The Grid Issue 03

October | Issue 03 - GITEX 2014

TheGrid

Realign BUSINESS STRATEGIES How to drive future growth in an evolving IT landscape

CONTENTS

Published by

04

Mindware

10

Dell

16

Juniper

22

Riverbed

06

Brocade

12

EMC

18

McAfee

24

SAP

08

Citrix

14

Intel

20

Microsoft

26

Symantec

www.mindware.ae

October 2014 Issue 03 | TheGrid

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Mindware

Identity matters Mindware’s MD, Mario Gay discusses his company’s new brand identity as well as its plans for the regional channel.

Talk to us about the new Mindware app and logo; what’s the thinking behind the logo change and new app?

As part of our strategy to ensure our partners and customers are up to date with upcoming event, new product updates, news and careers, we have launched a Mindware app that is available for download via the App Store & Google Play. In addition to the availability of key elements to our channel partners and end users. To make the Mindware app experience a more interactive and enjoyable one, we have also integrated a game within the app which users can play and collect points for a chance to win rewards.

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hat does Mindware have in store in the near future?

Mindware will roll out its new corporate logo in October 2014 - this will be the most dramatic change to our visual identity since 1991. The new identity presents Mindware as modern and evolving, and reflects the strength and direction of our IT portfolio, as well as where we are heading. It also emphasises the company’s commitment to sustainability and our focus on the corporate strategy.

Our new logo better communicates what Mindware is today and reflects our expertise, loyalty to the partners and vendors with the focus on the color blue, while the mnemonic incorporated defines our corporate strength and highlights our forward thinking mindset and objective to achieve strong growth, drive innovation and focus on sustainability.

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Mario Gay, Managing Director, Mindware

What are some of the challenges the reseller channel is facing at the moment?

Consolidation of business in the hands of a few strong players is making it challenging for small and medium sized players. Our objective is to make sure that all the players receive equal treatment and are able to win market share.

What role Mindware playing to help its vendor and channel partners to grow their business in the region?

We are continually investing in skills with quality pre-sales engineers, investing in internal ERP and are offering new products that complement each other, and that partners can cross sell. We also provide insights on each market that comes after deep analysis.

What will be Mindware’s major highlight at this year’s GITEX Technology Week?

We are launching several new products this year from vendors such as Riverbed, Atlantis Computing, and Vasco . As mentioned earlier, we are also launching our new logo and introducing a dedicated app that will boost mindshare and interaction with our partners.

What is the importance of participating in a technology trade fair such as GITEX Technology Week?

Already a popular annual event in the UAE, and a meeting point for all IT supporters - Mindware has taken the initiative to stage a strong presence once again at GITEX Technology Week 2014. The event has played a pivotal role in past years in providing an essential opportunity to expose our latest products, showoff our in-depth capabilities as well as our expertise as an IT VAD. It also allows us to expand our channel and build strategic relations with new brands, which can further grow our current portfolio and allow us to deliver more efficient solutions to regional partners. The tradeshow represents a strong point of continuity and sustains our footprint in the market of which we have been operating for the last 23 years. We never miss a single event.

What can channel partners (vendors and resellers) expect from Mindware in the year ahead?

Mindware will continue to provide a steady and stable approach to the IT market and will continue to provide its level of integrity, highly qualified skills, innovation and the ability to serve partners and vendors at best the best level possible.

What technology or business trend is Mindware tracking in the next 18 months?

Big data and the internet of things (IOT) will be the next technology trend.

Our objective is to be prepared for this next big wave.

www.mindware.ae

Mindware

Meet the team Mindware comprises a team of diverse professionals who work tirelessly to ensure strong business results.

Jeff Jacob Business Unit Manager Jeff is a 15 year Middle East IT channel veteran and has been with Mindware since 2005. Jeff is currently responsible for running the business units of Microsoft and Dell. He is a cloud evangelist and chief team strategist involved with Mindware’s GTM strategy to maintain synergies with the new devices and software strategy of Microsoft & Dell.

Wissam Hajj Regional Operations Manager As Mindware’s regional operations manager, Wissam’s focus is concentrated on the different recourses, activities and parameters affecting Mindware’s supply chain processes, while simultaneously tracking the commitment to the different stakeholders involved in Mindware’s business. The proper analysis, understanding and handling of these factors enable Mindware to be at a competitive advantage and, at the same time, effectively deliver products and services in compliance with the set rules and regulations.

Vinod Kumar. K Senior Credit Manager Vinod is responsible for credit and collections, risk management, issuing letters of credit administration, credit insurance management, customer visits and meetings and managment reporting.

Vijay Kumar Sales Director, Virtualisation Division Vijay is an IT sales professional with over 14 years of direct and channel selling experience in different geographies. He currently leads and manages the virtualisation business unit for Mindware across the Middle East and Levant. He works closely with partners and vendors across the region to ensure joint success.

Salim Karam Country Manager, Levant Salim is the country manager of Mindware Lebanon. He leads the sales, finance and operation team covering the Levant region, which includes Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq.

Rabih Choucair Symantec Product Manager Joined Mindware in 2012 and was handed the responsibility of the Symantec team and product line for the Gulf region. With over 13 years of experience Rabih coordinates with the internal teams and channel community to develop the markets and promote Symantec and Quantum solutions.

Manoj Panchal Sales Director, Volume Division Manoj motivates an engaged team to drive profitable growth in line with vendor (Dell, Intel, Lenovo and Microsoft) and Mindware goals.

