTENT MARKETING

(DALL_E example) Prompt: “surrealist oil painting style of face of a man on the right and half face of a woman on the left”

A MARS METAVERSE EXPERIENCE

(VR) journey all the way from their Hatta spaceport on Earth on the interplanetary Everdome Cycler, via the reusable EVR Phoenix rockets which were demonstrated during their maiden metaverse rocket launches in October 2022. This transportation hub makes up part of the largest spaceport on Mars, hosting Orbital Traffic Control, coordinating Phobos Orbital Docks operations and comprising various key areas.

Everdome’s Jezero Spaceport is the next step in the creation of an immersive space travel adventure, which includes an exclusive Martian civilisation experience. Dedicated members of the Everdome community and partners including OKX, Pierre Gasly and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen will venture off to the frontiers of digital exploration.

While Everdome Jezero Spaceport is a metaverse original location, the Jezero crater itself is an authentic part of the Martian landscape. Moreover, it’s been chosen by NASA and other space agencies for current space exploration missions.

Originally, the site was built on an ice mine that was later moved a few kilometres south to the crater’s lowest elevation point. This allows for easier access to the biggest water ice deposits and so the site was chosen specifically on the basis that water ice is one of the most important resources both for inhabitants (water, oxygen) and for travel in the form of liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rockets (fuel).

Representing the hub for all cargo and passengers transiting to and from Everdome City, the nearfuture city being created at the delta deposits of the Neretva Valley, Jezero Crater, Mars, the Jezero spaceport is the terminus destination for the metaverse space experience travellers.

These Evernauts as Everdome terms them, will land at the spaceport after an epic virtual reality

These include areas to manage the various spacecraft operating from the hub, including Jezero Tower, an enormous, partly pressurised vertical hanger used for rocket assembly and refurbishment, The Hanger, which is a 1,100 metre long, contained, autonomous machine, Mass Drivers – which are two massive electromagnetic catapults to handle most launches into low Mars orbit, as well as six heavy-lift launch pads for rockets of varying lift capabilities used for cargo missions or deep space flights. This detailed spaceport has been ideated by Everdome’s team in partnership with Leszek Orzechowski, Everdome’s space architect and head of Science, while the art concepts are created by their concept artist and art director Wojtek Fikus.

Coming hot on the heels of Everdome’s maiden rocket launch, this concept art release demonstrates the creation of an intrinsic part of the forthcoming Mars landing experience scheduled for release in the first half of 2023 The Jezero Spaceport will be part of an immersive VR experience including the Everdome Cycler in Mars orbit, the Mars landing experience, the Jezero monorail and arrival at Everdome City headquarters.

With the Everdome metaverse experience, the journey towards Mars is as much a part of the adventure as the final destination.

WHILE EVERDOME JEZERO SPACEPORT IS A METAVERSE ORIGINAL LOCATION, THE JEZERO CRATER ITSELF IS AN AUTHENTIC PART OF THE MARTIAN LANDSCAPE. MOREOVER, IT’S BEEN CHOSEN BY NASA AND OTHER SPACE AGENCIES FOR CURRENT SPACE EXPLORATION MISSIONS

Following on from its first metaverse rocket launch in November 2022, Everdome’s metaverse project announces a new phase of adventures

THE SPOTLIGHT

METAVERSE IN E-COMMERCE

Customers will begin to see a combination of the digital and physical shopping experiences within a new medium p.34

FUTURE OF COMMERCE IN THE METAVERSE ERA

THE METAVERSE OFFERS CUSTOMERS UNIQUE EXPERIENCES AND THE ABILITY TO ENGAGE WITH BRANDS IN AN ENTIRELY NEW WAY

The metaverse opens up entirely new possibilities for the world of commerce. Being a new digital medium, it has the potential to reshape the customer experience with brands who are brave to pioneer this new frontier. As the metaverse continues to mature and evolve into an accessible, vibrant global marketplace, it can power up the next iteration of shopping and customer experience in brand new ways.

E-COMMERCE AND THE METAVERSE

Despite the global success of e-commerce utilising the current iteration of the internet, there are several processes and customer experiences that can be improved upon to generate even greater growth. One distinct setback of e-commerce is that the customer loses certain perspectives on physical products. Interacting with retailers via a two-dimensional digital interface changes how customers are able to view and interact with products.

The metaverse restores that three dimensional paradigm – the original perspective that customers originally had with brick and mortar commerce experiences. As more companies and brands enter the metaverse to take advantage of this three-dimensional

Sam Huber, CEO, LandVault

digital medium, customers will begin to see a combination of the best of both digital and physical shopping experiences within a new medium.

First o , customers engaging in e-commerce within the metaverse will still gain the benefits of digital shopping in terms of speed and convenience. Additionally, the metaverse also o ers benefits found within physical stores in the personalisation and 3D experience that o ers better perspectives on products for customers. For example, customers shopping for vehicles will be able to see personalised, accurately modelled vehicles in the metaverse versus simple, two dimensional websites. The same goes for clothing brands and other products.

