Reseller Middle East May 2016

ISSUE 233 | MAY 2016 www.resellerme.com

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CONTENTS

STRATEGIC VAD PARTNER

Highlights 6

News

We help you catch up on all the major news and announcements in the regional channel community.

ISSUE 233 // may 2016

32

cover story

opinion 27

Doubling profits

Sachin Bhardwaj from eHosting DataFort, explains how managed hosting services can help SMBs stand out from competition.

29 Value-driven

Hozefa Saylawala from Zebra Technologies, outlines what companies should be looking out for to build their reseller ecosystem.

Interview 30

Channel centric

Claire Jones from Juniper Networks on the way ahead for channel partners.

The top executives shaping the IT channel landscape

Features 56

Enable and empower

Reseller ME talks to experts to find out how a good partner programme can best optimise opportunities for the channel.

60

Prime prospects

Reseller ME investigates the factors channel partners need to consider for successful implementation of hybrid cloud.

hot products

78

D-Link unveils DCS-960L

79

Axis introduces new generation modular cameras

Vendor focus 65

Partner power

Riverbed Technology aims to leverage the strength of its channel partner ecosystem to drive business forward.

review

77

Honor 5X

80

AOC launches new line of gaming monitors

81

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For those in the channel, it would have been impossible to miss the news that for the first time ever, Apple has reported a drop in iPhone unit sales year-on-year in the second quarter, after an unbelievable 51 consecutive quarters of uninterrupted growth. This shows the potential magnitude of softness in the smart phone market, and recently Blackberry CEO has admitted that the smart phone market is saturated on the high-end, and it is an industry issue. The figures available from IDC suggest that worldwide, smartphone makers shipped 334.9 million handsets in the first quarter of 2016, which shows a meagre 0.2 growth compared to the previous year.

Consumers don’t have any compelling reasons to buy new phones or upgrade to newer models, which explains the stagnating growth in the smartphone market. This might be a cause of concern for channel partners betting big on mobility. According to market research agency IHS, the decline in smartphone market will also have a cascading effect on the larger semiconductor market this year, because mobile handset IC market accounts for a bigger chunk at the moment.

Should this trigger an alarm for partners focused on mobility? The key characteristic of the smartphone is cutthroat competition based on price. We have seen an influx of Chinese vendors into the market with attractive price points, and they are slowly eating into the market share of premium brands. Obscure Chinese brands such as Oppo and Vivo now figure in the top five smartphone vendors globally, and and all of them offer feature-rich phones under $250 price tag.

Markets such as the UAE may have high mobile penetration rates, but there is a huge untapped potential in the lower-tier because it is still dominated by feature phones. This probably explains the fact that in 2015 Nokia was the most dominant player in the UAE, accounting for 62 percent retail volume share of feature phones. I think it might be a good idea for partners to pay more attention to brands that tempt consumers with new innovations and affordable prices, and target consumers who want to transition from feature phones to smart phones.

Registered at IMPZ PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 Printed by Printwell Printing Press Š Copyright 2016 CPI All rights reserved While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

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highlights

Microsoft names Logicom as OEM and FPP distributor in Bahrain

L

ogicom Bahrain has announced that it is now the official distributor for Microsoft’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and full packaged product (FPP).

Peter Irinarchos, General Manager, Logicom UAE and Gulf, said, “We are very pleased to expand the regional Microsoft Business to Bahrain. Less than a year ago, we began our OEM business in Qatar, and we see this expansion as a part of the development of the company.

We believe that our expertise, commitment and partner strength were pivotal in being awarded the OEM and FPP distribution, and with Microsoft now in our arsenal in Bahrain, we aim to complement

our existing offerings across our partner-network with great products, and provide our partners with even greater value.”

The distributor has been in operation in Bahrain since 2007.

Following this new agreement, Logicom Bahrain has added a Microsoft-dedicated resource to its growing local team.

Sherif Tawfik, General Manager, Microsoft Bahrain, said, “As we continue to take advantage of the ever growing business potential in Bahrain, we find it critical that we form alliances with key partners that share our vision and have the capabilities and resources to help us achieve our targets. Logicom is an established value-added distributor, having a holistic and solution-

oriented approach to the business.

This makes Logicom an ideal partner for Microsoft and the agreement solidifies our joint, go-to-market strategy that will effectively augment distribution processes for Microsoft OEM and FPP.”

SAR 43.7B projected ICT spending in Saudi Arabia by 2020

Source: IDC

Huawei, FDC International partner to support SMEs Huawei has appointed FDC International as the regional volume distributor in the Middle East supporting the growing need of SMEs for new ICT solutions.

The partnership is aimed to to speed up time to market the Huwei’s products and solutions in the Middle East through the distributor’s regional product centres and its expertise in addressing the digital transformation requirements of SMEs. “This partnership forms part of Huawei’s direction to support the SME market through the recruitment of select partners who are able to deliver on Huawei’s value-add proposition,” said Hany Hussein, Vice President of Partners and Alliances, Huawei, Enterprise, Middle East. “This is in-line with our ‘Transforming Together’ channel development strategy which aims

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to create the right partner ecosystem to support the business needs of organisations of all sizes, through a long-term commitment that is based on strong collaboration with channel partners.”

FDC International support SMEs ranging from 100 to 1,000 users across multiple locations.

“SMEs like any other business are keen to have access to the latest ICT solutions that help them operate with the same capability as a large enterprise, by deploying new ICT technologies that help them succeed in their digital transformation,” said Dr. F. B., Safe CEO, FDC International.

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“FDC has over 27 years of regional IT distribution experience with more than 200 qualified professionals to address the needs of SMEs while providing them with insights and advice on how to leverage Huawei’s agile solutions to evolve their ICT environments efficiently and grow their business.”

Canon unveils 12 new products and solutions

Hendrik Verbrugghe, Canon Middle East and Central and North Africa

C

anon Middle East has, last month, strengthened its business-to-business (B2B) offering with the launch of 12 new B2B products and solutions. The new technologies were announced during the exclusive ‘Canon for Business’ event, which was attended by 150 C-level

executives, IT chiefs, partners and key decision-makers.

During the event, attendees were given on-site product demonstrations and shown how the full portfolio of Canon’s print solutions, services and value-added support can help them grow their businesses.

“Our business-to-business division is targeting exponential growth over

the coming years, and the Canon for Business event has been a very important milestone in that journey within the region. Through this event we also want to reiterate on our commitment to our valued customers and partners,” said Hendrik Verbrugghe, Marketing Director, Canon Middle East and Canon Central and North Africa.

According to Canon, the 12 new B2B products and solutions are designed to meet the increasing demand from both commercial and in-house print service providers ensuring enhanced throughput, ensure consistent colour, accurate registration controls, and flexible media handling and finishing In addition to the new products, Canon also demonstrated its workflow solutions such as Uniflow, ThereFore and IRIS in a specially constructed ‘Enterprise Zone’.

TP-LINK to honour top partners in Dubai

Denny Liang, TP-LINK

TP-LINK has announced that it will be hosting a partner awards ceremony to honour its top performing channel partners in the region.

The awards, to be held later this May at Jumeirah Emirates Towers Dubai under the theme “ConneXions”, will also see the

launch of the Talon AD7200 Multi-Band Wi-Fi Router, which supports the 802.11ad standard.

With 7200Mbps combined wireless speeds, including speeds of up to 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, 1733Mbps on the 5GHz band, and 4600Mbps on the new 60GHz band, the Talon AD7200’s Multi-Band Technology establishes three distinct networks that allow you to connect more devices while still enjoying peak performance.

Denny Liang, Vice President, TP-LINK Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Lucas Jiang, Assistant General Manager, TP-LINK Middle East and Africa (MEA) will both deliver keynote presentations during the event.

Liang said the company has decided to honour Dubaibased channel partners that have consistently performed well in a networking market..

“We have this year decided to honour them by recognising their effort at a special awards gathering, where their stellar performances over the years will be acknowledged,” he said. “We want to pay tribute to the fact that some of the partners we will be honouring have been with us from 2011, the year we first established presence in the Middle East.

We are hoping to make these awards a permanent feature in TP-LINK’s agenda for partners in MEA.”

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highlights

ESET Middle East launches branded e-store on Souq.com ESET has partnered with Souq.com, the online retail and marketplace platform, to launch an ESET branded e-store in the region.

“As more customers are going online to buy various products and services, it is also necessary for us at ESET to be where our customers are. Our partnership with Souq. com allows us to not only reach out to a wider audience in the Middle East but also drive more awareness on the importance of securing all devices using our leading products via an online platform,” said Neo Neophytou, Managing Director, ESET Middle East.

According to ESET’s 2016 IT Security in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) report, there is a growing need for companies and individuals in the region to mitigate cybersecurity risks by applying various protective systems. By providing a range of ESET’s products in one place online, the branded e-store aims to create awareness on the importance of securing multiple devices amongst individual and corporate users.

Ronaldo Mouchawar, CEO and Co-Founder, Souq.com, said, “We are witnessing a growing demand for brand e-stores across various industry segments. Dedicated e-stores ensure that while the brands maintain their identities, they can benefit from Souq.com’s online reach, back-end technology and logistics and for customers this means getting access to multiple products and solutions on one platform at a click of a button.

We are constantly investing in technology and infrastructure to help brands grow autonomously - we are therefore pleasing to support ESET in this endeavour.”

Among the products currently available on Souq.com’s ESET e-store are ESET Antivirus and ESET Smart Security for two devices.

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Cards and Payments ME gears up for 17th Edition

C

ards and Payments Middle East is set to return on 31st May to 1st June 2016 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The conference aims to put focus on the disruptive ways in which consumers, citizens and businesses manage, spend and borrow money. It will bring together global innovators and thought-leaders that have exploded onto the payments landscape this year. In its 17th year, the event will be sponsored by eDirham, Dubai Plus, Gemalto, Hightech Payment Systems and Network International.

The conferences at the event will feature regional expertsin the likes of Abdulla Qassem, Group COO, Emirates NBD and Chairman, Network International; Dr Bernd van Linder, MD, Saudi Hollandi Bank; Suvo Sarkar,

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SVP and Group Head – Retail Banking, Emirates NBD; and Bhairav Trivedi, Chief Executive Officer, Network International In addition to Cards and Payments, the exhibition encompasses three additional specialised conferences – The Mobile Show Middle East 2016, Retail Show Middle East 2016 and Ecommerce Show Middle East 2016, providing a complete picture of the regional payments and commerce landscape.

Nokia to accelerate entry into digital health segment Nokia has announced plans to acquire consumer electronics company, Withings to further extend its presence in the connected health segment.

The planned transaction values Withings at EUR 170 million and would be settled in cash and is expected to close in early Q3 2016 subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Upon closing the deal, Withings will be part of the Nokia Technologies business.

“We have said consistently that digital health was an area of strategic interest to Nokia, and we are now taking concrete action to tap the opportunity in this large

and important market,” said Rajeev Suri, President and CEO of Nokia.

“With this acquisition, Nokia is strengthening its position in the Internet of Things in a way that leverages the power of our trusted brand, fits with our company purpose of expanding the human possibilities of the connected world, and puts us at the heart of a very large addressable market where we can make a meaningful difference in peoples’ lives.”

The combination of innovative products from Withings and the Digital Health business will also ensure the ongoing renewal of Nokia Technologies’ IPR portfolio.

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highlights

Nexans announces new data centre offerings

N

exans has announced its latest data centre innovations under the name of “Smart Choices for Digital Infrastructure” in the Middle East.

According to the company, the different data centre infrastructure technologies will help managers to support the exponential increase in data transmission.

Nexans highlighted that the ‘Smart Choices for Digital Infrastructure’ is a concept which supports managers through the decision process by incorporating cabling systems which support several consecutive generations of active equipment and that are robust, flexible and scalable to adapt to new requirements.

Nexans’ offerings include flexible, cost-effective bandwidth architectures; optimised space

usage; performance protection and enhancement; faster modular deployment; and ‘design through to operation’ support services.

Oene-Wim Stallinga, Marketing Director at Nexans Cabling Solutions, said, “Data centre managers face common challenges - to keep information flowing reliably, to plan future migration, manage energy consumption, and reduce running costs.

LANmark high speed copper and fibre solutions provide scalable migration paths, and include ENSPACE ultra high density fibre together with pre-terminated options for fast deployment.

LANsense management monitors and manages the systems once installed to maximise operational effectiveness and all of this is supported through our Engage

Data centre managers face common challenges - to keep information flowing reliably, to plan future migration, manage energy consumption, and reduce running costs.” best practice services programme to assist our customers with the right choices to build an agile IT infrastructure.”

Veeam reports double digit growth in Q1 2016

Ratmir Timashev, Veeam

Veeam Software has announced a 24 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth in total bookings revenue for Q1 2016.

With 75 percent YoY increase in total bookings revenue from largesized deals, Veeam highlighted that their Q1 2016 success

demonstrates that enterprises are embracing their innovative approach of delivering availability solutions, which enable SLAs (service level agreements) for recovery time and point objectives (RTPO) of less than 15 minutes for applications and data.

“Backup is broken,” said Ratmir Timashev, CEO, Veeam.

“The state of backup is not going to get any better. What’s needed and demanded is Availability.

Recent research discovered that 84 percent of CIOs agree that their organisation has an Availability Gap – the gap between what users demand and what IT departments can deliver. Veeam continues to help enterprises solve this challenge, and our Q1 results show that demand for Veeam Availability solutions continues to accelerate

rapidly and we fully expect this growth to continue at a similar pace for the rest of 2016.”

According to the company, they continue to see growth in the cloud, especially as the demand for Disaster Recoveryas-a-Service (DRaaS) intensifies.

Celebrating its sixth year, the Veeam Cloud and Service Provider (VCSP) programme, which offers ready-made opportunities for service providers to acquire new customers and grow recurring revenue, reported an increase of 82 percent in the number of transactions year-over-year. The VCSP programme has grown to more than 11,200 service and cloud providers worldwide, with more than 1,300 of those partners licensed to provide services for Veeam Cloud Connect.