This includes size as well as shape of the business, which means keeping a sharp focus on margins, stocks and receivables. To achieve this he has to develop a clear team structure and goals with regular feedback, training and fair evaluation of performance.

Adam Khan Dell Unit Manager Adam manages Dell’s business for the UAE and Gulf, excluding Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. His role includes managing the sales team, and aligning channel strategies with Dell while focusing on achieving sales growth for Mindware.

www.mindware.ae

Seema Wadhwa Business Unit Manager, Intel, Lenovo Seema handles the component- and hardware-business of Intel and Lenovo. As a unit manager she focusing on increasing market share, as well as the profitability of the products she manages. Tasked with identifying opportunities in driving technology into markets through partner connections and a close ear to market sentiments, Seema relies on her team’s skills to deliver high levels of performance and results in a consistent manner.

Rania Al Khatib Marketing Manager Rania is responsible for developing and directing marketing strategies and activities across all regions to promote Mindware’s products and services. Her role includes formulating and implementing marketing plans and budgets alongside vendors.

Rania deals with advertising and media agencies, and monitors and reports the success of all marketing campaigns, analysing market trends and delivering marketing communication for Mindware.

Jihad Arnaout Country Manager, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain As the country manager for Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, Jihad works closely with Mindware business unit managers to assist channel partners in benefiting from Mindware services, while aligning with the organisation mission, strategic objectives and policies. His role includes managing the teams across the region, overseeing sales and coordinating with vendors to ensure availability of products.

Shadi Tahan Sales Director, Value Division Shadi joined Mindware in Saudi Arabia in early 2005 and currently manages a team of sales, pre-sales and operations across MENA, covering a mixed portfolio of security, storage and infrastructure products. He builds GTM plans to enhance the footprints of Mindware’s vendors that are tailored to in-country objectives. He also liaises with the channel to create long and fruitful business relationships.

Sami Samara Unit Manager, EMC As a unit manager Sami oversees all related aspects of EMC business in Mindware. With a team of nine highly skilled people across the Gulf and Pakistan, his job is to recruit new partners and enable existing partners to generate business in the enterprise and SMB segments.

Eyad Aleriksousi Business Unit Manager Eyad is responsible for managing Juniper’s business unit across the MENA region by setting individual teams and country objectives, and ensuring they are achieved through sales support, product management, and marketing plans. His main responsibility is to set sales and business strategies in coordination with management, ensure their communication to the team and monitor the successful implementation.

His responsibilities also include engaging with channel partners to drive and support channel sales and build mutually beneficial business relationships.

Arkan Saleh Finance Manager As finance manager Arkan works closely with Mindware decision makers to ensure that all financials are aligned with vendors. Arkan also works on financial budgets and audits with the group, manages and oversees the day to day operations for the accounts team and ensures that the sales team is supported in case of any issues.

October 2014 Issue 03 | TheGrid

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Brocade

Engaging the channel The Grid talks to Abdul Rehman Tariq, Brocade’s MENA Regional Channel Manager, to discuss the company’s channel strategy and business focus.

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hat has been your company’s focus and business strategy for the Middle East channel in 2014?

Our go-to-market model is 100 percent indirect and partner focused. We take a controlled approach to channel recruitment - we focus on a select group of engaged partners, who can secure a high degree of differentiation through Brocade solutions. This year we are looking at key verticals such as media/ entertainment, high performance computing, hospitals/healthcare, education, hospitality and government institutions. As with our focus across EMEA, in the MENA region we continue the implementation of a multi-tiered channel strategy. Our aim is to develop IP networking coverage by developing existing channels and seeking out new partners across the GCC and Egypt.

How is the company helping its channel partners to take advantage of the improving business climate in the Middle East?

Our Alliance Partner Network (APN) program is one of the richest and most profitable to partners within the industry.

In February 2014 we updated the APN Program to enable partners to deliver next-generation SDN and Ethernet Fabric solutions. We also recently included SDN-focused deal registration and demo program discounts, as well as a global reseller initiatives for Brocade Vyatta vRouter products. APN includes an online partner portal to centralise management of all resources and assets, an online configuration tool, online pre-sales training and new marketing and sales asset development resources.

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The goal of our distribution partners will continue to be driving our business in the region. The continual maturation of cloud technologies, coupled with end customers’ growing interest in integrating virtualisation, cloud solutions, SDN and NFV into their IT environments, represents a tremendous opportunity for channel partners.

Abdul Rehman Tariq, MENA Regional Channel Manager, Brocade

What channel initiatives is your company rolling out in the Middle East?

The biggest chunk of our investment is in the channel in terms of education and incentives. In April we launched a ‘Partner Academy’ to educates partners about the latest trends and product innovations, as well as provide unique insights to drive the sales pipeline and revenue growth. In terms of incentivising the channel, Brocade has introduced a unique initiative called ‘Brocade Rewards’.

Every sales person within the channel organisation can register on mybrocade. com, subscribe for the program and get a credit card. Every time the salesperson closes a deal which registers on the system, he gets a pre-defined amount of commission that is instantly credited to his account. The program is very simple and clear and lucrative for the individual salespersons.

What role are your distribution partners such as Mindware and channel partners expected to play?

What would you say will be your major highlight at this year’s GITEX Technology Week?

In recent times Brocade has introduced several networking innovations in the areas of Data Centre Ethernet Fabrics, SDN and NFV technologies, which are shaping the future of the networking industry. All of these products will be showcased at GITEX this year. We will also demonstrate the Brocade Vyatta Platform - the first phase of a multiyear strategy that delivers an open and modular networking platform for cloud and telecommunications service providers.