The metaverse o ers customers unique experiences and the ability to engage with brands in an entirely new way.

CURRENT INSIGHTS ON E-COMMERCE IN THE METAVERSE

The most important note to make on e-commerce and the metaverse is the fact that there is already substantial demand within the metaverse for digital retail. One of the best examples to date is with global clothing brand Nike’s e orts thus far. Nike opened a metaverse-based store and as of 2022, attracted nearly seven million unique visitors, generating millions of dollars in income.

Another prime example within the clothing retail sector is the success of Decentraland Fashion Week. The event attracted dozens of global fashion brands

into the metaverse, setting up shops and showcases that led to over 300,000 unique attendees over the course of the three-day festival. The event finished o with a 70 per cent conversion rate on digital items and led to over $5m in generated income via rental and creative work.

Both of these examples demonstrate that the demand for digital commerce is real in the metaverse and can already be successful. As more businesses and brands begin to adopt the metaverse as a legitimate medium, this will lead to even more sophisticated, globally accessible metaverse experiences tailored to e-commerce being created. Over time, this gives metaverse users substantially more options with which to participate

in metaverse-based e-commerce. Not only will this continue to fuel growth of e-commerce as a percentage of global commerce, but it will also begin to allow the metaverse to grow as a greater percentage of online sales overall.

PIONEERS WILL OUTPERFORM THE MARKET

As the metaverse continues to see global interest, adoption and development, it will continue to evolve into the go-to platform for users to learn about and shop for novel physical, digital, and phygital products and services from leading brands.

The metaverse being an immersive, digital, three-dimensional space o ers highly unique opportunities for human connection and coordination – most prominently between customers and brands. This allows far greater relationships to be forged between stakeholders and represents the greatest opportunity for brands to create a distinct, global footprint in the most significant technological development since the internet.

Countless research has been conducted that suggests the metaverse as a new digital medium will represent trillions of dollars in future value. With the legitimacy and importance of e-commerce continuing to grow as a portion of global commerce, e-commerce will undoubtedly be a major factor in that growth in the metaverse in future years.

As the founder of a metaverse real estate development company, we continue to see that the brands who experiment and scale their metaverse e orts are typically the ones who already are in the forefront of digital marketing and business strategy in other mediums. With time, we expect to see the first metaverse native brands pop up and expand into other reigns, eventually becoming leaders of their category through capturing the hearts and minds of new consumers.

CUSTOMERS SHOPPING FOR VEHICLES WILL BE ABLE TO SEE PERSONALISED, ACCURATELY MODELLED VEHICLES IN THE METAVERSE VERSUS SIMPLE, TWO DIMENSIONAL WEBSITES. THE SAME GOES FOR CLOTHING BRANDS AND OTHER PRODUCTS”

EMPOWERING NEXT GEN

EDTECH’S

POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE LEARNING IS VAST, WHETHER IN DAY-TO-DAY SCHOOL SETTINGS, OR DURING HUMANITARIAN EMERGENCIES

Last year, the education community gathered in New York for the UN Transforming Education Summit, where they took stock of how the world is progressing towards Sustainable Development Goal number 4: equitable quality education for all. The edtech sector, which has undergone major changes due to the remote learning imposed on the world by the Covid-19 pandemic, could be critical in this regard.

Leaders of the edtech sector in the Middle East and around the world have a vital contribution to make together. Analysts predict that edtech expenditure in the region will rise by 75 per cent, to $7bn, within the next five years. But the Middle East was already pioneering edtech solutions well before the pandemic. In 2018, the UAE government introduced its Madrasa platform, which provides free learning materials to more than 50 million Arab students around the world.

Edtech’s potential to improve learning around the world is vast, whether in day-to-day school settings, or during humanitarian emergencies. It can provide children a personalised experience –something UNESCO calls a human right – allowing them to study at their own pace and according to their level of proficiency. In schools, teachers deploying edtech could be freed up from routine tasks such as logging grades, which technology would

Fabio Segura and Simon Sommer , co-CEOs, Jacobs Foundation

WE HAVE ALSO GRANTED $10M TO A RESEARCH FACILITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IRVINE THAT WILL CONNECT SCIENTISTS AND STARTUPS TO EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON LEARNING. WE HOPE THESE EFFORTS HELP OVERCOME THE EVIDENCE BARRIER IN EDTECH, YIELDING INNOVATIVE LEARNING SOLUTIONS”

do automatically, allowing teachers more time to focus on the creative and interpersonal aspects of teaching students. It could also o er solutions to education challenges in remote areas of the world, helping address illiteracy.

But the pandemic, which came as education systems were already facing mounting pressure to redress longstanding learning inequalities, also exposed some challenges that edtech must address.