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highlights

Falcon Group signs partnership with Aptec

Dr. Ali Baghdadi, Aptec and Will Nagle, Falcon Group

F

alcon Group has announced a partnership with Aptec, an Ingram Micro company, to offer extended payment terms to its resellers.

Addressing the demands across the marketplace, the arrangement is aimed at improving liquidity within the distribution channel, matching resellers’ cash conversion cycle, increasing confidence and further strengthening Aptec’s strong

client relationships.

According to both companies, this solution, where Falcon provides dedicated facilities for resellers for their Aptec orders, enables partners the opportunity to add value through winning new orders, project origination, and improved financial drivers.

“Partnering with Falcon, will enable us to offer attractive finance to channel partners in the GCC region. We can now support our channel partners with extended payment terms which in turn will enable them to win new and significant business,” says Dr. Ali Baghdadi, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive, Ingram Micro, META. A global financier with a turnover in excess of $3 billion, Falcon Group provides financing services to companies across the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas. It has a dedicated team working closely with Aptec to activate reseller facilities and support transactions.

“The solution we are providing

to Aptec will act as a significant differentiator across the markets in which it operates,” says Will Nagle, CEO, Falcon Group. “Aptec will now be able to offer its clients a solution that will increase their purchasing capability, and support their cash flow. We are looking forward to developing this further geographically with Aptec, and Ingram Micro”.

25%

(or more) of identified attacks in enterprises will involve IoT by 2020

Source: Gartner

Redington, Microsoft sign CSP partnership for South Gulf “Apart from Microsoft Redington Gulf has been services, RedCloud will appointed as Microsoft’s be able to facilitate Tier-2 partner for the Cloud existing partners Solution Provider (CSP) with a host of cloud Indirect programme for the services from Amazon South Gulf region covering Web Services, Oracle, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, RedHat, IT security Bahrain and Kuwait. vendors, IT software The partnership will vendors, managed see Redington integrate service providers Microsoft’s CSP programme Ramkumar Balakrishnan, Redington and many other solutions such as Office Value Distribution technologies. The 365, Azure, Enterprise partners will be able to Mobility Suite (EMS), position cloud solutions and workloads CRMOnline and Intune to the VAD’s in contrast to traditional infrastructure RedCloud platform. solutions. This will help them transform The Microsoft CSP programme is as they prepare for their journey in the latest addition to the RedCloud the cloud and enhance their ability portal that offers a single sign-in to propose new related business platform for all cloud services with a unified billing, provisioning, automation solutions.”

As part of the CSP 2-tier partnership and online payment option. with Microsoft, Redington will offer the Ramkumar Balakrishnan, President, Microsoft cloud solutions via channel Redington Value Distribution, said

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partners (Tier 2) such as valueadded Resellers (VARs), systems integrators (SIs), independent software vendors (ISVs) and MSPs to their end customers or via hosted offerings. Customers will benefit from a range of Microsoft cloud offerings, including Office 365, Azure, EMS, CRM Online and Intune, as a core suite. Redington Value will focus on four key areas, including value-added services, customer support, single invoice and customer management at scale.

According to the company, the CSP programme will cater to all verticals, including banking, retail, health care, hospitality, enterprise, mid-market, telecom, government, oil and gas, and education, and will provide full functionality of provisioning, metering, billing and automation of various cloud services.

DCG hosts networking evening for channel players

D

ubai Computer Group (DCG) Dubai, together with Newcom Computer Systems, has recently hosted a networking evening at the Park Regis Kris Kin Hotel, Dubai.

The event brought together over 150 leaders from various business councils and business groups, and industry players in the regional IT channel space.

The relaxed setting gave the attendees a chance to engage into peer to peer

discussions about the current status of the channel ecosystem.

During his welcome speech, Dharmendra Sawlani, General Secretary, DCG Dubai, highlighted that with the current market challenges channel players are facing, events like these are a great opportunity for them exchange insights on market strategies. “We are glad to have brought together all these representatives from across different sectors in the channel. DCG believes that with increased collaboration in the

channel ecosystems we can all achieve business success even during this challenging times.”

Yousef Atwan, Director, Middle East and Africa, said, “We have been operating in the region for a while now and are very much open to helping out our current and potential partners to gain more insights about the Middle East market. We think that this networking event is an excellent platform for us and our peers to share information, forge potential new alliances and become more aware of the latest challenges in the market and learn how we can turn them into opportunities.”

Founded in August 2007, DCG was established to represent the interests of the computer industry in the city of Dubai. The Group is run by an elected Board of Directors and bridge the gap between hardware and software manufacturers and dealers, uniting them, and helping them forge new trade alliances.

Koenig to offer CCISO training programme in the UAE

Aditya Girish, Koenig Solutions

Koenig Solutions has been awarded the exclusive rights to conduct the Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO) programme in the UAE. According to the company, the course offering is a programme developed by the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants (EC-Council), a member-based organisation that certifies individuals in various e-business and information security skills, to produce and develop

top level information executives.

The CCISO programme will focus on the technical knowledge and the application of information security management principles from an executive management point of view.

Koenig senior executives highlighted that the CCISO course recognises the real-world experience necessary to succeed at the highest executive levels of information security. It brings together all of the essential components required for a C-Level positions, including audit management, governance, IS controls, human capital management, strategic programme development, and the financial expertise vital to leading a highly successful IS programme.

“The Middle East region has demonstrated a continuously growing demand for IT security experts who can efficiently manage, protect

The Middle East region has demonstrated a continuously growing demand for IT security experts who can efficiently manage, protect and maintain the data of today’s businesses.” and maintain the data of today’s businesses,” said Aditya Girish, Territory Manager, Koenig Solutions.

“Looking to help address this demand, Koenig has been named as the exclusive training institute to offer the CCISO programme – the first-of-its-kind training course that aims to produce technically skilled professionals knowledgeable and skilled to defend the core interests of their company or organisation.”

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highlights

Ingram Micro expands distribution agreement with Acronis and man-made and natural disasters, many organisations are turning to cloud and hybrid cloud solutions to protect their sensitive information and critical workloads.

Acronis solutions are powered by AnyData Engine, a set of hybrid cloud data protection solutions for critical workloads and business continuity and productivity across cloud or Dr. Manooj P.K.,Aptec, an Ingram Micro company hybrid environments.

“Exponential data growth is challenging IT organisations to maintain effective data protection, nder the agreement, access and availability. Acronis offers Ingram Micro is now authorised to distribute affordable, easy-to-use solutions across physical, virtual, and cloudAcronis to channel partners in United Arab based environments, supported by a tailor-made, comprehensive and Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, competitive channel programme.

Qatar, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, Lebanon, We are delighted to expand our Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, relationship with Acronis across Afghanistan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, new regions, and create new and South Africa. opportunities for our channel Due to the rising threat of data loss from security breaches, system failures, partners to serve as trusted advisors

and deliver innovative cloud solutions to their customers.

Acronis is uniquely positioned to help the channel capitalise on market trends, and we are excited to further strengthen Aptec’s footprint with Acronis,” said Dr. Manooj P K, Senior Business Unit Manager, Aptec – an Ingram Micro company.

U

9%

of retail payments by volume in the UAE are made digitally

Source: Booz Allen Hamilton

NetScout launches new enterprise channel partner programme NetScout Systems has announced the launch of its unified global enterprise channel partner programme.

According to NetScout, Connect360 is a channel-friendly, multi-tiered programme that enables global and regional partners to market its entire enterprise product portfolio spanning service assurance solutions and portable network analysis and troubleshooting tools. It is designed to enable highlyvalued partners to sell more effectively and profitably by providing access to sales and technical resources that they need to be successful.

The company also highlighted MyNetScout partner portal — an online destination for accessing the NetScout solution knowledgebase, obtaining collateral materials, registering sales opportunities and

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applying for marketing event funds. As part of Connect360, a global, channel management team will be dedicated to supporting all authorised partners, including training, enablement and certification of the partner base and assisting when necessary on a pre-sales and post-sales basis.

“The introduction of the CONNECT360 channel partner programme is a momentous occasion for NetScout because it unifies previously separate channel strategies across our enterprise network product lines and provides a strong foundation for building stronger relationships with our most valued partners,” said Gary Staley, Vice President, Worldwide Channel Sales, NetScout. “As a result of the vendor’s acquisition of the Danaher Communications business in mid-2015,

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Gary Staley, NetScout

we now have an even broader range of market-leading products and technologies that we can offer to our customers through our extensive channel network. This programme will be a major driver of our vision for the future, helping the company to efficiently scale its business and address customer demand worldwide. ”

Citrix revamps channel incentives

Kimberly Martin, Citrix

C

itrix has recently announced updates to its partner incentives to reward distinct sales activities. Specifically, it is introducing an upfront discount for partner-identified and qualified opportunities, clarifying existing incentives to focus rewards on objective activities, and expanding its marketing development funds to fuel partner growth.

Recalibrated incentives will also reward Citrix partners for the value they bring to the entire sales cycle focused on two distinct selling functions: identifying and qualifying new opportunities and solution selling in existing and new opportunities.

Citrix also introduced a new Strategic Development Fund for Citrix Solution Advisors (CSAs) and distributors, which will replace existing marketing fund programmes and provide partners with funds to drive down the cost of planned and documented marketing activities which target the highest ROI opportunities in the mid-market.

The company also launched the Net New Partner Sourced programme, which allows CSA, SI and ISV partners to be rewarded for identifying and qualifying new opportunities, especially in the mid-market. Under the programme, partners will be eligible for a seven percent suggested

upfront discount on all new partner qualified opportunities. This new incentive is additive to existing up front suggested discounts including Specialist CAR Plus and Opportunity Registration for Networking.

Kimberly Martin, Vice President, Worldwide Partner Sales and Strategy, Citrix, said, “We are focused on helping our partners bring our solutions to the midmarket and making Citrix the most profitable vendor on which our partners can build a business. We are committed to increasing the value of our partner programmes and resources. The changes we’re announcing represent a second wave of improvements in 2016 and are designed to promote growth, drive profit and give our partners greater predictability, especially for those partners that invest in their relationship with us and look to target the mid-market.”

Riverbed enhances partner programme joint engagement, Riverbed Technology and accelerating has announced repeatable revenue updates to the Riverbed in the smaller Performance Partner enterprise and Programme at the mid-markets. The company’s Partner company said it Summit 2016, which will be providing took place in Scottsdale, Karl Meulema, Riverbed incentives such as Arizona, recently. The rebates for partners conference theme to embed Riverbed products into of Disrupt 2.0 referred to how their services and solutions. partners are more important than In addition, Riverbed will ever to the company’s growth and add a new track to its partner expansion into new markets during programme for managed services the digital transformation that is and make focused investments rapidly changing the global business and refinements to its valuelandscape. added distributor programme.

The company will be investing And to meet the evolving buying in incentives to help partners needs of customers, it will launch expand across three key areas: pilot programmes for managed building an embedded solution services sold via the channel and services programme, driving

with subscription licensing and pricing. The company is also in the process of launching an Authorised Consulting Partner track to enable key partners to better support customers by delivering Riverbed franchise professional services.

“In this transformational time in the IT industry, Riverbed is doublingdown on its investment in our partners,” said Karl Meulema, Senior Vice President Global Channels, Riverbed. “We are making resource, programme and IP investments designed to engage with our partners at the customer level, build differentiated embedded solutions and services, create a partner services economy, and develop revenue and services opportunities for our partners in the channel-led space.”

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highlights

ESET ME, Axiom partner to drive mobile protection awareness

I

T security player, 2018. As the number ESET, has of devices continues to partnered with grow, the challenges Axiom Telecom, people face to keep the regional their information mobile reseller, to increase secure also increases,” awareness on the vital need said Neo Neophytou, Neo Neophytou, Managing for mobile protection in the Managing Director, Director, ESET ME UAE and Saudi Arabia.

ESET Middle East.

As part of the strategic “Our partnership with partnership, Axiom will distribute Axiom aims to protect and educate users ESET Mobile Security hanging cards against the growing number of mobile for Android smartphones and tablets malware and other threats that many in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, while individuals are unaware of,” Neophytou ESET Mobile Security will be part of added.

Axiom’s value-added services, giving ESET Mobile Security is designed to its customers increased ability to enjoy maximise mobile security and allow users safer technology on a daily basis. to use their mobile devices in less secure “The UAE and Saudi Arabia are environments. Mobile users are enabled leading the region with 74.6 and 73.6 with ESET’s advanced protection as they percent, respectively, of each nation’s navigate the Internet, open suspicious population anticipated to use Internetemail and chat messages, or download ready mobile phones and devices by apps from third parties.

Cisco and Intertec highlight importance of digitisation Cisco and Intertec Systems hosted a joint event to highlight the importance of digitisation in the Internet of Things (IoT) era at the Waldorf Astoria, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK). The event was attended by RAK-based government, semi-government and private sector customers representing multiple industries.

The gathering followed the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah and Cisco Systems, which establishes a working relationship in the areas of education, commerce, healthcare and electronic government.

This undertaking is a reflection of the Emirate’s commitment to continuously enhance its services to all Ras Al Khaimah residents and to provide better services to both the government and private sectors in the Emirate.

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Ala’a Al-Bawab, Regional Manager, Public Sector and Oil and Gas, Cisco UAE, said, “Cisco has been working closely with the Ras Al Khaimah government around its key priorities and digitisation efforts to uncover opportunities for optimising service capabilities and to identify how faster, more precise, and more reliable information might generate new possibilities for service delivery to the public and private sectors. As part of our efforts, we want to highlight the importance of digital transformation and demonstrate how the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah could enhance the quality of life for citizens through innovative technologies. This seminar was an opportunity to drive our message to key stakeholders on the immense potential for digitisation to create a sustainable and positive impact in every area of society.”