Aside from the ongoing efforts to empower your channel partners, what role is expected from your distribution partners such as Mindware going forward, given that cloud adoptions are picking up in the region?

With cloud computing being one of the biggest trends in this region and SDN expected to take-off in the near future, the potential uptake of Brocade’s networking solutions is huge. As such we expect partners like Mindware to skill-up and develop expertise in these areas in order to become trusted advisors to the channel and impart much needed training.

www.mindware.ae

CHANGING THE WAY DATA CENTERS WORK By 2015, over half of all IT capital budgets will be spent on the cloud.

By 2020, the Internet will be home to over 30 billion

40%

Gartner

MARKET SHARE

Data is growing by 40% a year. But IT spending is only growing by 5%.

McKinsey

By 2016, 3 in 4 businesses will lose market share if they’re not ready for cloud, mobile, and social technologies. Gartner

5% BUDGET

DATA

By 2016, SDN will be worth $3.7 billion…

35% of all data center Ethernet switches. IDC

52% of network leaders think SDN will simplify virtual network management.

By 2017, an extra 91 million people will browse the Web using mobile devices (and 15 million fewer will use PCs). IDC

Brocade Survey

THE AGE OF FABRICS Over 1,400customers worldwide have chosen Brocade Ethernet fabrics …more than 450,000 ports!

If you laid all deployedBrocade VDX switches end-to-end, they’d stretch over 30,000 feet–similarto the cruising altitude ofa Boeing 747.

With over 1.3 million downloads, the Brocade Vyatta vRouter is the world’s most popularvirtual router.

No1 More than 9 in 10 Global 1000 companies rely on Brocade data center solutions.

Brocade is the world’s No. 1 SAN provider.

1 million+ OpenFlow router ports have been shipped by Brocade.

Brocade was the first company to introduce Ethernet fabrics in 2010.

SEE HOW BROCADE FABRICS CAN TRANSFORM YOUR DATA CENTER WWW.BROCADE.COM

© 2013 Brocade Communications Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Citrix

Transforming the workplace Noman Qadir, Director of Channels, Middle East and Africa at Citrix, talks to The Grid about the importance of workplace solutions.

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hat has Citrix focused on in 2014 in terms of business and the channel?

Last year Citrix announced its expanded global channel program, which helps partners keep pace with the rapid technological expansion in cloud computing and mobile work styles. We launched two growth-oriented programs; an enhanced Citrix Solution Advisor (CSA) program and a new Citrix SaaS Advisor (CSSA) program. Both are designed to make it easier for partners to do business with Citrix.

Our focus in 2014 has been on rolling out these programs on a regional level and, of course, bringing partners up-tospeed on our recently launched portfolio of Citrix Workplace Suite solutions.

This next generation offering delivers secure access to apps, desktops, data and services from any device, over any network to empower mobile workers with the freedom and flexibility to choose how they work.

How does Citrix help its channel partners to take advantage of current trends?

Workplace transformation remains a critical phenomenon across all industries in the Middle East. This has led many industry decision-makers to focus on adopting new technologies to improve business operations by addressing developments such as the convergence of social, mobile, cloud and big data.

With these trends channel partners need to be fully equipped with the tools, knowledge and skills they need to cater to the individually unique demand of our customers in the region.

Citrix is also making significant investments in partner training

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enabling partners to be able to sell and deliver successful end-to-end mobility solutions to customers.

Noman Qadir, Director of Channels, Middle East and Africa at Citrix

programs to ensure that its partners are able to educate regional businesses on the importance of adopting business mobility strategies.

What channel initiatives is Citrix implementing in the Middle East this year?

Since our partners represent our primary go-to-market strategy, it is important that we continue our longstanding channel leadership by strengthening traditional channel programs, while building new opportunities for our partners. In the Middle East and Africa region we have been heavily expanding our channel base and aim to have a wider partner network that will deliver value and partner differentiation to improve market reach, revenue and scale.

We are also continuing our investment in partner training programs where we have created new tools and resources that will help increase productivity and enable partners to compete more effectively in the region.

In addition we are investing heavily in

What role are your distribution partners such as Mindware and channel partners expected to play?

Some customers have the wrong perception that business mobility solutions require a very high upfront cost. This was true a couple of years ago however, as the technology is being more widely adopted, the upfront costs have reduced considerably. We work with our channel partners to mitigate this challenge and empower them to help customers become more informed on the importance of mobility solutions and how companies can actually reduce their IT costs by securely delivering apps, desktops, files and services to any user, on any device, over any network.

Our distributors also work as the extended arm of Citrix, from recruiting and enabling partners all the way, to fully supporting them during their first few deals.

What will Citrix highlight at GITEX Technology Week 2014?

As part of our overall offering we will be showing the Citrix Workspace Suite, the industry’s most complete solution for the secure delivery and management of apps, data and services from any device over any network. With the Citrix Workspace Suite customers can leverage a single, flexible solution for securely delivering apps, desktops, files and services to any user, on any device over any network with a high performance user experience.

The tradeshow provides a platform to not only gain great visibility and brand awareness but to also connect with our regional customers and partners.

www.mindware.ae

Dell

Investing in the channel Dell takes its channel partnerships very seriously and is investing heavily to drive business results. Dell Middle East’s Marketing Director, Basil Ayass explains.