A survey of UAE teachers and educators conducted by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation found that remote teaching had extended their workload and stress. Moreover, UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Bank have warned that up to 70 per cent of children in lower- and middle-income countries are now in “learning poverty” – due in part to school closures, but also, critically, because of the relative ine ectiveness of some current remote learning technologies.

ANALYSTS PREDICT THAT EDTECH EXPENDITURE IN THE REGION WILL RISE BY 75 PER CENT, TO $7BN, WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

Moreover, a crucial barrier to true success is edtech’s lack of an evidence base. Many products that we use in our everyday lives, like medicines, must undergo rigorous testing before reaching consumers. Yet robust scientific evidence does not presently play an integral role in how most edtech products are designed, deployed and evaluated. The problem lies at the heart of the edtech ecosystem, extending to startups, investors and buyers alike.

Buyers who purchase edtech for schools don’t tend to request proof of a product’s e cacy. In the US, a survey of more than 500 school and district leaders who make edtech purchasing decisions showed that just 11 per cent demand peer-reviewed research.

For edtech startups, it can therefore be di cult to reconcile time-consuming research with the demands of a fastchanging market. The UK edtech review platform Edtech Impact found that just 7 per cent of edtech companies used randomised controlled trials to find evidence of impact. Many of these businesses simply rely on testimonials and school case studies.

This kind of culture shi t requires the whole edtech sector – startups, researchers and investors – to come together. Robust evidence should drive not only the development of edtech

IN 2018, THE UAE GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED ITS MADRASA PLATFORM, WHICH PROVIDES FREE LEARNING MATERIALS TO MORE THAN 50 MILLION ARAB STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD.

TO ENCOURAGE MORE RESEARCHED-BASED APPROACHES, THE JACOBS FOUNDATION HAS ALLOCATED $30M TO LEADING EDTECH VENTURE FUNDS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO INVESTING IN COMPANIES BACKED BY RESEARCH

products and their evaluation, but also investment decisions.

As a generation of students risks being le t behind, there is no time to waste on ine ective edtech. Investors should be able to choose products that stand the test of time to enable students to benefit from game-changing innovations.

To encourage more researched-based approaches, the Jacobs Foundation has allocated $30m to edtech venture funds that are committed to investing in companies backed by research. We have also granted $10m to a research facility at the University of California Irvine that will connect scientists and startups to examine the impact of technology on learning. We hope these e orts help overcome the “evidence barrier” in edtech, yielding innovative learning solutions.

The Middle East is a youthful region that is brimming with potential. If we all work together, we can empower the next generation of the Middle Eastern change-makers to help solve the world’s biggest challenges, from global inequality to pandemics to climate change.

REDESIGNING THE WORKPLACE

Even though the world is getting ready to embrace the upcoming recession, leaders across the UAE have reported to be ‘very optimistic’ for the next year. However, the slowdown in the economy has shifted business leaders’ focus on new solutions that promote growth and optimism.

In the early days of the pandemic, many organisations suffered from a decline in performance. Intense workload, ineffective communication, and feeling disconnected from their organisation were a few of the reasons employees were unable to perform at the same level. In December 2021, a Gartner survey showed that only one in four employees felt entirely connected to their organisation. In the same report, it was clear that organisations with strong internal communications performed better by 33 per cent.

The UAE government has built economic resilience since the pandemic; has embraced new strategies to withstand future challenges. With that, the majority of businesses in the UAE expect an

increase in their profits in 2023. Entering the recession with an ineffective corporate culture can lead to more roadblocks than an organisation expects. Ignoring such challenges will cause a decline in productivity and performance. Resolving these challenges will secure long-term success.

How to overcome the workforce challenges

The journey of hybrid work is highly impactful and growing. According to a recent survey, the extent of hybrid work impacting the workplace was stated to be major in 2022.

As we can see now, hybrid work has been mandated entirely in workplaces today. However, how can one navigate through the hybrid era successfully?

A significant element of achieving a successful hybrid work model is to bring people together and get closer to our customers. Underlying the issues in the workforce helps implement the correct solutions. It takes a lot of effort to reshape the hybrid culture. However, taking this direction is critical.

Hybrid work requires a suitable environment to support successful outcomes that enable a suitable working environment. Developing new methods of support that include a welcoming approach ensures employee satisfaction and higher working engagement. It is important to sustain a collaborative team to keep the work dynamic flowing. Moreover, to sustain that deep connection within the organisation.

Crafting the office is one of the many components that help keep a positive working environment and encourage employees to have a better experience when returning to the office. Keeping a balance between those in the room and those who aren’t. Research has shown that 77 per cent of organisations plan to repurpose offices to help enhance office productivity.

A creative space generates a new way of thinking and working. It is essential to enable these changes to sustain the desired outcomes.