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Ingram Micro attains Microsoft Silver Learning partnership

Zornitza S. Hadjitodorova, Head of Ingram Micro Training MEA

Ingram Micro has announced its Microsoft Silver Learning Partner status across the Gulf region Attaining the Microsoft Learning competency exhibits partner expertise in Microsoft comprehensive training solutions. Equipped with exclusive educational resources, the latest software and support, Ingram Micro as a learning partner has the tools necessary to provide training based on Microsoft technologies and solutions, said the company.

“Ingram Micro Training has demonstrated solid customer commitment and continuous innovation in its education offerings globally,” said Zornitza S. Hadjitodorova, Head of Ingram Micro Training Middle East and Africa (MEA). “With the addition of Microsoft to our training portfolio in the region, we further validate our dedication to developing not just our channel partners, but also as many of their customers as possible. Microsoft’s footprint is massive and as the company’s largest distributor globally, Ingram Micro is confident its Learning Partner status will further support Microsoft’s mission and goals through primarily focusing on cloud.”

To further support channel partners, as Microsoft Certified Partner for Learning Solutions, Ingram Micro Training MEA will also participate in the Microsoft Assurance Training Voucher programme.

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highlights

Device42 inks distribution deal with Meta Byte Technologies

D

evice42, a global provider of Data Centre

the IT truth”.

The company highlighted that through their solutions, data Infrastructure centre managers Management (DCIM) can easily identify software, has announced what data centre Mohamed Zakir Hussain, its partnership with Meta assets are Meta Byte Technologies Byte Technologies, a deployed, visualise Dubai-based IT solutions and understand provider. devices and service Under the agreement, dependencies, Meta Byte Technologies will provide improve infrastructure service sales and support services in the delivery, and optimise data centre Middle East and Africa region for staff productivity.

Device42’s data centre management “We are pleased to welcome software solution.

Meta Byte Technologies as According to Device42, their a Device42 distributor. This solutions enable IT teams to partnership further extends the manage data centre infrastructure rapidly expanding global footprint by providing a “single version of of Device42 software into the Middle

East and Africa regions,” said Ashis Guha, Senior Vice President, APAC and EMEA, Device42. “Our partnership with Meta Byte Technologies provides organisations in these regions with a comprehensive, centralised, and cost effective data centre management solution that makes accurately managing the data centre both faster and easier.”

“Now, more than ever, effectively managing the data centre is critical to business success and, at the same time, doing that is more complex than ever before,” said Mohamed Zakir Hussain, Vice President, Sales, Meta Byte Technologies.

“We are delighted to partner with Device42 to provide companies in the region with the expertise that enables them to easily and effectively manage their complex IT infrastructure using Device42’s comprehensive, automated, unified solution capabilities.”

highlights

ixtel receives ‘Disruptive Entrepreneur’ award

i

xtel was recently recognised for its approach to Softwaredefined and business driven IT service management platforms at the SME World Summit, and was awarded the ‘Disruptive Entrepreneur’ title.

“We’re delighted and honoured to get this award,” says Rashid Al Shamsi, Chairman, ixtel. “It verifies our strength as an innovative company and proves that ixtel is a driving force behind the shift from Softwaredefined, business-driven IT service model.

The SME World Summit’s ‘Disruptive Entrepreneur Award’ recognises select emerging tech companies for their innovation, business value and disruptive nature. It aims to recognise and highlight the potential game changers. It’s an ultimate tribute to the spirit of entrepreneurship. The award

Rashid Al Shamsi, ixtel and Abdul Baset Al Janahi, Dubai SME

was presented at third annual SME World Summit held in Atlantis, Dubai, the award was presented by Abdul Baset Al Janahi, CEO, Dubai SME. Mehdi Quraishi, CEO, ixtel, said, “We are honoured to receive this prestigious award from SME world

summit organisers. We’ve set out on a mission to help our customers, solve their most important IT management and security challenges in new and innovative ways. We thank the SME World Summit for this acknowledgment of our platform innovation.”

DrayTek hosts ‘Channel Champs Campaign’

Taiwan-based networking solutions provider DrayTek partnered with their exclusive distributors for the region, DVCOM Technology to host the Channel Champs Campaign for the third consecutive year.

As part of the campaign, a training workshop was also held on the 29th March at the DVCOM offices. “During the

workshop, DrayTek’s latest product models were showcased and demonstrated with focus on DrayTek’s latest embedded LTE router: Vigor2860L/2925L series; 802.11ac 1600Mbps Dual Band AP: VigorAP902, ADSL2/2+ IAD, Vigor2832; multi-WAN router with IPPBX feature: VigorBX2000/2000ac; quad WAN VPN/firewall IAD for midsized businesses: Vigor3220 series.

“We also released an Androidbased SmartVPN app for those who would like to set up SSL VPN connection with the VPN server working at the main office and also the related VPN client utility compatible with iPhone iOS9; other features include band steering, social Wi-Fi, airtime fairness and improved device management.” said Joseph Tsai, Senior Regional Manager, DrayTek. DrayTek’s Channel Champs 2016 awards honoured the following companies – Best Retail Award – Al Munir Computers; Best SI Partner Award – Xavier; Best Case Study Award – Action International; Best ISP Solution Provider – DVCOM Technology Kuwait ; and DrayTek Channel Champ Award – WiFi Guys.

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highlights

SUSE expands Middle East presence with Aptec partnership

Paul Abi-Chahine, SUSE

S

USE has announced that Aptec, an Ingram Micro company, has recently joined its Partner Solution Provider Network as a value-added distributor.

With access to SUSE solutions including SUSE’s Linux Enterprise Server, OpenStack Cloud and Enterprise Storage, Aptec will be able to provide regional enterprises with open source infrastructure solutions that offer a reliable, scalable and secure platform for efficiently deploying and managing highly available enterprise-class IT services in physical, virtual or cloud infrastructure.

“If we look at current economic dynamics in the Middle East, now more than ever, there is a greater emphasis on ROI,” said Sethu Madhavan, Senior Business Unite Manager, Aptec. “Partnering with SUSE will allow us to accelerate the adoption of open-source platforms and provide better services to our extensive regional customer base.”

With a team dedicated to SUSE, Aptec will be responsible for distributing the vendor’s solutions across the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman. “Signing on Aptec as a value-added distributor is an important step for us as we continue to grow our footprint and business in the Middle East,” said Paul Abi-Chahine, Regional Director, Emerging EMEA, SUSE. “The region is showing a healthy appetite for opensource solutions and our priority is to offer a variety of best-of-breed solutions to enterprises looking to modernise and standardize their IT infrastructure, leverage cloud computing and software-based storage solutions, and make use of new technologies like Big Data, all while achieving zero-downtime environments for their businesscritical workloads.”

Worldwide PC shipments declined in Q1 2016 According to a report by Gartner, worldwide PC shipments totaled 64.8 million units in the first quarter of 2016, a 9.6 percent decline from the first quarter of 2015.

“The weakening of local currencies against the US dollar continued to play a major role in PC shipment declines. Our early results also show there was an inventory buildup from holiday sales in the fourth quarter of 2015,” said Mikako Kitagawa, Principal Analyst, Gartner.

PCs are not being adopted in new households as they were in the past, especially in emerging markets. In these markets, smartphones are the priority. In the business segment, Gartner analysts said the Windows 10

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refresh is expected to start toward the end of 2016.

Lenovo maintained the top position in worldwide PC shipments in the first quarter of 2016 despite a 7.2 percent decline in shipments.

HP was split into Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc. at the end of 2015, and HP Inc.’s first quarter indicates the challenges the company faces in the PC market. HP Inc. said it wants to stay away from low-profit segments, and the first quarter of 2016 results reflect its efforts to emphasise high-end sales, which cost it shipments.

Dell’s worldwide PC shipments declined 0.4 percent in the first quarter, which was much better than the global industry average.

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Dell shipments increased in North America and Japan, but shipments declined in EMEA, Asia/Pacific and Latin America.

PC shipments in EMEA totaled 19.5 million units in the first quarter of 2016, a decline of 10 percent year over year.

19.5

million

number of PC units shipped in the EMEA region during Q1 2016

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Redefining Enterprise IT through ixtel SDN solutions Are you ready? ixtel software defined network solutions power everything

Transformation through innovation To find out more about our vision for the network & data centre and how we’re bringing it to life for our customers, contact info@ixtel.com

highlights

Help AG signs as Tenable Gold Partner

H

elp AG has Berner added that their announced a partnership with Tenable new further enhances Help partnership AG’s competencies in the with Tenable vulnerability management Network Security. The domain and compliments agreement, which makes Help the range of products, AG Tenable’s authorised gold technologies and services Stephen Berner, Help AG partner for the UAE, Qatar and that they offer. “Help Saudi Arabia, will allow the AG has already met the systems integrator to offer the vendor’s stringent partnership requirements set suite of next-generation security solutions

by Tenable which include technical and for continuous network monitoring and sales enablement, as well as technical vulnerability management to enterprises in certifications,” he said. “We will be fully the region. enabled from the technical, pre-sales, “The introduction of mobile devices, sales, and support points of view by end virtualisation, and cloud-based applications of Q1 2016, following which we will focus in enterprise IT in recent years has resulted on achieving their Professional Services in a host of new vulnerabilities and exploits. partner status.

Without the right visibility tools to identify Help AG intends to support the resulting security gaps, organisations its customers by building a set of run the risk of falling victim to breaches value-added services around these and suffering the loss of sensitive businesstechnologies. In parallel, the company will critical data,” said Stephan Berner, Managing leverage the vendor’s continuous network Director, Help AG. monitoring and vulnerability solutions

in its own IT environment to enhance the capabilities of its managed security services (MSS) division.

“Having an experienced presence in the region and strong channel relationships are key to Tenable’s Middle East growth strategy,” said Gavin Millard, Technical Director for EMEA, Tenable Network Security. “We signed with Help AG, one of the region’s leading and most trusted security partners, so we can work together to help CISOs and CIOs throughout the Middle East definitively answer the question: “How secure are you?”

$10.9B

forecasted value of Middle East and Africa’s IoT market by 2019

Source: IDC

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appointments

Industry appointments An overview of the latest people movement within the IT channel business.

Riverbed announces new EMEA VP for Channel Sales

Giovanni Di Filippo, Riverbed

Riverbed Technology has announced that Giovanni Di Filippo has joined the Company as Vice President Channel Sales for Europe, Middle East,

and Africa (EMEA).

In his new role, Di Filippo will have overall responsibility for Riverbed’s evolving channel and go-to-market strategy in order to maximise customer value, expand new routes to market and lead the channel sales team to drive growth and revenue through our partner eco-system. Di Filippo will report to Kristian Thyregod, Senior Vice President, EMEA. Giovanni Di Filippo, Vice President Channel Sales, EMEA, Riverbed, said, “Riverbed is exceptionally well-placed to deliver industryleading application performance and software-defined solutions to the market. Our challenge is to ensure that our partners across EMEA are equipped to realise and capture the opportunity that the new softwaredefined age presents and enable them to solve customer challenges with the Riverbed portfolio of architectural solutions. I look forward to working closely with all our EMEA partners as we embark on this journey.”

OKI Europe names new GM for MEA and India and vertical industry segments OKI Europe has across the globe. appointed Mathias “I am very keen to be taking Militzer to the role of on this role,” said Militzer.

General Manager for the “It is an exciting time to be Middle East, India and joining OKI Europe. With the Africa with immediate experience I’ve gathered over effect. Militzer joins the the years through management company from Lexmark roles within the Middle East International, where he and Africa, I’m looking forward was General Manager Mathias Militzer, GM, OKI Europe to helping the business with for the Middle East and our partners and customers Africa. He has also held to advance in these very important senior roles at Sharp Electronics and regions.”

Mars Inc. In his new role as General Manager, According to the company, Militzer will be responsible for all the appointment is part of the aspects of the business, including organisation’s ongoing commitment executing growth strategies at both a to deliver business development in distribution and reseller level. the office solutions, professional print

BDL appoints new CEO BDL Gulf has recently appointed Khaled Osman as its new CEO, the announcement follows the acquisition of BDL Gulf by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)-based conglomerate Al-Sudais Group.

In his new role, Osman will head and manage BDL Gulf’s entire GCC operations, driving growth and cementing the company’s position in the traditional IT, wholesale and consumer electronics distribution.

In addition, Osman will also be responsible for guiding the company to expand its vendor alliances and in-country channel development strategies.

“In accordance with the acquisition, the company will undergo several transformations,” said Osmani. “Dubai will still the

headquarters for all of our operations here. We will retain the name but our logo will be changed. Our operations will run in the same way as before.

We’d still be focused on trade and IT business, and, of course, Quantum.

For Quantum, we are planning to open in five to ten countries within CIS and Africa this year. We are also looking at signing with new vendors this year.

Moreover, we aim to introduce new product lines. We will cover the whole region including Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain.”

Prior to taking up this position, Osman had multi-dimensional experience in 20 different industries that includes trading and manufacturing, had senior roles within Al-Sudais Group, which has subsidiaries in the building materials and real estate sector.

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eHosting DataFort OPinion

Doubling profits Sachin Bhardwaj, eHosting DataFort, Director, Marketing and Business Development, explains how managed hosting services can help SMBs stand out from competition.

The number of small and medium businesses (SMBs) are growing across the Middle East. In fact, the SMB sector plays an important role in the UAE’s well-diversified economy, comprising 95 percent of small business and employing 42 percent of the nation’s workforce. As a sector, SMBs contribute 40 percent to the value of Dubai’s economy, and 60 percent to the UAE’s economy. (Sources – Multiple) Considering the rapid growth of SMBs, there is an increased competition within the sector. Forward thinking SMB owners and managements are strategically embracing technology to streamline processes and restructure their business models for greater profitability.

However, continuous changes in the technology landscape, from software to hardware, cybersecurity to data recovery solutions are making it extremely difficult for them to manage and maintain their IT infrastructure in-house.