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ow is Dell helping its channel partners take advantage of the improving business climate in the region?

This year Dell is investing in developing channel programs for the Middle East to help partners accelerate their business and improve their capabilities and expertise around Dell Enterprise and software. We are also motivating and enabling partners to develop corecompetencies in the many lines of Dell’s business.

What channel initiatives is Dell implementing in the Middle East this year?

We continue to strengthen and

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Basil Ayass, Regional Marketing Director, Dell Middle East

expand our commitment to our partners in the region and are planning to expand our market reach through partner recruitment and enablement. We put a great deal of focus on partner development for existing partners and by recruiting new partners to cover our growing solutions portfolio. Our sales force will focus on assisting partners to close business with products from the portfolio that are suited to meet end customer needs, including Dell PowerEdge servers, storage, networking, software, thin client, workstations and Dell SecureWorks.

In addition, deal registration will continue to allow partners to identify all direct opportunities with end customers. Channel partners will also benefit from leads provided

by Dell, encouraging a channel-led approach for specifically targeted end customers that would benefit from channel partner involvement.

This will enable partners to identify and target specific companies with the assurance that Dell will not proactively pursue such leads, although end customers still have the choice of buying directly from Dell or through a partner.

What role do distribution partners such as Mindware and channel partners play?

The role of our distribution partners such as Mindware is very clear: they are an extended arm for Dell’s presence in the Middle East. They provide value added distribution services for us to help us reach areas and resellers that we can’t work with directly. We take this partnership

seriously and extend it beyond the usual stock availability and financial terms flexibility, whereas we work with our distributors to agree on strategy and reach across the region.

What will be Dell’s major highlight at this year’s GITEX Technology Week?

Dell continues to innovate and broaden its portfolio of industry standard, scale-up, and scale-out technology solutions that span the desktop to the data centre and to the cloud. During the tradeshow Dell will showcase its portfolio of endto-end software and technology solutions designed to help customers of all sizes integrate, optimise, and automate their infrastructure, applications, and IT service delivery and management. Dell will also showcase its connected security services and offerings that provide a complete lifecycle approach to enterprise protection.

What is the importance of participating at GITEX Technology Week?

GITEX provides yet another avenue for us to reach out to customers and partners. It’s also an excellent annual platform to showcase Dell’s end-toend integrated solutions. Presence and visibility leads to business which leads to ROI. Dell is one of the largest technology solution vendors in the Middle East, and it is important for us to demonstrate our marketleading technologies and help new and existing customers understand how they can get the most from the products and solutions we offer.

www.mindware.ae

EMC

Platform transformation

The Grid sits down with Ashraf Hamid, Channel Manager, Gulf and Pakistan, EMC, to discuss the business of IT transformation.

Ashraf Hamid, Channel Manager, Gulf and Pakistan, EMC

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hat has EMC’s focus and business strategy for the Middle East channel been in 2014?

We’ve been focussed on helping our partners and customers make the transformation to third platform technologies. Earlier this year EMC unveiled the Business Partner Program (BPP) architected for partners to lead industry transformation with a new focus on solutions and services underpinned by a simplified, richer, and a more flexible program.

Designed in concert with partners the BPP offers more flexibility, and choice, as well as greater access to solutions and services to enable partners to play a leading role in both the 2nd platform and emerging 3rd platform of IT, which is characterised by the mega trends of social, mobile, cloud and big data.

How is EMC helping partners take advantage of the business climate in the region?

Recognising that the increasing adoption of 3rd platform technologies will further

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contribute to the change in roles of our channel partners, the new program gives partners the opportunity to choose the tracks that best fit their strategic objectives. The BPP tracks include: EMC resell, distribution, cloud service provider, system integrator and outsourcer as well as the RSASecurWorld program.

The program is designed to increase opportunities for selling EMC solutions and services. Partners have access to five new purpose-built solutions to drive higher value engagements across cloud, big data and security. EMC is also creating a new Solution Centers with partners under the Business Partner Program to showcase these solutions on premises or in the cloud.

Through these initiatives EMC is working to offer partners enhanced flexibility and choice by harnessing the power of EMC’s federation of companies to enable partners to deliver exceptional value through a deep set of solutions and service.

What channel initiatives is EMC implementing in the Middle East this year?

EMC is focused on ensuring that its resellers deliver best-in-class EMC products and solutions to meet the breadth and depth of customer IT challenges across the Middle East. We believe it’s crucial for partners to develop the sales and technical skills necessary to be successful in the Middle East marketplace, and the program includes a clear path to help our partners become experts. The program also allows partners to stay on the cutting edge of emerging technologies like cloud computing, big data and trusted IT solutions.

The idea is to help our partners make the transformation from box movers to service providers that don’t just sell but architect and deliver complete

solutions. Noting the increasing interest in technologies like cloud, big data and security to transform business performance, partners have access to five new solutions to drive higher value engagements across these three spheres.

What role do you expect your regional partners, such as Mindware, to play?

Channel partners continue to be central to our success in the region; they don’t just drive our business but ensure that the right set of solutions and services are offered to customers. This is why we continue to introduce initiatives that provide them with the technologies, tools, resources and support to ensure they are prepared to leverage new business opportunities that lie before them with the transformation to the third platform of IT. What will EMC highlight at GITEX Technology Week?

GITEX will once again give us the opportunity to lend our support to leading partners like Mindware who will showcase their leading solution portfolios and service expertise at the event. The tradeshow continues to be the most important B2B IT trade event in the Middle East whether you are a SMB or an enterprise.