Investing in new and better technology

Using new technology is exciting, as it will make employees’ jobs easier. Although 47 per cent of office workers stated that they have received training on how to use new technology. Looking into the working world today, training on how to adopt the tools being offered is important as it will support the staff to develop their desired goals and aim for maximum productivity.

The right space needs to be supported with technology. Providing the correct tools gives the advantage of setting up an excellent office experience.

Hybrid work requires a suitable environment to support successful outcomes that enable a suitable working environment

BOB AOUN REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR MENA, POLY AT HP

“CRAFTING THE OFFICE IS ONE OF THE MANY COMPONENTS THAT HELP KEEP A POSITIVE WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO HAVE A BETTER EXPERIENCE WHEN RETURNING TO THE OFFICE”

E-COMMERCE: LOCAL ADAPTATION OF GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY

Ever since the outbreak of Covid-19, people’s dependency on digital technologies has risen, leading to fundamental changes to both businesses and everyday life. In hindsight, it has become clear how the pandemic has acted as an accelerator in ushering in a new “digital revolution”, overseeing a rapid adoption of e-commerce, and leading to a fundamental change in the way businesses are conducted. Most retail owners now realise that adopting technology and staying on trend is a necessity to thrive in today’s everchanging business world.

The e-commerce market has an advantage when it comes to the wide selection of payment methods because it increases the opportunities for sales globally and facilitates currency conversion in international markets. This also leads to a boost in cross–border e-commerce.

RAJESH KUMAR CEO – GCC AND SEA FNP

Adaptation of global tech trends to fit local needs

The overall success in the field of e-commerce is predominantly dependent on new forms of global technologies. To date, successful online retailers have been capitalising on the leverage of customer data platforms to effectively present products, improve services and form better engagement with customers. In the gifting business, data science plays an important role in positioning the most popular and relevant products on top of the page, creating a more

MOST RETAIL OWNERS NOW REALISE THAT ADOPTING TECHNOLOGY AND STAYING ON TREND IS A NECESSITY TO THRIVE IN TODAY’S EVER-CHANGING BUSINESS WORLD

seamless shopping experience for customers.

Artificial intelligence is also one of the important features of digital transformation, catering to the need for an immersive, experiential and emotional gifts, rather than materialistic items.

Online retailers are also leveraging on the mega trends of smartphones and social networks. Integrating e-gifts/ e-gift cards, social networks and mobile devices has proven to be an optimal formula for boosting sales.

Influencer marketing is another big trend for e-commerce. It has become the modern version of word of mouth over the past few years. Meanwhile, some online retailers have even shifted towards “micro” influencers who tend to focus more on specific niches or categories, resulting in a more tailored, personal interactions with their audiences.

Aside from social influencers, an important aspect determining success for online retailers is the way they are portrayed in different markets and the socio-economic market situation of each country. In some countries, it is predominantly the more affluent consumers who have access to online shopping, while in others, online shopping is the norm and therefore, a more mass-market approach is the way forward.

The tactics are many and there is no one size fits all approach to creating a successful e-commerce strategy adept for every market. But it is important to remain on top of the game by not only accepting that digital technologies are here to stay, but that we need to learn how to adapt and evolve along with them.

“MEANWHILE, SOME ONLINE RETAILERS HAVE EVEN SHIFTED TOWARDS MICRO INFLUENCERS WHO TEND TO FOCUS MORE ON NICHE CATEGORIES, RESULTING IN A MORE TAILORED, PERSONAL INTERACTIONS WITH THEIR AUDIENCES”

The overall success in the field of e-commerce is predominantly dependent on new forms of global technologies

INNOVATING FOR A BETTER FUTURE

Honor’s products are made with different needs in mind, but with the same care and attention to quality to ensure years of use and durability

Q:In terms of quality, service, technology and innovation, what is Honor’s focus this year?

Quality: With a continuous eye on innovation, each of Honor’s products are made with di erent needs in mind, but all with the same care and attention to quality to ensure years of use and durability. To ensure product quality consistency, Honour invests resources in key customised components, models, and manufacturing factories and independently develops and uses automated equipment and procedures. This enables Honor to achieve ‘smart manufacturing’ and high quality and consistency across its entire product line.

Service: We are establishing a retail+ service experience centre this year to serve our consumers better. Honor will continue to push the boundaries of customer service, delivering a human-centric experience that surpasses customer expectations and empowers users to elevate their lives through technology.

Technology and innovation: With product innovation as our core value, Honor continues to invest heavily in R&D capabilities to support its entire portfolio of smartphones and other smart devices, aspiring to achieve the perfect balance between cutting-edge technology and superb user experiences.

Tell us more about the features of Honor X9a. Making our technological innovations more accessible, the Honor X9a delivers significant breakthroughs in the display, design, battery, camera and overall user experience.