According to IDC’s Worldwide Small and Medium-Sized Business Forecast, SMBs are spending more on software and IT services and will continue to rise through to $700 billion in 2019. The main reason for increasing investments in IT is that they are looking at alternative technology that will help them gain a competitive

advantage. Many SMBs find it difficult to invest in hardware, run business applications, secure critical data, and more importantly, they do not have the capability of managing all this in-house. Managed hosting eliminates these tasks and frees up their time to drive revenues.

SMBs are looking to simplify IT, and, need robust systems that will help them grow their business. Managed hosting providers can help them with state-of-the-art options that have a positive impact on cost, help them in scaling their IT needs and downsizing operations, and also providing them the flexibility to choose the services to suit their needs.

The cost for having an in-house data centre and maintaining it implies server maintenance, software applications and updates, remaining up-to-date with technology, and security; and the cost for hiring and training in-house staff is also very expensive.

Some of the reasons SMBs must consider managed hosting services include: Expertise: Managed hosting services provide qualified and experienced staff and technicians who support maintenance, trouble shooting and risk management.

Scability: Most SMBs will at some point need to scale up their IT infrastructure.

Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are in a position to offer flexibility to scale the services while even providing customised models to suit their individual needs.

Reduced downtime: A service provider’s data centre infrastructure is built for high availability, complying with the stringent requirements of business applications.

This ensures that the SMB experiences near-zero downtime.

Disaster recovery and backup: All servers and hardware within the premises of the provider are protected against physical threats such as environmental damage or natural calamities. Managed hosting providers perform automated regular backups of all data, which is a fundamental deliverable and one of the most critical responsibilities of the provider.

Monitoring: To ensure reduced downtime providers monitor the servers and the cloud, as well as resource availability and capacity usage.

Reduced costs: With managed hosting, investment is minimised and the SMB gets access to the latest technologies without upfront capital investments and without having to worry about replacing obsolete hardware or compromising on efficiency by using outdated hardware.

Security: The service provider tackles security

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risks with adequate firewalls, protecting against hackers and spammers. Conducting vulnerability scans, updating the required software ensures that the data is always safe.

Hardware and software updates: The IT environment is continuously innovating and updating, managed hosting providers guarantee they provide up-to-date technology facilities, software upgrades and security patches.

24x7 availability: Service providers guarantee 24x7 technical assistance and they are available for any unexpected problems or for routine queries.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs): They are clearly defined services to be delivered with accountability and responsibilities. They provide clear pricing and measurable services that will be provided by the Managed Hosting provider.

SMBs are more dependent on technology now than ever before and they have much to gain by availing of managed hosting services, which provides flexibility, increases productivity and strengthens security with overall cost reduction. The services cut across industry verticals including retail, healthcare, e-commerce, finance, legal, education and the government.

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Zebra Technologies OPinion

Value-driven Hozefa Saylawala, Director, Sales, Middle East, Zebra Technologies, outlines what channel companies should be looking out for when it comes to building their reseller ecosystem.

In today’s crowded channel marketplace, resellers need an extra edge to stand out from the crowd and stay competitive. A lack of understanding of the channel environment from vendors can make it hard for partners to engage with a diverse and dynamic portfolio of products and provide the most value to the customer. The results? Less margin all round. In this environment, a new style of programme is emerging, which is no longer one-size-fits-all, but is more tailored to the specific needs of the reseller business.

Here are some key elements channel companies should keep in mind.

Simplification When it comes to having a successful channel partnership, simplicity is key. That’s the message that has been heard in partner advisory councils across EMEA. Partners need a ‘low touch’ way of doing business, with reduced barriers to access and requirements for onboarding. Vendors with multiple product categories need to combine businesses to give simplified access to elements of the portfolio without so many revenue or certification level requirements.

Pricing should be simple too.

Standard and non-standard discount packages should be consolidated to make them more manageable and understandable. It should be easy to see what product sits in

which category without trawling through lots of information.

And critically, it should be clear how partners can step up from baseline benefits and rewarded through different stages of a programme.

Focusing on the ecosystem More than ever, vendors need to be aware of the diverse nature of the channel ecosystem. Distributors, independent software vendors (ISVs), resellers and system

products. This would provide them with easier access to mature product lines. Good vendors can add value in this complex ecosystem by actually linking partner businesses and the customer network: bringing together different channel organisations to serve a customer as one.

In a truly partner-focused ecosystem, each different category of reseller would have set entry criteria and a corresponding benefit. It’s

Channel partners should be awarded according to the level and type of value they bring to customers, and not just how much they buy. ” integrators (SIs) all have different customers and go-tomarket strategies. That means that they have vastly different requirements and need different levels of support.

For example, ISV’s could bring in own services and software application or work with third party to provide end-to-end solutions. Registered resellers, on the other hand, would need low entry level criteria, with access to commodity type

important for vendors to work closely with their channel partners to really get under the skin of what they are looking to achieve. For example, are they looking to get into a specific industry? If so, can they be provided with knowledge share market information to help them achieve that? Vendors should also look closely at role based benefits rather than just presenting them at a generic level. All of this helps the

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channel partner get more value from its relationship.

Rewarding value to customers Now more than ever, the enduser customer is at the centre of every sale. The channel needs to see its core values of customercentricity reflected in its vendor partners too. Channel partners should be awarded according to the level and type of value they bring to customers, and not just how much they buy. Rewarding investment and engagement like upskilling and training with financial and non-financial benefits like content syndication, events in local markets, comarket opportunities and even access to leads is a key way to building value for everyone which only grows with time. This is also great for smaller, specialist partners who may offer high value but low volumes.

Certifications are one way in which partners can differentiate themselves. However, vendors are looking more and more at case studies and customer references as an alternative.

The modern partner environment is in a state of flux. Different partners operate in different ways, and smart vendors now know that there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach simply based on sales volumes.

For the channel, it’s important to work with a vendor who recognises this, and offers a consistent global programme framework with regional flexibility to address local market differences.

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Interview

Juniper networks

Channel centric

Having joined Juniper Networks as Director Partner Sales, Middle East and Africa, earlier this year, Claire Jones shares company updates and the way forward for channel partners.

What has been your first priority after joining Juniper?

Currently, for me, it is about learning and listening.

I am spending time with the partners, which is what I enjoy more than anything else. Meeting partners and understanding their business needs, where their business is going and how can Juniper support them in their overall business growth. I am also looking at how we can support them in terms of profitability and how can we align to their growth strategies.

In conjunction with that, it is also around ensuring my team’s focus and priorities in the right areas.

Juniper is responsible for a big geography – Middle East and Africa, so it is also about ensuring that we are working with our partners to support them in these countries of growth.

What are you most passionate about in your role?

One of the things, I pride myself on is the relationships I have built over the last 20 years within the partner landscape. I love spending time with the partners. I believe I have built some fantastic

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business and personal relationships with the partners. My first question to partners when we meet is always about how their business is going. It is never about what are they doing for us. It is really about them. It is exciting to see partners talk about a year-on-year growth and projections of further growth. And when I see we can support them in that, it is great.

What are the challenges you face when it comes to working with partners?

The biggest challenge, not only for me, but also for partners is the ability to upskill themselves fast enough for the market.

Customer requirements are changing and they are looking for more from a systems integrator. They are essentially looking for business advisors and consultants. It is no longer about products but more about business solutions.

Today partners know that they need to take a more solutions approach, which wasn’t the case five years ago. Although they are definitely taking the initiative, this is something that we need to keep working on.

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How can partners go to the next level?

One is around the advisory aspect. End-users are seeking consultants, not just someone who will implement or integrate.

They want someone who can counsel them on what is the best way for them to get more of their services into the market. Partners have to be comfortable to have discussions at all levels within our customers. They must be able to position themselves to the C-level because how a company can improve its business is not only an IT issue any longer.

Another interesting dynamic that is happening today is around funding.

Budgets are not just a CAPEX market any more.

Customers don’t have the CAPEX they once had, and are now looking at heightening their OPEX solutions as well. Partners need to see how they can financially support their customers to have an OPEX model.

What is Juniper’s strategy for the year?

Juniper has had an amazing financial year in 2015 with 5 percent growth yearon-year. The strategy is clear and focused in terms of how we are going to

drive the business. From a product point of view, it is around switching, security and router. From a technology point of view, we are emphasising on cloud, data centres, virtualisation and security.

These are key pillars for us.

When it comes to target segments, service providers have always been a strong area for Juniper along with enterprise and commercial accounts. We have some new security products coming out in this year and we have also added a lot more focus around the enterprise commercial type of customers, both from an infrastructure and a cloud point of view. We are working on leveraging data centre and virtualisation; and looking at how new channels such as service providers can take us into new customers in the commercial and enterprise space.

What can partners expect from Juniper over the next couple of months?

The Juniper Partner Advantage (JPA) programme, which was revamped last year, will reflect more initiatives around channel enablement. We are driving it more from a training point

“Customer requirements are changing and they are looking for more from a systems integrator. They are essentially looking for business advisors and consultants.� of view. We have a new solutions certification track coming out to our partners, which also goes back to what they are looking for – being able to position solutions to their customers.

We also have a marketing concierge that we are now offering partners to help them get market campaigns out to their customers.

Juniper invests quite heavily in marketing development funds for our partners and we are encouraging them to use these funds to drive them into getting new accounts for themselves and for us. Other areas include around rebate schemes.

In terms of technologies, what should partners be focusing on?

Data centres, without a doubt. We have introduced a data centre certification programme for our partners, through which they now have the opportunity to specialise in this area. At the back of that, comes SDN and NFV.

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Reseller ME profiles the top executives from channel companies who have made a difference and helped their organisations to weather the storm to emerge as strong players. The regional channel business is plagued by a number of challenges and these players have been able to not only survive, but thrive remarkably under difficult circumstances.

We salute these influencers of the IT channel, for their resilience and zeal for their businesses.

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CHANNEL CHiefS

Raj Shankar

Managing Director, Redington Gulf Years in the company: 15 plus Years in the IT channel business:15 plus Company focus in 2016: • To scale commercial and enterprise businesses across the region.

• To increase market share for our IT Volume Distribution business.

• To acquire telecom brands for distribution in the Middle East.

• To explore opportunities in the connected devices space.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: • The channel industry is constantly evolving, which may be in the form of new markets, new products or product categories or even new channels.

• Channel at all levels is extremely influential (indirect model).

• Nimble adaptation to changes - be it technology, business model or distribution landscape.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: In my opinion, digitalisation of business will be the biggest driver in transforming IT channel.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… continuously evolving to provide more value to the customer.

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DISTRIBUTED BY

2201 Indigo Icon Tower, Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT), Dubai, UAE t: +9714 422 1260 | e: infodxb@credencesecurity.com

CHANNEL CHiefS

Ajay Singh Chauhan

Chief Executive Officer ComGuard

Ali Baghdadi

Senior Vice President and Chief Executive, META region, Ingram Micro

Amjad Fathi Al-Omar General Manager Sariya IT

Years in the company: 11

Years in the company: 4

Years in the company: 7

Years in the channel: 31

Years in the IT channel business: 35

Years in the IT channel business: 14

Company focus in 2016: Value-added ICT distribution and services

Company focus in 2016: To increase our market share in Gulf in general and empower channel by introducing loyalty program ‘Be with us’.

Biggest channel achievement till date: Seeding firewall technology at a time when it was only being launched by Cisco back in 2000, for more than 100 plus channels.

Company focus for 2016: To shift our core focus once again to our pedigree, which is information security. In 2015, we diversified our attention to quite a few technology portfolios but later decided to reestablish the stronghold we enjoyed in the security domain.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud computing, Big Data and advanced analytics At the end of the day, it’s all about … being inline with niche and evolving technologies, superior engineering support and capitalising on core strengths.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Price and logistics are no longer the winning formulae, solutions and services are.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Solutions, services, cloud as a medium, specialties including cyber and physical security, IoT, 3D printing, Big Data and analytics.

At the end of the day, it’s all about …making technology be a tool that provides critical solutions and working closely with some of the best like-minded people in the industry. I wake up in the morning looking forward to a day of learning, constructing and working with great people.

Biggest achievement: Signing with two new security vendors and achieving high growth in enterprises business.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud and backup solutions especially for the top B2B enterprises business.

At the end of the day, it’s all about … giving a true added value to your channels to gain their trust in the market and it is all about focusing to develop the channels.

www.resellerme.com

Reseller Middle East

may 2016

35

CHANNEL CHiefS

Andrew Calthorpe

Anand Choudha

Chief Executive Officer Condo Protego

Managing Director Spectrami

Arun Chawla

Chief Executive Officer Trigon

Years in the company: 5

Years in the company: 11

Years in the company: 25

Years in the IT channel business: 15

Years in the IT channel business: 28

Years in the IT channel business: 30

Company focus in 2016: Cybersecurity, mobility and storage solutions.

Company focus in 2016: We have consolidated our enterprise backup, recovery, and security solutions, and we are driving our consultancy-led specialised approach. We are also building on double-digit revenue growth.

Company focus in 2016: To expand B2B and retail business along with regional expansion.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Systems integrators and value-added resellers need to be honest with the customer in guiding their digital transformations.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud and mobility

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: The channel have to continuously upgrade their business model and skills to keep pace with the fast changing landscape of technology to be relevant. What worked yesterday does not necessarily work today, the learning curve has to be on always.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: IoT and cybersecurity will be the future of innovation for the next few years.

At the end of the day, it’s all about …being relevant to your customers.

The closer you are to your customers, the more you will be successful.

36

may 2016

Reseller Middle East

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Hybrid cloud At the end of the day, it’s all about … customer service. I’m passionate about helping customers solve their business challenges, and they keep coming back for our consultancy-led and rapid-response model of customer service.

www.resellerme.com

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: How to balance between the top and the bottom line.

At the end of the day, it’s all about …how to remain one step ahead always. It’s my love for technology that has enabled me to build together with my team, a company in which people are proud to work. Trigon is a dream come true.