What technology or business trend is EMC tracking in the next two years?

Flash technology is transforming the storage industry and will penetrate all architectural models. Flash has use cases for many applications, and for partners this is a huge potential market (i.e. all of their existing and future accounts). IDC has projected the all-flash array market will grow to US $1.6 billion by 2016 and EMC is prepared to work with partners to leverage this opportunity through an extensive portfolio of solutions.

www.mindware.ae

Intel

Next generation computing

Intel’s Firas Alfanney, Sales Manager Middle East and North Africa, Intel, gives The Grid the low down on next generation computing platforms.

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hat has Intel’s focus and business strategy been in 2014 for the Middle East?

At the beginning of 2014 we had numerous new technology debuts such as the Galileo board and wearable devices, which are considered to be the hottest tickets in technology today. In the Middle East our main focus and strategy was to maintain PC momentum, while creating awareness and driving sales of the new Intel PC form factor. Known as the Next Unit of Computing (NUC), we focused on educating the channel so that they in turn could use the new platform to deliver products that perfectly matched customer demands.

How is Intel enabling its channel partners in the Middle East?

Intel is continuously enabling its channel partners to adapt to the rapidly changing market dynamics of the technology industry. Intel focused heavily on tablets and 2-in-1 systems in 2014 and offered state of the art products in order to help its channel customers match the market trends and needs of the Middle East region. We make sure our partners have the best products and solutions and offer the right product with the best performance and quality to take advantage of every end customer opportunity.

What sectors are Intel and its partners targeting in the Middle East this year?

This year Intel is targeting a wide range of sectors with its range of products and solutions. Our portfolio of products enable our partners and stakeholders to reach out and do business with everyone including telecommunication providers, healthcare companies, government

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What will be Intel’s major highlight at this year’s GITEX Technology Week?

Our Mini PC – Intel NUC will be the major highlight at this year’s GITEX Technology Week. Visitors will be able to experience the product first hand over the course of the show.

institutes, educational institutions, retail and many others. Our goal is to facilitate day-to-day business to every partner.

What is the state of the Middle East IT channel in terms of business opportunities and potential for the Intel’s solutions?

Intel’s business in the Middle East is growing as a result of our partners offering all of our latest and greatest products. Our solutions are being offered in several sectors whether educational, governmental, retail etc. Due to market growth we are able to expand our offerings in the Middle Eastern market and work on several opportunities.

What role are your distribution partners such as Mindware and channel partners expected to play?

Our authorized distributors (i.e.

Mindware) play a major role in introducing our new products to the channel customers. They are key players in selling/offering our products to our trusted channel partners and help us achieve our business goals.

Firas Alfanney, Sales Manager Middle East and North Africa, Intel

What is the importance of participating in a technology trade fair such as GITEX Technology Week?

GITEX Technology Week is a crucial event.

Customers will be updated on the latest product and technological releases as well as get the chance to touch and feel the products prior to buying them. From a distributor perspective, the company will have the chance to promote its products and exhibit them to the public.

Therefore, such an event will bring buyers (attendees) and sellers under one roof and fulfill both goals.

What can your channel partners (distributors & resellers) expect from Intel in the next 12 months in the Middle East region?

In the next 12 months Intel will again launch a new generation of Intel Core processors. For the near future, Intel will launch its next generation processors, codenamed Broadwell. These CPUs are the fifth generation of Core processors and will power laptops and desktops for the next 18 months.

What technology or business trend is Intel tracking in the next two years?

Over the next two years Intel will be paying close attention to IOT (Internet of things).

Since Intel’s ecosystem provides hardware, software, tools, systems integration and network and cloud infrastructure, there will be many business opportunities for Intel and its customers.

www.mindware.ae

Juniper

Close collaboration

Fadi Chami, Distribution and Broad Channel Manager, Juniper Networks, says the company values close relationships with its partners and has focused on creating and developing new business opportunities.

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hat has been Juniper’s focus and business strategy for the Middle East channel in 2014?

Juniper Networks has continued to work closely with its partners - our focus as always is on providing solutions based on its pioneering strategy for building intelligent and secure High-IQ networks.

“Throughout 2014 the company has introduced various reward programs, focused channel enablement workshops and different marketing initiatives to create new business opportunities.”

How is Juniper helping channel partners to take advantage of the improving business climate in the Middle East?

Juniper continues to focus on enabling true partner competency and works closely with its distributors to transfer the technical and sales knowledge. The company is also focusing its marketing resources on creating new business opportunities.

What channel initiatives is Juniper implementing in the Middle East this year?

Throughout 2014 the company has introduced various reward programs, focused channel enablement workshops and different marketing initiatives to create new business opportunities.

What role are your distribution partners such as Mindware and channel partners expected to play?

Juniper is working closely with its distributors to provide a real valueadd through enabling true partner competency, while providing the classic distribution offerings.

What will Juniper’s major highlight be at this year’s GITEX Technology Week?

Juniper will serve as a platinum sponsor

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of the Cloud Confex on October 13 where Adrian Pickering, Vice President, Middle East & Africa, Juniper Networks, will share Juniper’s vision for ‘Moving Networking to the Cloud Era’.

What is the importance of participating in a technology trade fair such as GITEX Technology Week?

GITEX is a very important tradeshow for Juniper Networks; it allows us to showcase our latest cloud, security and High-IQ networking solutions.