Packed with a 6.67-inch AMOLED curved display, the smartphone brings users a large screen with a screento-body ratio of 93 per cent, guaranteeing an immersive viewing experience for all content types. Furthermore, it supports a resolution of 2,400×1080 pixels, a colour depth of 1.07 billion colours and a display brightness of up to 800 nits. The Honor X9a measures 7.9mm thin and

“THE HONOR X9A SUPPORTS A RESOLUTION OF 2400X1080 PIXELS, A COLOUR DEPTH OF 1.07 BILLION COLOURS AND A DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS OF UP TO 800 NITS. IT MEASURES 7.9MM THIN AND 175G IN WEIGHT”

175g in weight and also includes a symmetrical circular camera layout. The Honor X9a comes with a 64MP ultraclear primary camera, a 5MP wide-angle camera and a 2MP macro camera. In addition, the front camera has been upgraded to 16MP.

How are your addressing durability concerns with HonorX9a?

Undergoing two tempering processes, the Honor X9a’s display glass, which is equipped with a thickness of 0.65mm, has been designed to withstand accidental drops on marble from heights of up to one metre.

Share your business strategy for the year ahead. With a strategic focus on innovation, quality and service, we are dedicated to developing forward-looking technology that empowers people worldwide to go beyond.

Honor’s IoT strategy focuses on smartphones as the core of the platform, and developing a suite of other connected products such as laptops, smart screens, tablets, wearables, TWS Stereo headphones and routers.

We are also thrilled to introduce our first foldable flagship, the Honor Magic Vs, which packs revolutionary innovations and exceptional user experience into an elegant and stylish design.

Meanwhile, the high-end premium product line, Honor N-Series, will set new industry standards with its aesthetic design and superior user experience. This year, we are planning to position the N-Series as the top lineup among its competitors with its iconic design, powerful performance and superior camera capabilities.

MAFEIJIAN (MR. HOUSE)

GCC - COUNTRY MANAGER HONOR

SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

“CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF,

CLOUD PROVIDER WILL NOT ALWAYS PROVIDE THE BUSINESS WITH ALL THE NECESSARY TOOLS TO COMBAT CYBERATTACKS. IT IS UP TO THE COMPANY TO READ THE FINE PRINT TO ENSURE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY’RE GETTING FROM THEIR CLOUD SERVICE PROVIDER”

their servers. And it’s not just an issue of ‘lost’ data that employees mistakenly lay at the door of providers. The assumption that cloud providers protect cloud data from ransomware attacks is potentially even more harmful. This is fundamentally incorrect and will continue to put businesses at risk.

The obvious solution is for a business to understand its CSP agreements and put measures in place that will help to restore mission-critical data if it’s lost or damaged.

What are some of the tools that enable IT departments to better optimise their cloud environments?

Is cloud storage more secure than on-premise?

While cloud storage is becoming an increasingly popular option for businesses today, it’s not necessarily more or less secure than on-premise. Rather, when it comes to cloud security versus on-premise, the answer is that it is highly dependent on how the data is being managed, encrypted and safeguarded.

So the most significant di erence when it comes to cloud storage is for a business to ensure they have full disclosure over precisely what their cloud provider is protecting for them, and then go a step further to ensure the encryption and security measures are in place to safeguard them in case the first layer of protection fails.

Whose responsibility is it to ensure data is encrypted and protected

in the cloud?

Contrary to popular belief, the cloud provider will not always provide the business with all the necessary tools to combat cyberattacks. It is up to the company to read the fine print to ensure they know what they’re getting from their cloud service provider (CSP).

As part of their usual agreements, CSPs generally only o er guarantees for their provided services, but not always for the customer’s data protection when on

Multi-cloud environments are becoming increasingly complex to manage and businesses today have the added responsibility of safeguarding their own data within them, regardless of the CSP agreements in place. The best way to ensure widespread protection of data is by asking for a little bit of help from experts in the field – that’s why we highly recommend businesses work with third parties who have the tools and expertise to automate security measure and relieve IT departments from the hard work.

What should businesses do to ensure their data is protected in the cloud?

In addition to deploying tools to help manage and automate protection, there are also a number of ways businesses can help maintain their data protection.

For example, having employees use a strong password or passwordless solution is an important way to increase the standard of protection within the business. Don’t be predictable when creating passwords, because the easier your password is to guess or crack with brute force, the faster a hacker can access your accounts. This goes for encryption as well, which basically sets a password for all your most valuable files so that even if hackers get into your database, they won’t be able to access individual datasets. Finally, two-factor verification is another way enhance your protection posture, as well as setting up user permissions to access specific data based on your organisational hierarchy. This ensures that sta only have access to the information they need to perform their jobs.

The assumption that cloud providers protect cloud data from ransomware attacks is potentially more harmful

THE

HAMID QURESHI REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR

MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA AND SOUTH ASIA, ENTRUST

THE STRUCTURED APPROACH

How do you see the growth of esports and gaming in the Middle East?