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CHANNEL CHiefS

CHANNEL CHiefS

Asim Saud AlJammaz

Ashish Panjabi

President Al-Jammaz Technology Distribution

COO, Jacky’s Retail and Jacky’s Business Solutions

DP Sangal

Founding Partner and Managing Director, SafeData

Years in the company: 17

Years in the company: 17

Years in the company: 14

Years in the IT retail business: 12

Years in the IT channel business: 15

Years in the IT channel business: 23 in UAE

Company focus in 2016: To maximise returns from existing assets and improve our core retail offering.

Company focus in 2016: To enable and empower the channel industry in the security solutions that protect customers’ data and network, cloud solutions and wellestablished data centres.

Company focus in 2016: Over the past year, we have moved to a ‘consultative selling’ model, allowing us to deliver best-in-class customised IT solutions to our end-customers.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: You need to keep investing, developing and improving your business to keep up with new trends and waves before it becomes a market fact.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: We recognise the emergence of the thirdplatform — cloud, Big Data, mobility, analytics and social. I believe this shift to the cloud will be accelerated in 2016 bringing cloud optimisation, infrastructure migration services, and SaaS deployment to the forefront. Security is definitely high on the agenda along with mobility, virtualisation and managed services.

Biggest learning from the retail industry: Investments never stop, you always keep learning, keep improving and keep investing.

Technology that will transform IT industry: I’m most excited about virtual reality (VR) at the moment and see this as the next big technology in retail, especially as the VR experience is on the cusp of moving beyond VR glasses.

At the end of the day, it’s all about … keeping yourself open to changes and being willing to change the way you do things.

38

may 2016

Reseller Middle East

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud services, digitisation of businesses and IoT. At the end of the day, it’s all about… being innovative and creative in this dynamic fast industry, which as we go forward, is going to be in every part of our lives.

www.resellerme.com

At the end of the day, it’s all about ….creativity via technology. The flexibility and variations available make the conversation with both customer and vendor very exciting.

CHANNEL CHiefS

Deepak Verma

Managing Director Think Software Services Years in the company: 15 Years in the IT channel business: 15 Company focus in 2016: Services and industry solutions.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Relationships and continuity matters, focus on customers and getting new innovative solutions for them and abundant talented technical resources to keep customers happy.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Innovative solutions such as IoT, digital, cloud and analytics have capacity in their own right to continuously transform.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… staying ahead of the game and bringing innovation to the clients.

Fayez Ibbini

Chief Executive Officer Alpha Data Years in the IT channel business: 35 Company focus in 2016: Our focus in 2016 is security and cloud. Later in the year, we see Big Data and IoT becoming more relevant.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: In our industry there is change always, more than any other business. Staying ahead of the curve and acquiring the talent and team to stay relevant and maintain leadership in your key markets is important.

Technologies that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud, security, mobility, Big Data and IoT. At the end of the day, it’s all about … focus, commitment and delivery.

It’s not enough being at the cutting edge of any product or service, it is about true fulfillment and finally customer satisfaction.

George Thomas

Chief Executive Officer Pinnacle Smart Technologies Years in the company: 21 Years in the IT channel business: 21 Company focus in 2016: To retain 100 percent customers and introduce innovative solutions.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Create a healthy eco-system between the customers, vendors, colleague/staff and society, crafting a world that works for everybody.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud technologies.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… relentlessly innovating and creating value for customers without resting on our laurels.

www.resellerme.com

Reseller Middle East

may 2016

39

CHANNEL CHiefS

Girish Narayanan

Hesham Tantawi

Years in the company: 12

Years in the company: 14

Years in the company: 4

Years in the IT channel business: 20 plus

Years in the IT channel business: 30

Years in the IT channel business: 25

Company focus in 2016: Partner expansion in Middle East and Africa

Company focus in 2016: To focus more on valueadded ‘Asbis Solutions’, which offers solutions in security, storage, backup and disaster recovery, networking and infrastructure. Also focusing on unique solutions and new technologies give more of an edge when it comes to expansion as many of the technologies become saturated very quickly in the market.

Company focus in 2016: Cloud, mobility, security and managed services.

Vice President MEA Asbis Middle East

Managing Director Granteq Distribution

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: It’s all about relationships and value add ons.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Intuitive interactivity.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… innovative human interaction.

40

may 2016

Reseller Middle East

At the end of the day, it’s all about … technology, business processes and models, the competitive landscape and meeting many smart and interesting people over the past 30 years and their enthusiasm for the channels, which is highly contagious.

www.resellerme.com

Ihab Al Saheli General Manager CNS

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: The value chain, right from intelligence to creation to delivery to optimisation and all the way to customer satisfaction.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud - not only providing cloud solutions, rather being part of the cloud; us and our partners.

At the end of the day, it’s all about … an ecosystem of win-win partnerships.

CHANNEL CHiefS

Jagat Shah

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mitsumi Distribution

Jose Thomas Menacherry Managing Director Bulwark Technologies

Jude Pereira Managing Director Nanjgel Solutions

Years in the company: 20

Years in the company: 15

Years in the company: 9

Years in the IT channel business: 24

Years in the IT channel business: 18 plus

Years in the IT channel business: 24

Company focus in 2016: To streamline product portfolio.

Our focus will be mainly on volume and mobility business.

Company focus in 2016: Channel development and growth into focused territories across GCC and Middle East.

Company focus in 2016: Cybersecurity frameworks

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: For any distribution company, stable growth despite of extreme market challenges can only be possible by not being dependant on any sub-distribution model.

Mitsumi has always been a micro distribution company considering the market prerequisite.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Wearable and mobile technologies.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… passion.

Getting deeply involved in understanding the latest development in the technology has always inspired me to make my destination in this industry.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Channel relationship is a two-way process. Both distributors and resellers need to maintain good communication and keep their commitments in order to have profitable business model.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud, Big Data, mobile, IoT and data security.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Not to work hard but work smart.

Technology that will transform it channel industry: IoT At the end of the day, it’s all about… the customer and being able to bridge the gaps between their demands and the budget at hand.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… adapting to the ever changing security landscape with latest niche technology solutions and acquiring the right expertise to deliver and support the channel and customers.

www.resellerme.com

Reseller Middle East

may 2016

41

CHANNEL CHiefS

Khaled Osman

Khalid Laban

Chief Executive Officer BDL Gulf

Years in the company: 4 months Years in the IT channel business: 4 months Company focus in 2016: First to increase the scope of our market reach and market penetration and second to increase our portfolio with new products.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Distribution power management is the magic word to succeed in this industry.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Mobility At the end of the day, it’s all about …the power of distribution.

42

may 2016

Reseller Middle East

Board Advisor Oxygen Middle East

KS Parag Managing Director FVC

Years in the company: 8

Years in the company:17

Years in the IT channel business: 25 plus

Years in the IT channel business: 17 plus

Company focus in 2016: To be a leading VAD in IT security and mobility.

Company focus in 2016: Unified Communications, advanced networking and information security.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Innovation is the key to success. At Oxygen we believe in innovation, and this has helped us be a leading VAD in the channel industry.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Mobility, cloud, analytics, Big Data.

At the end of the day, it’s all about…growing the business by working together with our channel partners.

www.resellerme.com

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Healthy channel ecosystem and innovative vendors.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud and IoT. At the end of the day, it’s all about… growth, market share and profitability.

CHANNEL CHiefS

KU Shankari

Mahdi KMJ Amjad

Managing Director Luckystar Computers

Executive Chairman Almasa IT Distribution

Years in the company: 18

Years in the company: 20

Years in the IT channel business: 22

Years in the IT channel business: 20

Company focus in 2016: High-end gaming laptops, high-end workstation computers for graphics and SMB market.

Company focus in 2016: To grow the mobile and value business.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: IT industry requires 100 percent attention, patience and effort. Each problem comes with the solution, how to solve the problem quickly depend on your experience.

The IT industry is teaching me continuously.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Mobility At the end of the day, it’s all about… a business of people and relationships.

We hope we can continue thriving in this challenging environment of channel distribution.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Virtual technology will change the view of the IT industry from 2016 to 2018.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… my business. My day begins and ends with my business. I can’t call it as an obsession but is a passion for me.

44

may 2016

Reseller Middle East

www.resellerme.com

Marissa Safe Vice President FDC International

Years in the company: 19 plus Years in the IT channel business: 25 plus Company focus in 2016: Value business, mobility and services.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Say no to bad business.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Internet of Things At the end of the day, it’s all about… people.

CHANNEL CHiefS

Mehdi Quraishi Chief Executive Officer ixtel technologies

Mohammad Mobasseri Chief Executive Officer and Founder emt Distribution

Munaf Chouguley Chief Executive Officer SNB IT Distribution

Years in the company: 5

Years in the company: 3

Years in the company: 2

Years in the IT channel business: 27

Years in the IT channel business: 20

Years in the IT channel business: 16

Company focus in 2016: Growth and expansion in the region

Company focus in 2016: Focus is on channel and geographic expansion.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: The quality of your team will make or break you.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Innovation allows any IT company to expand and to be consistent in the market.

Company focus in 2016: Our focus this year is on market expansion in new territories such as Egypt and Pakistan and on SMB verticals.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: IoT and Big Data remain a huge opportunity for the channel industry.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… creating business value for our customers through digital transformation.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Security information and event management (SIEM), Data Leakage Presentation (DLP), Vulnerability Intelligent Management (VIM), Web Application Firewall ( WAF ), Web, Application Database and network monitoring and scanning, Patch Management and Advanced Persistent Threat ( APT ).

At the end of the day, it’s all about… change and growth.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Enhancing channel relationship at every stage of business development.

Adapting to new technologies for continued progress.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing and IoT. At the end of the day, it’s all about... innovation and vibrancy.

www.resellerme.com

Reseller Middle East

may 2016

45

CHANNEL CHiefS

Nathan Clements

Neelesh Bhatnagar

Years in the company: 25

Years in the company: 8

Years in the company: 10

Years in the IT channel business: 25

Years in the IT channel business: 22

Years in the IT retail business: 30 plus

Company focus in 2016: Managed IT services, application services, inspection and compliance solution for Dubai Smart Government, IT infrastructure and security.

Company focus in 2016: Keep employees, customers and vendors happy.

Company focus in 2016: The focus is on ‘experiential retailing’ as memorable store experiences significantly enhances the probability for customers to keep coming back for more.

Biggest learning from the IT Channel industry: An industry that keeps your knowledge learning high and on your toes, with ready to change mindset.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: BigTec

Naresh Kothari

Managing Director and President Intertec Systems

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Don’t burn bridges.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… the team.

Reseller Middle East

Biggest learning from the retail industry: Customers are always considered to be kings and hence personalised selling and customer care stands as our priority.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… the new trends and groundbreaking technologies that constantly sweep us off our feet.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… learning every day, prepare for continuous change and meeting people who challenge you all the time.

may 2016

Chief Executive Officer Emax

Technology that will transform IT industry: Internet of Things, including Smart Homes and Virtual Reality.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Analytics of all types and business process automation are the biggest drivers in the industry today.

This will enable companies to cut cost and grow.

46

Managing Director Exclusive Networks

www.resellerme.com

CHANNEL CHiefS

Nidal Othman

Peter Irinarchos

Managing Director StarLink

General Manager Logicom

Philippe de Mazieres General Manager Gulf Software Distribution

Years in the company: 11

Years in the company: 2 plus

Years in the company: 1

Years in the IT channel business: 20

Years in the IT channel business: 2 plus

Years in the IT channel business: 1

Company focus in 2016: US and UK expansion, data centre and cloud portfolio build-out, increasing channel depth and focusing on new vertical segments.

Company focus in 2016: In 2016, Logicom will launch a number of innovative solutions and services and continue to build on its core value proposition, which is to provide enablement for new business to take off.

Company focus in 2016: Bringing entire range of IBM and other leading vendors’ software, such as NetSuite, to the GCC markets.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Learning how to add local value to partners, vendors and customers in each country where we are present. We call this ‘true’ value-added distribution.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Consistency is key.

Being a constantly reliable solution provider for your partners strengthens your business relationships and enhances long lasting ties.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Behavioural Analytics, IoT, mobile, data centre and cloud, incident response.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Mobility At the end of the day, it’s all about… being committed to your values and partners.

Being adoptive to an everchanging environment and staying one step ahead of your competition. Being better, faster, and a trusted value advisor to your vendors and partners.

At the end of the day, it’s all about...humility and people because people buy from people, and what goes around comes around.

48

may 2016

Reseller Middle East

www.resellerme.com

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Trusted relationship with partners is the best way to grow business.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Analytics, security, IoT and push for digital transformation are having great impact.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… empowering and creating real value for partners.

CHANNEL CHiefS

Raju Ramesh

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Finesse

Sanjay Ahuja

Vice President, Middle East and Africa AGC Networks

Years in the company: 6 plus

Years in the company: 3 years 9 months

Years in the IT channel business: 16+

Years in the IT channel business: 21

Company focus in 2016: Analytics, BI and data management.

Company focus in 2016: To further improve presence across MEA.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Knowledge acquisition is like breathing. You are dead without it.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Having had the opportunity to work for vendors and now with AGC Networks as an SI, I have been able to draw on my experience working in a vendor environment and use that to look at the market from an SI perspective.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: AI and selfhealing technologies.

At the end of the day, it’s all about…people.

You learn something new every day, whether in life, in business or in technology.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud, mobility, virtualisation, hyper converged infrastructure, IoT, security, social, analytics and Big Data.

Serjios Hage

Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer, EMW Years in the company: 12 Years in the IT channel business: 12 Company focus in 2016: Security, mobility and infrastructure Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: It is mutual interest not trust that will be the bond of our relationship with vendors and resellers.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud services, IoT and mobility.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… adapting to new technologies and delivering the right solution to the clients.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… the dynamism in the IT industry and in particular the systems integration coupled with the pace at which technology is changing will always keep one enthused.

www.resellerme.com

Reseller Middle East

may 2016

49

CHANNEL CHiefS

SM Hussaini

Shailendra Rughwani

General Manager Almoayyed Computers

Managing Director, Expert Computers (President, DCG)

Stephan Berner Managing Director Help AG

Years in the company: 22

Years in the company: 13

Years in the company: 11

Years in the IT channel business: 25

Years in the IT channel business: 24

Years in the IT channel business: 21 plus

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Middle East is one of the most dynamic and evolved markets and one needs to constantly change as per market situation. To survive, adopt and change or perish.