Fadi Chami, Distribution & Broad Channel Manager, MEA, Juniper Networks

What can your channel partners (distributors & resellers) expect from Juniper in the next 12 months in the Middle East region?

Juniper Networks, as a business, has undergone many positive changes over the last year and it is now poised to better deliver on its commitment to distributors and resellers.

What technology or business trend is Juniper tracking in the next two years?

Juniper Networks is focusing on the future of virtualised and cloud network architectures, as well as its pioneering strategy for building intelligent and secure High-IQ Networks.

www.mindware.ae

McAfee

Serious about security The Grid talks to Maya Kreidy, Regional Channel Manager, GCC, McAfee, about the business of security.

B

riefly take us through McAfee’s focus for the Middle East in 2014?

2014 has been a busy year for the McAfee channel team. Our efforts have been centered on fortifying our existing partner base with new skill sets, getting new partners up to speed and introducing our Security Connected portfolio to incumbent Stonesoft partners after the acquisition. We have introduced key improvements to our global channel program that are also in effect locally, as well as new SMB focused specialisations and certifications.

How is McAfee helping its channel partners take advantage of the improving business climate in the region?

This year has brought our extremely successful Profitability stack to the region, which rewards partners for identifying, creating and closing opportunities. Our deal registration program has seen a 150% increase in opportunities being identified and our closure rate is extremely high.

What channel initiatives is McAfee implementing in the Middle East this year?

McAfee is committed to delivering new ways to help our partners be more profitable. This year we made a huge leap forward by setting a new profitability standard in the security industry. At the same time we will continue to listen to our partners and aggressively evolve our channel programs as part of our relentless pursuit to deliver value to partners.

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What role are your distribution partners such as Mindware and other channel partners expected to play?

Value added distribution partners like Mindware and our channel partners play a critical role as Intel Security is a 100% channel driven business in the region.

Mindware, for instance, has beefed up their offering to the channel with a pool of evaluation appliances available to the partners for proof-of concepts, a strong pre-sales team with regional presence in KSA, UAE and Qatar, and strong sales support in both the Enterprise and SMB segments of our business. The results are already showing with a marked increase to YOY growth.

What will McAfee’s highlight be at GITEX Technology Week and what benefit do you realise in participating?

This year McAfee will deploy new branding “Intel Security” and will be focusing on demonstrating our latest products and solutions to the channel and end customers.

We are fully committed to GITEX as it offers us the perfect platform to interact with our customers and partners. Our goal is to drive long-term, profitable business growth for our regional customers and partners, and the tradeshow gives us the opportunity to showcase our security product portfolio.

The tradeshow plays a pivotal role in being able to generate security awareness for our customers in what is becoming and increasingly dynamic and difficult landscape. It also gives us the chance to network with the Middle East channel and get a pulse on market trends.

Maya Kreidy, Regional Channel Manager, GCC, McAfee.

What can your channel partners expect from Intel Security in the next 12 months in the Middle East region?

We are rolling out the McAfee profitability stack, a program to improve the partner’s financial gains from working with McAfee. In the program we are introducing new financial benefits to partners such as the ACE rebate, the incumbency advantage. We are also repositioning the McAfee deal registration program that helps partners take advantage of being proactive in generating opportunities. We are also continuing the McAfee rebate program, which is one of the best rewarding rebate programs in the market. All that is coupled with an improved enablement program that will ensure partner staff receive the same level of training that a McAfee employee would get.

What technology or business trend is McAfee tracking in the next two years?

McAfee will focus on the Threat Intelligence Exchange that allows you to deliver a cohesive framework where security products collectively pinpoint threats and expose threat trends within your customers’ organisation.

McAfee Threat Intelligence Exchange significantly optimizes threat prevention, closing the gap from encounter to containment for advanced targeted attacks from days, weeks, and months down to milliseconds.

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The future of technology is more secure than ever.

Intel® Security combines the expertise of McAfee® with the performance and trust of Intel to deliver secure computing to consumers and businesses worldwide. We believe that as technology becomes more deeply integrated into life, security must be more deeply integrated into technology. Because when everyone has the confidence to use technology to its full potential they can achieve their full potential. Visit intelsecurity.com.

McAfee is now part of Intel Security.

2014 © McAfee Inc. McAfee and the M-shield are trademarks or registered trademarks of McAfee, Inc. The Intel logo is the trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

Microsoft

Tapping regional megatrends Mohammed Arif, Partner Business & Development Manager, Microsoft Gulf, discusses how Microsoft is enabling partners to leverage regional megatrends.

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hat is Microsoft’s focus and business strategy for the channel in 2014?

Our ongoing focus in 2014 and beyond is equipping our partners to do more and be more in a mobile-first, cloud-first business environment. We are committed to enabling this by driving cloud adoption through our channel partners. IDC have confirmed our outlook: there’s faster growth, more profit, and more new customers in the cloud.

How is Microsoft helping its channel partners to take advantage of the improving business climate in the Middle East?

Microsoft has launched solutions that line up with megatrends like cloud, mobile, social and big data. Today we have multiple cloud products – Office 365, Windows Azure, CRM online and more – that enable the channel to participate and gain from this fast growing trend. We announced incentives for cloud that are the highest across the Microsoft portfolio (up to 23%). Partners get incentives for transacting, for advising customers and for deployment.

We also launched a certification programs and competency models for the channel.

What channel initiatives is Microsoft implementing this year?