When we think of this industry, we identify two key elements within it. The first is gaming in general which constitutes anyone who plays a game on their console, PC or mobile phone. And the second is esports, the more structured element of the industry that houses teams, tournaments and events.

It is no surprise that we have seen massive growth in both segments over the last five years, and that trend doesn’t look like slowing down. Three significant factors primarily drive this.

Gaming is a huge source of entertainment for people, and with the explosion of game options, it is clear that there is any option for anyone.

The MENA region enjoys one of the world’s highest per capita ratios of gamers, driven mainly by the region’s natural culture.

We can’t deny that the investments being made by governments across the MENA region are driving huge growth in this sector. Esports and gaming are a serious strategic imperative for economic growth in the coming decade.

How can brands engage with gamers in a structured way?

Traditionally, we see various ways in which brands can engage with gamers and the audience of gamers, and we categorise those as either traditional sponsorship models where brands will sponsor individuals, teams or even tournaments to more bespoke plays whereby gamers are contracted at a strategic level with brands to create content and integrate the brand into their lives.

Social media today is witnessing a shi t from impressions to relevance and highly targetted audience selection. Because of this, we always consult our client partners to focus on relevance and authenticity instead of reach and frequency. We have seen that this delivers far greater results and conversions for the brands we work with.

Tell us about Division. What was the fundamental idea behind launching it?

Division was built because we identified a gap in the market.

With Division, brands can deploy campaigns at scale rather than working with a single content creator or gamer, say its founders

OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON BUILDING OUR NETWORK OF STAKEHOLDERS, NAMELY, WORKING WITH GAMERS AND ESPORTS TEAMS IN THE REGION, ALONG WITH INTRODUCING OUR PLATFORM TO THE NUMEROUS AGENCIES AND BRANDS IN THE REGION. 2022 WAS OUR YEAR OF DEVELOPMENT AND LAUNCH, AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE TRACTION AND WILL CONTINUE TO SEE GROWTH IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE BUSINESS IN 2023”

WE PROVIDE OUR CLIENT WITH THE

That gap is that audiences are shi ting to consume more gaming content than traditional media, and entertainment and talent are followed more rigorously than media channels. For example, we have seen some of our gamers shi t from TikTok to Twitch, and the audience of those talents move with them when they are streaming.

We wanted a platform where brands can benefit from these opportunities at scale. So rather than working with one content creator or gamer over a period of time, we allow any brand to deploy a campaign at scale. Simply put, we provide our client with the flexibility to deploy a campaign with one gamer for 365 days or 365 gamers for one day at the push of a button.

AT THE PUSH OF A BUTTON

How does your platform allow gamers to monetise their content?

The approach is a very simple model where our platform is a marketplace that enables brands to identify and contract gamers to deploy content for them. This is not a new concept in the world of influencer marketing, however the one thing we are doing is deploying it at scale through the use of our marketplace platform.

Since the launch of the marketplace, have you faced any challenges? If so, how did you overcome it?

Launching any new concept in the world of media and entertainment takes time to build up a head of steam so we have faced challenges that were unexpected. In fact, we are enthusiastic about the excitement that all our stakeholders have shown during the launch phase of our business. Our main focus is to continue building our network of gamers and relationships with the advertising and media community.

What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business?

Our focus has been on building our network of stakeholders, namely, working with gamers and esports teams in the region, along with introducing our platform to the numerous agencies and brands in the region. 2022 was our year of development and launch, and we are very excited about the traction and will continue to see growth in all aspects of the business in 2023.

Tell us about your roadmap for the year 2023. The roadmap for this year is going to be ensuring that we are delivering a perfect solution to our clients and partners, so a heavy focus is being put on customer service and pro-activity. In addition, as we continue to onboard gamers and brands, we will be expanding our solution into new markets relatively quickly, with the establishment of a Saudi and Egypt operation on the cards for 2023.

AUDIENCES ARE SHIFTING TO CONSUME MORE GAMING CONTENT THAN TRADITIONAL MEDIA, AND ENTERTAINMENT AND TALENT ARE FOLLOWED MORE RIGOROUSLY THAN MEDIA CHANNELS

FLEXIBILITY TO DEPLOY A CAMPAIGN WITH ONE GAMER FOR 365 DAYS OR 365 GAMERS FOR ONE DAY

Dan Moore, co-founder and managing director and Nabil Moutran, co-founder and CEO, Division

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH FOR CHILDREN?

Any attempt to restrict their screen time leads to major confrontation/outbursts of anger

HOW CAN YOU CUT DOWN CHILDREN’S GAMING TIME?

If you’re concerned about the amount of time your child spends on gaming, consider the following steps.

Communicate: Whatever happens, keep talking. Your kids need guidance, but they also need an open, non-judgmental arena in which to share their own concerns and feelings.

Build trust:  Simply telling your kids what to do will only force negative behaviour underground. Be as open and empathetic as possible about the experiences your kids are going through as they grow up.