Company focus in 2016: Our focus is to establish ourselves as a partner who can help our customers achieve more with limited resources.

Company focus in 2016: Establishing Help AG as the fastest growing Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) while providing best-in class cyber and Information Security Assurance Services in the Middle East.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Future is surely for Artificial Intelligence and robotic technology, where technology is going to decide the way you think and work.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… passion. It’s surely passion that initially brought me to IT and this will keep me going further.

50

may 2016

Reseller Middle East

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Keep going! Every single day brings new challenges with a host of opportunities bundled.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: ‘You should bite off only as much as you can chew!’

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: We never had so much clarity earlier in the channel history – it’s without doubt cloud business that will transform the channel drastically. We will see new players and new leaders emerging in the channel.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: It’s all about Security Event Management and Incident Response based on customised use cases combined with threat intelligence feeds to detect, prevent and respond with the right visibility and insight on hand at any point of time.

At the end of the day, it’s all about…the sense of achievement one gets, on a daily basis, while contributing to customers’ success.

At the end of the day, it’s all about … mastering the basics and focusing on your strengths.

Be different but be yourself and better than anyone else.

www.resellerme.com

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1

CHANNEL CHiefS

Suren Vedantham

Steve Lockie

Managing Director StorIT Distribution

Group Managing Director Westcon-Comstor

Tarek El Goweiny

Chief Executive Officer and Cofounder, Business DNA

Years in the company: 9

Years in the company: 15

Years in the company: 9

Years in the IT channel business: 25

Years in the IT channel business: 21

Years in the IT channel business: 4

Company focus in 2016: To transform our global business processes and delivering innovative new programmes, services and offerings to our ME partners. Striving to be one Westcon-Comstor group that is easy to do business with and delights our vendors and reseller partners alike.

Company focus in 2016: While we are on a drive to recruit talent in major markets viz., UAE and KSA, there is a renewed excitement to capitalise on prospects in cloud and DC solutions.

Company focus in 2016: Converting IT investments in business environment from CAPEX to only OPEX with ROI.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: You need to remain alert and agile in business.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: It’s more about the consumption models as we move into cloud, hybrid and pay-as-you-use business solutions.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud, mobility and Quantum computing.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… the change. How you manage change and keep driving forward – the only thing more frightening than change is not changing when everything about us is.

52

may 2016

Reseller Middle East

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: The underlying factors of consistent success continue to be the agility to map industry innovation to customers’ business growth demands, and an unwavering commitment to customer service.

www.resellerme.com

At the end of the day, it’s all about… growth opportunities.

As an entrepreneur, the privilege to be a part of the industry and be able to create economic growth opportunities in the region, and beyond, is all inspiring.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: ‘Looking back from the future’ of the customers’ mind sets and new generations’ need and expectations.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Mobility, cloud , IoT and BI applications.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… people and the technology that changes people’s lives for better prospects.

CHANNEL CHiefS

Tony Alam

Chief Executive Officer Emitac Enterprise Solutions Years in the company: 2 months Years in the IT channel business: 20 plus Company focus in 2016: Managed services, cloud and enterprise infrastructure.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Need to be always ahead of the market dynamic forces.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Mobility and cloud.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… the vibrant life, endless challenges and continuous progression.

Vasant Menghani

Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Touchmate (Quality Group of Companies) Years in the company: 27+ Years in the IT channel business: 27+ Company focus in 2016: Develop channel in UAE and region with new Touchmate innovations in mobility, wearable and cloud solutions.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Channel has been very adaptive to new trends and strategic moves by principles and vendors.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Transformation towards better performance and integration of IT with mobility.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… the latest technology and trends. As a successful company, we endeavour towards the best and it also becomes our responsibility to lead the industry and provide profits to keep partners satisfied and growing.

Vimal Kocher Managing Director Arrow ECS

Years in the company: 2 months Years in the IT channel business: 28 Company focus in 2016: To guide our solution providers to provide total solutions in helping enterprises to scale their digital transformation efforts.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Digital transformation cloud, mobility, managed services and virtualisation from traditional buying and selling to embracing integrated platform or workflow that can facilitate and support everything from front-end marketing and sales enablement to install, manage and support solutions to ensure customer satisfaction.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… helping enterprises transform their products, services and business models for capturing new business, delighting their end-customers, and cost and efficiency optimisation.

www.resellerme.com

Reseller Middle East

may 2016

53

CHANNEL CHiefS

Vivian Gevers

Vishesh Bhatia

Managing Director Credence Security

Chief Executive Officer Jumbo Group

Years in the company: 4

Years in the company: 3 years, 8 months

Years in the IT channel business: 10

Years in the IT retail business: 20 plus Company focus in 2016: To focus on not just vanilla distribution and omnichannel retail but also end-toend channel value-added solutions. These include device lifecycle management, backend management through reporting and analytics, 3PL logistics, after-sales service, marketing services and lastmile-sales staffing services.

Biggest learning from the retail industry: Create a unique and consistent brand experience across all touch points of the customer journey.

Customers don’t just compare price and specs – they judge the entire experience.

Technology that will transform IT industry: VR wear.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… bringing newtechnology experiences to our customers.

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Company focus in 2016: Our focus for 2016 will be on creating opportunities for our vendors throughout the region, through our channel network. To this end, there will be a greater emphasis on channel enablement and on providing our partners with products that complement their existing portfolio and giving them the ability to upsell into existing accounts.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: Change is inevitable and it is imperative to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving industry needs, by partnering with industry leading vendors.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… team work.

Together, everyone achieves more.

www.resellerme.com

VM Chandrasekar

Group Chief Executive Officer and Owner, Global Distribution Group Years in the company: 15, since its foundation Years in the IT channel business: 27 Company focus in 2016: Consolidation, optimisation and business hygiene remain key priorities for us, as well as executing our business strategy.

Biggest learning from the IT channel industry: The only thing that is constant is change.

Technology that will transform IT channel industry: Cloud computing will equally create threats and opportunities for the ICT channel.

At the end of the day, it’s all about… connecting people.

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Feature Partner programme

Enable and empower

Reseller ME talks to industry experts to find out how a good partner programme can best optimise opportunities and build on the value quotient for the channel.

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Partner programmes are instrumental in enabling the channel partners leverage the existing market opportunities via tools and resources available through the vendor or distributor alliance. It allows the partner to effectively offer the vendor’s solutions to the market while also taking advantage of opportunities to grow and increase revenues.

Osama AlHaj-Issa, Channel Director, Middle East and Turkey, Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, says, “Partner programmes aim for several objectives. First, it is a structure approach for the vendor relationship with the channel. Second, it makes the benefits and requirements clear for the channel such that expectations are set at the right level from both vendors and partners.

The different components of a partner programme should eventually lead to growing business. These programmes differentiate and reward partners according to their loyalty and performance.

Osama AlHaj-Issa, Channel Director, Middle East and Turkey, Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company

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Feature Partner programme

“And the most important objective of any partner programme is business growth. The different components of a partner programme should eventually lead to growing business. These programmes differentiate and reward partners according to their loyalty and performance,” he adds.

Growing the business is definitely an important aspect, says, Manish Bakshi, Managing Director, BenQ. An effective partner programme should be able to build a sustainable and profitable relationship between the vendor and its channel partners.

He adds, “It is not just an enticement towards micro financial gains for the channel partner but an engagement tool, which helps build a relationship where both parties come out as winners. In a nutshell, the key objective of the partner programme is to engage the channel partners and incentivise them to propagate the vendor against its competitors.”

It is also important to ensure that the partner programme is in sync with

current market demands and trends. For example, Cisco’s Channel Partner Programme has evolved over time to identify market transitions, enable its partners through these transitions and recognise them for their best practices.

Shadi Salama, Channel Leader, Middle East Theatre, Cisco, says, “The Cisco Channel Partner Programme has always focused on value versus volume – rewarding partners who create value, no matter their size or sales volume. With major market transitions happening today, our channel partners have unique opportunities to once again evolve their business models and offer even more value to their customers, while at the same time, differentiating themselves and growing profitably.”

Revamping partner programmes should essentially be considered to inject fresh initiative and motivation for partners, adds Maya Zakhour, Channel Director, Middle East, Fortinet.

“It is also essential that regular partner

feedback is invited to determine which areas of the programme should be revamped. Partner programmes are meant for partners, so it’s important that all areas of concern and challenge are met.

“Market conditions, solutions portfolio, and the size of the partner network could be factors affecting the revamping of the programmes,” she adds.

There are various issues a partner programme attempts to address for the channel partners. Today one of the challenges resellers face is the lack of stability in their business moving forward.

Mohammad Mobasseri, CEO, emt Distribution, says, “These kind of programmes not only enable partners to focus more on what they are doing but also deepens the commitment level of both parties. This results in channel partners having exceptional support on project renewal, which makes their business more stable.”

Although it is possible for partners to potentially procure solutions for their customers without being a part of any particular programme, they could

The more value partners experience, the keener they are to be an active member.”

Alexander Foroozandé, Channel Manager, Middle East, Pakistan, Turkey and Africa, Infoblox

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be missing out on sales growth and expansion opportunities, says Jim Daniel, Director of Sales, eSentire.

However, he adds, “It is also important that partners are selective about which vendor relationships they invest in. Partners have limited resources, and need to focus efforts where it best fits their customer base and business goals.”

Sébastien Pavie, Regional Director MENA, Identity and Data Protection, Gemalto, points out that partner programmes can also help to mitigate channel conflict by executing a defined process to determine partner portfolio expansion.

He adds, “A key element of establishing strong relationships within the partner network is communication. We rely on on-going feedback from our partners to ensure the programme and solutions are helping them to meet their goals and delivering the desired results.”

The criticality of a partner programme is well established from the vendors’ perspective, but when it comes down to partners, are they keen on investing in such areas?

Sunil Paul, COO, Finesse, says, “We believe that proper training and vendor certifications enable our staff to be more knowledgeable and perform

better, which results in their personal growth as well as to our business.

“In fact, this opportunity to continue to grow and develop through training and development is one of the most important factors in our employee motivation.”

He says, the challenge lies in prioritising among the many vendors a typical reseller might have.

“Other factors that influence employee readiness for training are seeing quick and tangible value along with ease in selling and supporting the vendor product.”

Alexander Foroozandé, Channel Manager, Middle East, Pakistan, Turkey and Africa, Infoblox, says, at the end of the day it’s about what type of value is being delivered to partners.

“The more value partners experience, the keener they are to be an active member.

The way we measure this is through the various enablement sessions we conduct on a monthly basis and through the use of our deal registration and demo centre tools.”

There is no doubt that resellers are keen on participating and attaining the value from these programmes. However, it is up to the vendor to ensure how current the programme is and the value it delivers to each partner on different tiers. It also needs to have the scope for a partner to grow and upgrade to the next level.

What makes an ideal partner programme?

“Versatility is probably one of the most important elements that a partner programme should have. As these programmes let partners create personalised solutions ranging from office and managed print services (MPS), to production, giving them room to grow.

Channel partners can build with the tools themselves or have the Xerox Personalized Application Builder’s authorized developers create customised applications for them. This gives channel partners the flexibility to decide on how best to solve the customer’s problem.”

Dan Smith, Head of Integrated Marketing, MEA, Xerox’s Developing Markets Operations

“A multi-tier system, segmenting the partners in various levels, can provide considerable support and rewards for achieving verifiable targets on a quarterly basis. These targets, both qualitative and quantitative will provide excellent benchmarks for strong, sustained growth in the region. System Integrators will benefit from regular trainings, technical support throughout the entire process. They will be able to draw on our expertise. An ideal partner programme should provide access to partner portal resources, product trainings, pre-and post-sales consultancy, promotion benefits, reward schemes, lead generation, deal registration, dedicated on-site support, among others.”

Sakkeer Hussain, Director, Sales and Marketing, D-Link

“An ideal partner programme should contain elements to show how partners can grow their bottom line through initiatives such as deal registration, partner incentives and promotions. It should also have sales and marketing tools with information on industry events, case study library, product materials and competitive information.

Training and accreditation are important parts of any partner programme. Rewarding partners is another important element – the program should reward partners that invest in the vendor technology and who show a level of commitment.”

Omar Akhtar, Regional Manager, Channels, ME and SAARC, Veeam Software

“Flexibility is one of the most important elements. No two partner companies are alike, so you need to offer benefits that meet the needs of their particular business. We preach, flexibility is the key to success with our channel partners, and we’ve been quite successful with that mindset.”

Ben Savage, Head of EMEA channels and alliances, Pure Storage

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Feature Hybrid cloud

prime prospects With organisations in the region increasingly keen on deploying hybrid cloud infrastructures to optimise operations, Reseller ME investigates the factors channel partners need to consider for successful implementation.

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The market is moving towards a hybrid cloud environment, as regional businesses progressively understand the agility and cost-savings it brings to operations.

Research firm, IDC, has pegged 2016 as the “big year” for solutions built on hybrid cloud architectures, especially with 65 percent of Asia Pacific enterprises to commit for its implementation.

The firm expects 40 percent of IT spend across hardware, software and services will be for cloudoriented technologies by the end of 2018. And by 2020, 45 to 50 percent of all spend will be for cloud delivered models.

How can channel partners cash in on this technology and emerge as a true advisor for the customers?

As is the case with most emerging technologies, one of the first challenges that the partners face is the lack of market awareness. But this also means there is an opportunity to educate customers on the benefits of hybrid cloud.

Sandeep Saxena, Senior Vice President, DataTAAG Technologies ME, says the adoption level in the Middle East market with respect to cloud technologies in general and particularly hybrid cloud, have been slow.