This year we have a program that will enable our channel partners to accelerate the transformation towards the cloud – Cloud SureStep. We also announced the availability of our latest cloud product, Azure, under our traditional open licensing. These programs will be supported by a variety of customer offers and channel incentive programs.

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pivotal role to play. They have to act as channel developers and have to embrace the cloud opportunity. They have to invest in the opportunity to activate and enable the reseller channel through this transformation. Distributors through their position as channel leaders and ability to enable and activate partners at scale play a key part in this transformation.

Mohammed Arif, Partner Business & Development Manager, Microsoft Gulf

What is the state of the Middle East IT channel in terms of business opportunities and potential for the Microsoft’s solutions?

IDC has just announced growth in the Middle East region’s PC market: figures show growth in both the desktop and portable product categories, with the former growing 2.9% year on year to reach 1.8 million units and the latter expanding 1.7% over the same period to total 2.7 million units.

Microsoft continues to have one of the largest channel ecosystems in the IT industry and we are growing faster than the market rate. As we grow our business by introducing new cloud and mobile technologies, this offers a variety of opportunities to the channel whether they are resellers, integrators, hosters or developers.

What role are your distribution partners such as Mindware and channel partners expected to play?

In this crucial juncture where the IT industry is experiencing various mega trends, distribution partners have a

What will Microsoft highlight at this year’s GITEX Technology Week?

Microsoft will showcase its latest products and services that are in-line with the transformational mega trends, namely mobility, cloud, big data and enterprise social. Microsoft is focused on helping customers improve their productivity in a mobile-first and cloudfirst world. During GITEX Microsoft will showcase solutions to reinvent productivity to empower people and organisations to do and achieve more.

What can your channel partners expect from Microsoft in the next 12 months in the Middle East region?

Channel partners can expect to see Microsoft continue to have the focus on accelerating cloud adoption.

By aligning field roles, programs, assets and other investments with these business priorities more definitively, we can support partner transformation effectively.

What technology or business trend is Microsoft tracking in the next two years?

Microsoft will be focusing on the four mega trends; mobility, cloud, big data and business solutions and enterprise social. We want consumers to make the most of our new services and products.

www.mindware.ae

Riverbed

Partner focus The Grid chats with Elie Dib, Head of Channel for the Middle East, Turkey, North, West and Central Africa (METNA) region at Riverbed Technology, about the regional channel landscape.

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hat’s your career history to date? How did you end up working with Riverbed?

I have over 15 years of industry experience and have worked in sales, pre-sales and service as an individual contributor and a manager. I moved to Dubai from Lebanon in 2006 to take up a fantastic job offer from NCR. From that starting point, over the last seven years, I embarked on a journey to drive and execute channel strategies focused on integrating all aspects of the channel ecosystem to serve the high potential of the emerging markets.

Eventually this path led me to my current position at Riverbed.

How big are the opportunities you see in the Middle East markets in 2014?

It is clear that the Middle East markets represent a very attractive market for Riverbed - we see a tremendous growth opportunity ahead of us. The region’s businesses are facing new challenges as demand for ‘Anywhere-Access Computing’ surges. The explosion of mobile, cloud and social technologies has dramatically changed the business landscape. Today, distance is no longer a barrier to business success.

What kind of partners do you usually look for?

I look for partners who are capable of distinguishing themselves from the rest through developing service competencies independently from the vendor. The core of my channel strategy at Riverbed is to empower our channel business partners to build service offerings on our application performance platform to

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ensure customer satisfaction and ROI. We are working towards enabling our partners to be fully capable of designing the solution, articulating the benefits to the customer, implementing the solution in the best possible way and providing post implementation support.

What are the challenges that facing you partners today?

Dependency on vendors. Vendors have created a reactive ecosystem minimising the importance of their channel to conduct strategic thinking and planning.

This has resulted in the channel lacking focus and specialisation in the technology or industry they serve. This is in stark contrast to the way that channel entities operate in more mature IT markets. I would also say that it is not the lack of funds or skills that has brought about this mentality but rather a vicious cycle set in place by vendors who permit their channel partners to become complacent.

How do you help your partners to overcome those challenges?

Enablement, empowerment and trust are the key drivers to an independent business partner. This is the formula that will allow Riverbed to expand its reach and penetrate new markets along with our partners. This divide and conquer market approach will mutually benefit Riverbed and its partners as we increase our market share and profits.

What channel initiatives will you be lining up in 2014?

I am lining up a lot of channel initiatives for 2014 as part of my three year channel transformation strategy, taking into consideration that every region in the

Elie Dib, Head of Channel, Middle East, Turkey, North, West and Central Africa (METNA) region, Riverbed Technology.

Middle East is unique in its requirements.

The main initiative for this year that I have worked extensively on is tailoring our partner enablement program, and we expect to launch this in the region very shortly.

What can partners expect in the way of service from you?

Partners can expect a simple service methodology that we are adopting at Riverbed that consists of continuous partner enablement and knowledge transfer from all angles - sales, pre-sales, post-sales, tools, shadowing, demos, marketing, etc. where we will walk step by step with our partners and ensure our mutual success in positioning and delivering Riverbed solutions.

Why is it important for resellers to buy from your authorised distribution partners?

At Riverbed we only work with value added distribution (VAD) partners. With the extensive product knowledge and insights into customer needs that our VADs possess, they can easily help our resellers understand Riverbed’s value proposition and communicate the benefits of our solutions to end customers.

In addition to that our VADs are highly trained and capable of enabling our partners to sell and design Riverbed solutions. They also provide credit facilities, global logistics, technical support and implementation services.

www.mindware.ae

SAP

Partner focus Leveraging the regional channel can make all the difference to a vendor’s impact in the region.