Work out limits together:  Just as you should try to avoid dictating orders to your children, also resist the urge to confiscate their devices. Instead, sit down together to work out a plan for reducing screen time, perhaps by uninstalling gaming apps on specific devices. This may have to be done in stages. Work out a daily time limit for gaming or a cut-o time for use of the home wi-fi.

Plan digital breaks: Consider sitting down with your kids to plan short breaks away from their devices. It could be a trip away for a few hours, or even a weekend. Try and do something engaging that you’ll both enjoy and keep the encouragement levels high.

Parents who didn’t grow up with digital technologies and on-demand gaming are sometimes prone to overreact about their children spending time glued to a screen. But there are legitimate concerns: about the people their kids might be talking to online; the impact on their sleep, mood and behaviour and even their physical health.

SIGNS OF GAMING ADDICTION

Children may start to get immersed in the digital world to the point where they stop paying attention to things happening in real life such as –

Not paying attention to personal hygiene or eating

Avoiding face-to-face contact with their friends

They appear to be excessively tired

They have trouble getting to sleep

They lie about how much time they spend playing

Consider a parental control app: Specialised so tware can block access to specific gaming apps and/or restrict their usage by time limits. If you’re concerned that your children aren’t keeping their side of the bargain, it might be a useful way to minimise harm. However, always explain why you’re using such tools.

Safety first:  Aside from concerns around over-use of gaming sites, many parents are also worried about who their kids are interacting with online and the type of content they’re exposed to. Parental control apps can manage the second concern. But parents should also be prepared to sit down with their kids to ensure they know about the possible dangers facing them in the digital world.

Parents can sometimes forget how stressful it was growing up. In that context, gaming can be a wonderful respite from all the drama and emotion, while also helping kids to develop some under-rated skills such as hand-eye coordination and problem solving. But it’s also important to keep them safe and healthy – by stepping in as soon as possible if things begin to get out of hand.

With many children spending a little too much time playing video games, learn to spot the signs things may be spinning out of control, says Phil Muncaster, guest writer at Eset

THE REVIEW

THINKPHONE BY MOTOROLA

ThinkPhone is said to be a unique combination of Motorola’s mobile innovation and Lenovo’s longstanding vocation in serving businesses to bring customers security solutions. This device o ers a set of innovative specs combined with unique design and integrates seamlessly with a ThinkPad. The device will be available in Carbon Black colour in the US, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, Australia and select countries across Asia in the coming months.

ENDURES SHOCKS AND DROPS UP TO 1.25 METRES

KEY FEATURES

• Powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform, runs on Android 13 OS

• Equipped with 5G technology and wi-fi 6E compatibility

• Features a 6.6–inch FHD+ display and a 5000 mAh battery (over 36 hours of battery life)

• Weight: 189g

• Features a 50MP Ultra Pixel camera

• Is MIL STD 810H certified

• Has an aircraft-grade aluminum frame and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus

• Connectivity: Type-C port (USB 3.1 compatible, supports Displayport 1.4); Bluetooth 5.2

• Endures shocks and drops up to 1.25 metres

• IP68 certified: Designed to withstand dust and water immersion with a depth of up to 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes

• Phone and PC seamlessly discover when nearby and connect over wi-fi

• Phone notifications instantly appear on the Windows Action Center

• Easily drags and drops files between the phone and PC

• Connect to the internet through one click, directly from the PC

PREDATOR HELIOS GAMING LAPTOPS

Acer has announced the Predator Helios gaming laptops that feature an all-new design with 16-inch and 18-inch display sizes, the latest 13th Gen Intel Core mobile processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs. The Predator Helios 16 will be available in EMEA in February, starting at $2,559.99. The Predator Helios 18 will be available in EMEA in March, starting at $2,699.

KEY FEATURES

• Features 13th Gen Intel Core i9 or i7 HX processors

• Equipped with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 laptop graphics

• Windows 11 operating system

• Storage: Up to 32 GB DDR5-4800 MHz RAM and up to 2 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD in RAID 0

• Predator Helios 16 comes with a 16-inch display at 165 Hz or 240 Hz or a Mini LED panel at 250 Hz powered by AUO AmLED technology

• Predator Helios 18 features an 18-inch display with WUXGA at 165 Hz, WQXGA at 165 Hz, or AUO’s superfast 250 Hz Mini LED display

• Enhanced thermal solutions with dual custom-engineered 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D metal fans

• The chassis is matte black with smooth edges and thin bezels

• Features a mini-LED backlit keyboard with 1.8 mm key travel and antighosting N-key rollover

• The laptops come with Intel Killer E2600 Ethernet and Intel Killer wi-fi 6E AX1675

• Connectivity: USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, including HDMI 2.1, USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 and Micro SD card readers

THE CHASSIS IS MATTE BLACK WITH SMOOTH EDGES AND THIN BEZELS

HP SMART TANK 790

It has become increasingly important for small and medium sized businesses to revamp their business strategies as a result of the ever-increasing challenges of the economy, such as the introduction remote working, in order to ensure that they are well prepared for the long run to maximise efficiency of their businesses.