This is largely because the market has not embraced public cloud as a concept whole-heartedly, he says.

And the reason behind that is because organisations feel protective about its assets, both data and IT

Middle East resellers and systems integrators need to educate customers on how to transition from traditional on-premise models to hybrid models, and provide enterprisequality support for customers.”

Savitha Bhaskar, COO, Condo Protego

infrastructure owned in its data centres.

“Apprehensions about security, compliance become even more important when it comes to 100 percent offloading of IT assets to cloud,” he adds. “But times have changed, technologies have matured, security has improved, processes are set in place, standards have come in, public clouds have become safer and if a right cloud partner has been identified, then going the hybrid way should be a smooth sailing for the customer.”

Customers are seeking successful implementation, seamless migration and reduction of complexity.

Nandini Sapru, Sales Director, emt Distribution, says, “Partners need to deliver good solutions understanding all needs of the customer. Apart from infrastructure alone, the partner needs to understand the business model, level of dependency on the cloud, availability of support and services from local partners and cloud partners (who may be physically located anywhere in the world).

“I believe the most successful partner understands the business requirements from all perspectives first before implementing a design.”

Agreeing with Sapru, Chris Burnet, Cloud Services and Software Solutions Manager, MEEEAR, NetApp, says, partners have to ensure that they have a skilled team who can on-board customers’ requirements and provide tailored solutions.

“Once the partners are aware of the exact requirements a customer has, they are in a better position to enable customers to derive more value from hybrid cloud.”

And one of the main requirements for a customer is the security aspect. Partners have to be in a position to allay such worries.

Key areas for cloud security investment include data encryption, identity and access management, data loss prevention, and email protection, according to Raj Samani, VP and CTO, EMEA, Intel Security.

“Increasingly, organisations are also investing in

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Security-as-a-Service and in other services that help orchestrate security across multiple providers and environments, most notably CASB. “So for partners looking to capitalise on the cloud, it is recommended to invest in a cloud security practice and align with vendors that offer best-in-class, cloud first, integrated security solutions.”

Once the technology is implemented or if customers already have existing hybrid cloud architectures, channel partners should look at ways to build on it. This is both, vital and challenging, for partners. They need to look beyond the norm to discover innovative ways to continue the business association.

Rajnish Sharma, Cloud Practice Manager, Service Delivery (Cloud and Infra.

Services), Emitac Enterprise Solutions, says the company builds on customers’ existing hybrid cloud offering by focusing on four pillars of IT management solution.

“As a partner we focus on control - business agility for application owners while retaining IT control;

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Feature Hybrid cloud

visibility - unparalleled insights into applications and infrastructure; protection - automated backup and disaster recovery across any workload and any cloud and finally security - robust threat analysis for your servers and workloads.”

Pramod Kurian, Chief Operating Officer, Pinnacle Smart Technologies, adds, design and planning is key in the hybrid cloud implementation. “A welldesigned and thoughtthrough hybrid environment will reduce a lot of post implementation issues.

Reliable and supportive public cloud vendors, support from the application providers are also very important for the reseller.

Acquiring relevant tools and skill set is another key aspect.”

However, it is important to note that hybrid cloud may not suit every Middle East business, and reseller partners need to consult with customers to determine, which model is the best option as per their business needs.

“One of the biggest challenges facing partners is working with vendors on how to localise global strategies to benefit Middle East customers. Increasingly, cloud vendors are developing new platforms that offer hybrid cloud as a separate offering, along with on-premise and cloud. Middle East resellers and systems integrators need to educate customers on how to transition from traditional on-premise models to hybrid models, and provide enterprise-quality support for customers,” says, Savitha Bhaskar, COO, Condo Protego.

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Traditional channel partners have a big role to play in cloud-based technology integration, says Ranjith Kaippada, Sales Director, StorIT Distribution.

“The existing partners need to transform the business model and help their customers to move onto cloud. Customers require a lot of hand holding by the partner to make this transition.

However, partners should be adequately trained and retain resources in this area to help their

necessary, while still being able to link back to data sources IT still controls onsite.”

Shams Hasan, Enterprise Product Manager, Dell, says, “At Dell we understand that partner enablement starts with sales and technical trainings and we believe in equipping our partners with needed knowledge transfer and empower them to be the first line of support to our customers.

“Partner training embodies our endless commitment to our partners, at the same time we equip our partners with

for them and adds to their bottom line profits.

And trends such as IoT, digitisation, mobility and Big Data taking the centre stage, organisations are looking seriously at moving many of their functions to the cloud. So we definitely see a higher uptake of cloud services over the next two years.”

According to Victor Wang, Sales Manager, Synology, “Many businesses have introduced network-attached storage (NAS) to replace their file or backup servers,

At Dell we understand that partner enablement starts with sales and technical trainings and we believe in equipping our partners with needed knowledge transfer and empower them to be the first line of support to our customers.”

Shams Hasan, Enterprise Product Manager, Dell

customers. The partners who do not do this will see their business vanishing as more and more boxes get commoditised.”

As a hybrid cloud architecture involves the management of systems from multiple vendors, Rami Kichli, Vice President, Software AG, UAE, Gulf and Levant, urges cloudcomputing partners to work closely with customers so that they have the right portfolio in place.

He says, “Solutions should allow the shift to standardised instances whenever

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needed business tools, access to partner portal for product and solution documents, tech notes, case studies and knowledge base. Additionally we also provide them with updated marketing collaterals and leadgeneration kits,” he adds.

“Cloud computing is about finding the right ‘fit and function’,” says Sachin Bhardwaj, Director Marketing and Business Development, eHosting DataFort.

“With a choice of private, public and hybrid cloud offering, organisations can choose what works

especially considering its cost-effectiveness and a rich and growing feature set.

The need for cloud-based collaboration tools that don’t sacrifice users’ privacy and ownership of data will continue to grow.”

The opportunities in hybrid cloud is only going to grow as more businesses make the transition to cloud-based solutions.

Channel partners who can gain a specialisation and carve a niche for themselves will be able to capitalise on these prospects effectively.

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RIVERBED vendor focus

Partner power

Riverbed Technology aims to leverage the strength of its channel partner ecosystem to drive business forward as a key application performance solutions provider.

Organisations are increasingly looking to enhance their security posture especially in light of the recent breaches the region has experienced in the last two years. This has further unlocked opportunities for security-focused players.

As Riverbed Technology devotes its resources to strengthen enterprises’ end-to-end application performance, security plays a vital role.

For example, it is a difficult and time-consuming process when a branch server fails and has to be restored.

Riverbed CEO Jerry Kenelly, says, “With our solution, the restoration process only takes around 20 minutes. It is also equipped with something called Architectural Security or environmental security – which means you no longer have important data residing in over a hundred places increasing its vulnerability from attacks.

“Riverbed is the only one that has a hyper-converged infrastructure for the branch.

It is one of our fastest growing areas.”

Taj ElKhayat, Regional Vice President, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, Riverbed Technology, says, its recent partnership with StarLink, the regional security VAD has enabled the company to focus on distribution in this regard.

“We are leveraging and relying more on the power the

distributor brings to the table.

Whether we are in mature markets or developing countries, we believe that the value of distribution plays a major role for us.”

Distributors offer partners a variety of products to complement a solution that the market requires today.

The visibility distributors have and the amount of investments they do for partners to help them be successful, will surpass everything a vendor could do, explains ElKhayat.

“We want to focus our efforts through our distributors to manage those large value-added resellers with whom they enjoy a strong relationship with and combine both strengths to manage those partners in the best possible way.”

Also when the distributor is brought into the equation, there are many opportunities that are then open to the partner such as leveraging the financial strength of the vendor and the distributor.

The second aspect is combining capabilities and capacities.

“It is always better to have the power of two.

Also, the vendor now has a much better support and foundation to concentrate on what they do best – focusing on their customers.

In order for us to reach more customers, we need to embrace more partners and to do that we

need to leverage the right amplification engine which for us is the distributor.”

The company aims to continue optimising its channel through focus, leverage and extending reach to its partners.

Nidal Othman, MD, StarLink, says, “When positioning security, the biggest concern customers have is how it impacts performance. We classify Riverbed as a must-to-have technology in every single enterprise.

“It is a reputed brand in the market, we aim to capitalise on that and expand the channel network by enabling partners and increasing the market awareness.”

Enterprises seek complete visibility in their networks.

How can they do that with Riverbed solutions and what role do partners play?

ElKhayat says the key aspect to understand is – application performance equals business performance. “Everybody is relying on applications today, in fact in many cases, it is their key engine that makes the business thrive.”

The company offers three capabilities to customers looking at the hybrid enterprise environment – visibility, optimisation and control. This enables the vendor to enhance the visibility and the end-user experience monitoring to these customers. Visibility

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allows the customer to know what is happening on their networks and applications.

With this knowledge, they are then able to preempt issues hindering business performance.

On the optimisation front, traditionally Riverbed has been about application optimisation. But now it has the ability to optimise SaaS and cloud applications.

“But more importantly we have the ability to optimise end-user experiences, which is also a component of visibility. At the end of the day, if you have everything working well internally, you have to ensure the external access users are having the best end-user experience,” he adds.

Customers today have multiple service providers with their own SLAs, internally and externally.

This is where ‘control’ comes into the picture. It is about simplifying organisations’ ability through visibility tools to have control over their IT infrastructure, irrespective of whether it is on-premise or in the cloud.

ElKhayat says “Our message to the market is around teaming for success by leveraging the power of the channel. But more importantly, it is about showing them the opportunity and the amount of revenue they can drive from Riverbed even during tough market conditions.”

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vendor focus

Citrix

Tracking growth

Citrix’ Luca Marinelli, Vice President, Channel Sales and Strategy, EMEA and Johnny Karam, Regional Vice President, Middle East and Africa, discuss partner enablement strategies and company focus for 2016.

Specialisations have been key to partners’ growth over the last few years. Increasing number of partners, with the help of distributors and vendors, are realising how they can increase their margins and sustain their profitability through specialisations.

Citrix had announced four key specialisation categories – desktop virtualisation, networking, mobility and cloud networking – at its Citrix Partner Accelerator (CPA) event last year. And this year, the company has used the platform to build on its message of specialisations and enablement to the channel.

Luca Marinelli, Vice President, Channel Sales and Strategy, EMEA, Citrix, says, “We have seen a good uptake of the specialisations, which were introduced last year. Today we have around 100 partners specialised across the whole EMEA. Specialised partners are able to sell products up to 12 times better than other partners and gain more profitability. There are benefits from a skills and an economic perspective.

“The momentum was slow in the beginning because we have taken our time

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to introduce, educate and enable partners. It’s a skill, marketing and profitability advantage in front of the customers,” he adds.

CPA 2016 was an opportunity for the company’s partners to gather together and learn about its strategy for the year.

“Last year, we had a growth of 25 percent in rebates to our partners. We also shared trends in the market and aim to guide them to the opportunities and help leverage it. Along with that, we also discussed the integration of our technology and the specifics of our partner programme,” says Johnny Karam, Regional Vice President, Middle East and Africa, Citrix.

He says the headroom in mid-market is huge and the company plans to push partners towards this area.

Partners have mid-market kits and detailed material available to capitalise on.

Citrix aims to encourage partners in its three main sales priorities, which are land new customers, expand on the current customers and partner for success.

What was discovered was that there was an opportunity for partners to upsell or ensure existing

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customers considered the company’s solutions across technologies.

“We plan to have meaningful partnerships with the channel and are also looking to partner with third party technology companies to win together such as Microsoft, HP and Nutanix. This way, partners will have complementary solutions, which they can take and sell as full-fledged offerings,” he adds.

Ensuring partners are aware of the tools and usecases available to them from the company is another important aspect for Citrix.

Marinelli says, “We are planning to introduce incentives for partners to go after mid-market customers, for effectively rewarding them for selling to customers who we might never touch. There are many elements we are putting together, where we will work with partners as an extension of our sales force. We are trying to also make sure our partner account managers help partners to engage in a better way.”

As far as the focus goes, Citrix believes mobility is still the way ahead. But it is more than mobile device management.

Karam says, “Mobility continues to be a big game for our customers but what needs to be understood is that mobility goes beyond managing a mobile device.

Mobility is the ability to give employees the freedom to access their data and applications, securely on any device and have the same experience without transferring the data. It is about giving the staff the ability to work on any network securely.

“It is not about the mobile, it is about the mobile work style. The way employees are consuming IT today goes beyond just mobile device management.”

The company has worked on enabling and reaching out to as many partners as possible through its distributors in the last year.

Karam adds, “The next level was to specialise those partners who got enabled.

And we are giving them incentives to do this. The third aspect includes giving each and every engineer in our team an allocation of their time dedicated to enablement. So we have access to engineering time to do those partners. We consider enablement as a continuous exercise as we move into 2016.”

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NB has announced a strategic alliance with PELCO to deliver superior performance and simplicity to IP video security and surveillance customers in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This partnership will further strengthen SNB’s presence in the MENA Region.

As part of the alliance, SNB will offer PELCO’s complete portfolio in the Kingdom through its extensive network of channel partners to enterprise and government customers.

Pradeep Nair, Regional Sales Director, PELCO, said, “Pelco identifies SNB as a key Value-Added Distributor and we have been working together in ME region winning a number of large deployments with thousands of cameras. We hope that formalising the relationship will allow us to replicate our success story in UAE, Qatar and Kuwait to current and potential customers in KSA as well.”

Faisal Qureshi, Regional Director, SNB, said, “From megapixel and

integrated position systems to video management and softwareonly solutions, PELCO is committed to providing complete, end-toend solutions backed by the most comprehensive customer support in the video security industry.”

Qureshi added, “SNB’s differential advantage is the focused approach on security surveillance, data storage and networking solutions. SNB is 100 percent channel (sales) driven organisation. We offer end-toend infrastructure solutions with a diversified technology portfolio.