SAP’s Territory Director, Sevag Kalaydjian talks to the The Grid about his company’s new direction.

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hat has been your company’s focus and business strategy for the Middle East channel in 2014?

Our focus and commitment to the channel in general and distribution in particular is twofold; enrich the solution set way beyond the products previously sold through distribution and in parallel, considerably expand the footprint of indirect channels in our overall business. The latter also reflects our global channel strategy, which is in essence to boost our indirect sales from about 20% only a few years ago to 40% by 2015.

This leads to an obvious need to recruit new reseller partners working through distribution in the areas of analytics, big data and mobility.

What is the state of the Middle East IT channel in terms of business opportunities and potential for the solutions you offer to the market?

The opportunity for reseller partners is ample and within reach. We now have an appealing set of products going to market through distribution, including business analytics, database and mobility. We see a lot of opportunities for ourselves and for our partners across the Middle East as end customers look at IT to achieve their business objectives.

What channel initiatives is your company rolling out in the Middle East?

We have introduced a new partnership program, the SAP

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Sevag Kalaydjian, Territory Director - SAP Distribution EMEA, SAP

PartnerEdge Authorised Reseller, giving the broader channel an effortless access to SAP through distribution. As innovation and drastic changes are constantly reshaping the industry (ICT) and therefore creating unprecedented complexities in vendor offerings, we are forming deeper partnerships and joining forces with our distributors to collectively help simplify these offerings from multiple software and hardware vendors by aggregating them and presenting as a unified solution set aimed primarily at the small and medium business markets.2013 had been the year we started putting our channel growth strategy into execution with and through our distributors. It started

“2013 had been the year we started putting our channel growth strategy into execution with and through our distributors.

It started gradually across EMEA and we are currently bringing that momentum to the Middle East.” gradually across EMEA and we are currently bringing that momentum to the Middle East.

What is the importance of participating in a technology fair such as GITEX Technology Week?

Gitex, as the leading regional technology fair, is undoubtedly the best vehicle to convey an opportunity for the channel such as the one we are coming with. The show’s reach is not only limited to the Middle Eastern market but rather has an impact on the MEASA region as a whole.

www.mindware.ae

Symantec

The business of change Fady Iskander, Channel Regional Manager, Gulf & Levant, Symantec, talks to The Grid about his company’s enhanced focus on channel partners..

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hat was the objective of revamping the partner program me?

In support of the company’s change in strategic direction and the operational plan announced in January 2013, it was necessary to reassess and optimise our offering- and GTMstrategy. For our partners this is designed to result in more business opportunities while delivering a superior experience to our joint customers. Symantec has redesigned its partner program from the ground up to better reward partners for delivering an exceptional experience to end customers.

The redesigned Symantec Partner Program supports our new global channel strategy and the changes in how we go to market. The program is designed to link unique business models and capabilities to the market opportunity with Symantec solutions.

The driving objective is to help partners be competitive and relevant in the market place. This approach helps build a long-term profitable business with Symantec.

What are some of the changes made to the program?

Symantec unveiled 12 new Symantec Solution Competencies; these new competencies give partners the choice to deepen their expertise in a particular solution area or extend their capabilities across multiple solutions for broader market traction. By achieving Symantec competency partners demonstrate their insight, experience and solutionsexpertise, which is crucial when solving their customers’ unique business challenges. This gives channel partners an edge over their competitors when offering end-to-end value proposition to end customers.

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Why is a competency-based model better than a specialisation-based one for the partners?

With the launch of the redesigned program, Symantec is introducing a competency-based enablement model, which will replace the existing specialisations model. The new Symantec competencies framework evolved from the existing Symantec specialisations model, recognising partners who demonstrate proficiency in particular solution and delivery areas.

Competencies help extend a partner’s current investment in specialisation by building upon their existing capabilities, which enables them to deliver an even better customer experience.

Symantec registered partners are those who have registered to be a program member. Registered partners have access to core benefits and training.

Symantec silver partners on the other hand have progressed beyond the registered level and have achieved at least one principal competency, giving them access to opportunity registration benefits and other incentives. Channel partners who achieve gold have invested more deeply in their Symantec partnership through the achievement of at least one expert competency, and demonstrate proficiency in delivering customer satisfaction. Gold Partners have access to enhanced opportunity registration benefits and increased incentives, sales support, and marketing and technical benefits.

Our platinum partners are those that have invested the most. This level of partnership requires achievement of at least three expert competencies and proven proficiency across the related solution areas. These partners demonstrate delivery of exceptional customer value and have access to more strategic benefits, including investment funds and dedicated support from Symantec. The redesigned partner program was announced earlier this year, however the actual final launch date is yet to be announced.

How can partners benefit from the enhanced program in the Middle East?

In the redesigned program, partners may participate in one of four membership tiers: registered, silver, gold or platinum.

You may recognise these names from our current Symantec Partner Program tiers.

Eligibility for access to certain benefits, tools and other resources is dependent upon partner’s membership status within the Program.

What are some of the criteria for selecting your partners?

The program is also designed to provide rewarding benefits based on partners performance and delivery of customer satisfaction. Partners who invest in developing and growing their businesses with our market-leading products, and consistently deliver the best customer experience will have access to enhanced financial and non-financial benefits.

Fady Iskander, Channel Regional Manager, Gulf & Levant, Symantec.

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