In order to meet the needs of these businesses, HP has introduced the new Smart Tank 790 printer, which is designed to assist small businesses print sustainably and cost-effectively, with a wide range of features. One of the key aspects of this printer is that it is cartridge-free.

Furthermore, it has a number of features that are said to boost productivity in the workplace such as magic touch panels, allowing users to print intuitively and fax. It also offers up to three years of Original HP Ink which is included in the box.

Here is a closer look at the printer that can make a difference to your business.

CARTRIDGE-FREE

As it is a cartridge-free printer, it comes as a convenient option for users. They are able to print up to 18,000 pages in black or 8,000 pages in colour with this printer that is designed for high-volume printing.

Additionally, the HP Smart Tank 790 printer does more than just providing small businesses with multifunctional printing, scanning and copying capabilities; it also offers fast high-speed two-sided printing capabilities. It also prints high volumes at an extremely low cost per page with its cartridge-free system. Furthermore, replenishing ink is clean and easy with HP’s spill-free refill system.

The printer has an input tray of 250 sheets and can print up to 15 pages per minute in black and nine pages per minute in colour on A4. It also includes a 35-page automatic document feeder.

Meanwhile, HP recommends that the number of pages per month images output be within the range (400-1200) for optimum device performance, based on factors including supplies replacement intervals.

EASY TO INSTALL

In order to set up the HP Smart Tank 790 printer, you only need to follow a few simple steps. Immediately after the printer is plugged in, users can start printing with its full toner tank. Users can easily manage tasks with an integrated modern touch interface for an intuitive experience. Additionally, they can monitor and maintain ink and paper levels with integrated ink tank lights and paper sensors.

The printer can also be used with the HP Smart App. Users can print and scan via their smartphones and streamline workflow with shortcuts on the application to print, scan and share in just a tap.

As far as connectivity is concerned, it is equipped with dual-band wi-fi and a built-in Ethernet port as well as a hi-speed USB port.

There is no doubt that it can be a good device for homes and small offices that often need to print a large number of documents at once.

The cartridge-free printer helps small businesses print sustainably and cost effectively IT ALSO OFFERS FAST HIGH-SPEED TWO-SIDED PRINTING CAPABILITIES

FLOAT RUN HEADPHONES

Sony has announced a new model of headphones designed with runners in mind. The off-ear headphones Float Run positions the speaker near the ear, but without touching the ear canal. The headphones are lightweight with a flexible neckband that doesn’t slip when in motion and features a pressurefree design.

DESIGNED FOR COMFORT

Runners won’t have to worry about pressure or stuffiness on their ears. For extended comfort, the headphones sit on

the ears of the wearer, so they can enjoy comfort for longer without disruption. Furthermore, it weighs only approximately 33gms.

STABLE AND SECURE FIT

The Float Run headphones are said to stay in place no matter how the runner moves.

Tested on a wide range of head shapes and hairstyles, it will stay with the runner, due to the flexible neckband design. Additionally, the headphones were tested with accessories including hats and sunglasses. Whatever is worn, the stabilising neckband will keep them secure.

UNIQUE SOUND

The 16mm drivers and precise tuning combined with the off-ear style offers a more natural and wider sound so there is no compromise on sound quality. The Float Run headphones has an open-type design that eliminates echo of the sounds your body makes, like footsteps, chewing or heavy breathing.

AMBIENT SOUND

The Float Run headphones are designed to fill the user’s ears, but not cover them, so that users can be aware of their surroundings. The design allows music to naturally mix with ambient sound and be formed by the user’s ear shape. It keeps ears unobstructed, to achieve peak performance in whatever activity they are performing.

USER FRIENDLY

With an IPX4 water resistant rating, consumers don’t have to worry about damage from sweat or from getting caught out in the rain. With long battery life and up to 10 hours playtime when fully charged, the Float Run headphones will power long runs and a quick charge of 10 minutes will give an hour of play.

With a variety of controls built-in, users can control playback and access their smartphone’s voice assistant without having to take it out of their pocket or bag. When their run is over and it’s time to get to work, the Float Run headphones have a high-quality built-in microphone to make them just as ideal for productivity tasks. The headphones conveniently charge using USB-C. Additionally, the headphones include a carrying pouch to keep the supplied charging cable and the device together and protected.

The device is available in the Middle East and Africa from February 2023.

WITH AN IPX4 WATER RESISTANT RATING, CONSUMERS DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DAMAGE FROM SWEAT OR FROM GETTING CAUGHT OUT IN THE RAIN

The headphones are lightweight with a flexible neckband that doesn’t slip when in motion

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