We pride ourselves in being able to support our partners to grow their business by leveraging on our expertise in value-chain, product management, service and training, vendor support, and consultative selling approach. We empower our partners with technical education through trainings, workshops, seminars and proof of concept.”

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video security solutions for today’s applications by designing the industry’s broadest offering of IP-based video security systems.

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PNY vendor focus

Set for success

Jerome Belan, CEO, PNY Technologies, elaborates on company plans for the region, having recently entered the local market through the acquisition of Imation, a data storage and security manufacturer.

Can you give us an overview of PNY Technologies?

Established in 1985, PNY Technologies celebrates over 30 years of business excellence as a leading manufacturer and supplier of flash memory cards, USB flash drives, solid state drives, cables, computer memory upgrade modules, NVIDIA GeForce consumer graphics cards and NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics cards. The company’s PhotographyVideography, Mobility, 3D Gaming-Visualisation and Business solutions are widely available from major retail, e-tail and wholesale outlets internationally.

Headquartered in the USA, PNY maintains facilities in North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Latin America.

When did the company begin its Middle East operations?

PNY Technologies Middle East has been operational from April 2016, based in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, headed by Talus Arukalil, Regional Manager

handling Middle East, Africa and Levant regions.

What are your market differentiators?

By choosing the PNY products, our customers choose a universally recognised supplier whose priority is to bring a proximity service and to accompany them in the development of their activity. PNY positioning in the market is very specific: with a broad assortments of product range, PNY is the one-stop-shop for several key solutions ensuring the best quality with products 100 percent in-house tested. One of the priorities of the company has always been to provide didactics packaging and innovative merchandising solutions to its channel. PNY has forged strong partnerships for certain products in order to strengthen brand image and offer the best technical solutions on the market. These include brands such as IMATION, NVIDIA, LEGO, and HP. The company has also developed exclusive products such as StorEDGE Flash Memory Expansion Module, which was designed exclusively

for use in MacBook computers. All PNY lightning cable range is MFI certified.

Can you elaborate on your focus for 2016?

PNY pushes all the accessories mobile endusers need to get the most out of their smartphone or tablet. Flash Memory Cards to expand their storage, as well as cables, adapters and portable PowerPacks designed for Apple or Android users to keep them fully powered and connected while on the move.

What are the opportunities you are seeing in the region for your solutions?

In the Middle East there is a good potential growth in the electronics accessories market. As this is greatly driven by increasing sales of connected devices such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets and action cameras. In addition to PNY branded products, we manage Imation, HP and Nvidia through strategic business relationships. Optical and flash storage media is in consolidation phase, and we see good potential

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for Imation brand in the region. HP branded USB drives, Nvidia graphic cards for consumer and professional markets all seems great opportunity for MEA region.

How do you see the regional market evolving in the next two years?

The Middle East IT electronics market is constantly evolving and we expect to have lot more consolidation to happen in various categories. The market has been segmented into mobile phone, computer, camera and automotive infotainment accessories.

That being said, the mobile phones and action camera accessories segment in the region is witnessing a significant growth in demand, and thus, predicting to have sustainable growth in the next two years. Few regions in the traditional channel is switching gradually to e-tail. Dubai is preparing for World Expo in 2020 and we expect to have lot more projects announced soon and it should be a good news to all business in the region.

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Event HK Electronics fair and International ICT Expo

A step into the future

The Spring edition of what the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) dubbed as the biggest electronics events in Asia, Hong Kong Electronics Fair and the concurrent International ICT Expo, hosted a total of 3,400 exhibitors from 24 countries and regions.

In its 13th edition, the twin fairs showcased the latest trends, products and insights in the technology space. Among the primary highlights of the trade event were the ‘Robotics and Unmanned Tech’ and ‘Connected Home’ zones.

A couple of decades ago, robotic technologies can only be found in companies operating in the manufacturing sector, typically on assembly lines doing a variety of repetitive tasks. Today, robotics are increasingly being utilised in a variety of verticals including education, healthcare, energy

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and more.

Ongoing developments in the field of artificial intelligence has brought a certain maturity in robotics technology. “Traditional robotics tend to be more controlled and are preprogrammed. They are also more about mechanical manipulation. Now, the nextgeneration of robotics are much more connected and are smarter. It’s no longer just about how precise it can be, but also on how easily it can be controlled by an end-user.

As we are in the age of the machines, with the ubiquity of the Internet, mobile penetration and the cloud, there are more

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channels to which we can connect to monitor and manage robotic technologies.

This is game-changing not only for consumers but also for organisations who want to harness the many advantages that robotics and artificial intelligence technologies can bring,” said Brian Tang, Founder, Young Makers and Changemakers, an inclusive educational platform and community fostering young makers.

The ‘Robotics and Unmanned Tech’ zone in the Spring Electronics Fair featured various models of remote-controlled airborne cameras and robots, which generated strong interest

among visitors. MakeBlock was one of the exhibitors at the zone, where they showcased their STEM educational robot kit.

“MakeBlock is a robot construction platform.

Through this platform we provide robot kits for various schools and other educational institutions so students can begin learning about building and programming robots at an early stage. We are more focused on the education segment, with our biggest market being China and USA. However, just recently we took part at the Global Educational Supplies and Solutions in Dubai where

we see a great potential for our products and solutions,” said Peter Li, Sales Director, MakeBlock.

Intelligent CAD/CAM Technology, systems integrator for US-based company, Rethink Robotics, was also present at the show.

The SI featured its dual arm collaborative robot designed for the manufacturing industry. The company’s Sales Manager for CAE (computeraided engineering) Division Stanley Ho highlighted that robotics is being utilised in the manufacturing industry for many years, however, it is very apparent that today that technology has evolved.

“We can say that robots being developed today are now much safer, smarter and more collaborative.

Apart from changing the way organisations in the manufacturing industry operate, robotics is also addressing the gaps in the workforce in markets like China,” he said. “Moreover,

we see a growing demand in robotic technologies not only in China and Hong Kong, but also in various emerging markets, and we think events like the HKTDC Electronics Fair are great opportunities to spread awareness about the latest technologies out there and what companies like ourselves can offer in this field.”

With the impending Internet of Things promising billions of connected devices, still a major highlight at the event this year is the ‘Connected Home’ zones.

The exhibition showcased new smart-home products and solutions, including TVs, lightings, doors, digital frames and more.

Dr. Lo Wai Kwok, Chairman, HKTDC Electronics/Electronic Appliances, Industries Advisory Committee, said, “Almost every device that are within our reach today are becoming ‘smart’. At the same time, end-users or consumers are constantly

on the look-out for products that are not only functional but also promises ease of use. This creates tremendous opportunities for innovators as there is a high demand for smart technologies in the market.

“The Electronics Fair and ICT Expo is a great opportunity of technology leaders and other industry players to come together and showcase their capabilities and the new products on offer in the electronics segment,” he said.

Wai Kwok added that technology remains as one of the highest contributors to Hong Kong’s exports,

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with 64 percent of their total exports being electronic products. “While the US and China are our major trading partners, we are actively exploring new opportunities.

The government and other businesses here in Hong Kong are also very committed in forging alliances and attract investments from potential markets and that includes the Middle East.”

According to HKTDC, the UAE is Hong Kong’s largest export market in the Middle East. In the first seven months of 2015, Hong Kong’s total exports to the UAE grew by 13.5 percent year-on-year to $3.4 billion.

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Two-way street Huawei recently hosted its Partner Summit 2016 at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah, where it announced the latest developments in its ‘Transforming together’ strategy for its Middle East partners.

For Huawei’s Middle East Enterprise Business Group, two is company. The firm’s executives reiterated the company’s commitment to building an ecosystem of partners that shares their vision of continuous ICT innovation at its annual Partner Summit conference for channel partners. The updated strategy, now dubbed ‘Transforming together 2.0’ by the vendor, is centred on developing strong and collaborative partnerships to help endusers gain maximum value out of its solutions.

Hany Hussein, Vice President, Channel and Alliances, Huawei, Enterprise Business Group, Middle East, said, “Transforming together was a concept that we created last year. With this strategy we aim to expand our market reach through our partners including our distributors, global partners and solution partners. In 2015, we have been focused on growing our partner ecosystem, and this year, we have made a few

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amendments to our partner portfolio to ensure that we have the right companies on-board to penetrate the market in the right way.”

According to Hussein, Transforming together 2.0 is about the importance of having a focused business.

“As a global company, we’d like to see our partners grow with us,” he added. “To do this, we want to have a more defined strategy, so we want to interact with the top players in the industry while also reaching out to small and medium-sized businesses.”

Through its enhanced strategy, Huawei also intends to make sure that all its partners represent the right value propositions in accordance with their capabilities and target verticals. “Last year, we worked on enabling our partners to have a strong foundation for selling Huawei solutions, now it’s time for them to build the pipeline,” Hussein said. “It’s time for them, as Huawei partners, to expand our reach in the

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market. Our core aim this year is establishing a partnerled business.”

Hussein also highlighted the key methods through which Huawei plans to realise its ‘Transforming together 2.0’ strategy. The new drive has five key pillars: growing through a partner-led business; empowering channel sales managers; enhancing partner profitability; improving vertical industry focus; and selling new ICT solutions. “In addition to these, we want to emphasise that having the right training is not enough to sell Huawei products and solutions, it is vital that our partners get the right certifications to do so. It is important to us that our partners represent Huawei in the right way. They need to have the right identity and share Huawei’s success DNA.” Huawei also underlined its strategy to embrace the digital era of the Internet of Things, introducing its latest IoT Single-Cable solution to its product portfolio.

The solution, according to the company, will pave the way for the creation of smart office environments.

Huawei also announced the latest addition to its IT portfolio – the OceanStor DJ - a solution equipped with a unified storage system and unified storage resource management. Both offerings build on Huawei’s existing portfolio to enable businesses in both the SME and large enterprise market.

The company also emphasised its newly launched initiative, ‘Leading new ICT, building a better connected world,’ which was announced earlier this year during the renowned CeBit conference in Hannover, Germany. According to Huawei, the initiative is designed to facilitate the evolution of traditional IT architecture of enterprises into cloud-based architecture.

It is a combination of technologies including cloud computing, Big Data, IoT, 5G and SDN that features cloudpipe-device collaboration.

25TH MAY 2016 Jumeirah Emirates Towers For more details: www.resellerme.com/awards/2016

Presenting Partner

strategic technology Partner

strategic VaD Partner

exclusiVe Digital transformation Partner

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networking sPonsor

organisers

Event Reseller Meet

Reseller MEet powers new alliances Reseller Middle East hosted the second edition of its channel networking event – Reseller MEet, to encourage new channel partnerships with an emphasis on UAE, KSA and Bahrain markets.

The event which was held on 27th April at The Oberoi Hotel in Dubai, housed around 100 pre-determined one-toone meetings between vendors, resellers and distributors. Bringing together industry players from three key Middle East markets namely Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, the event offered participants an opportunity to build rapport and find new ways to grow their business.

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Shams Hasan, Enterprise Product Manager, Dell, said, “The reseller ecosystem in the Middle East is undergoing rapid evolution alongside the enlivening changes in the IT industry. In this journey, Dell continues to grow and become an un-matched end-to-end technology solutions provider for channel partners looking to evolve, be bold, and genuinely take their businesses to where the future of technology is heading.”

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Hasan further added, that as the event’s presenting partner, Dell is positive that forums such as Reseller MEet are great occasions that bring together the meeting of the minds.

Kimberly Di Paolo, Vice President, Global Parner Channel, Blackline, said, “This is our first event and actually our very first conversations in building out a Middle East channel.

The event went really well for us. And at times, all three of us from Blackline were having simultaneous

meetings. It was quite busy and well-organised in terms of the eventflow and the agenda. It certainly was a successful event for us and we will definitely participate again. Our expectations were more than met.”

Building the right channel with the right partners is the key to cash in on enterprise users’ growing appetite for ICT solutions. Reseller Middle East believes that constant communication and coordination are additional keys to

“The reseller ecosystem in the Middle East is undergoing rapid evolution alongside the enlivening changes in the IT industry.”

Shams Hasan, Enterprise Product Manager, Dell winning more contracts and building long-term relationships.

Moosa Koya, CEO, Eram Infotech, KSA, said, “The Saudi market has always

been different to an extent as compared to other GCC nations. Because of this, operating in the Kingdom can be challenging at times. However, the key to

succeeding in this market is attaining as much business intelligence as you can and ensuring that you continuously enhance your offerings. Having said that, we participated at Reseller MEet due to our interest to know more about the new trends and offerings present in the channel landscape of the UAE.” “Although we’ve already had previous conversations with some of the companies that we’re meeting here today we still believe this kind of platform is a good chance to build on that rapport again,” said Julia Stolyarova, Director, Vinci

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Solutions. “Also, with representatives coming from different companies based in the UAE, KSA and Bahrain this event has been a great avenue to fresh perspectives.

Reseller MEet was made possible with Presenting Partner, Dell; Strategic VAD Partner, Redington Value; Strategic Innovation Partner, Mindware; Strategic Technology Partner, HewlettPackard Enterprise; and Event Parters, Exclusive Networks, Arrow, EMC, Blackline, Gulf Distribution Software, Grateq Distribution, Laserfiche and Kodak Alaris.

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Grow your Sales 49%

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of senior executives came to GITEX with open RFPs

were closed at the show

“GITEX brought together some of the best technology minds in the world and it was a pleasure to discuss new advances and best practice with worldwide industry leaders” CELIA WADE-BROWN, MAYOR OF WELLINGTON “Gitex is extremely important for us. We generate leads for incremental business and it gives us an opportunity to interact and demonstrate.”

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huawei

Honor 5X

REVIEW

RATING

The Honor 5X is one of the latest mid-range smartphone released by ICT company Huawei, we took it for a spin and here’s what we think…

Honor 5X flaunts a brushed metal back, textured plastic ends and a simple, yet sophisticated design. The front of the phone is plain while the back has the camera and fingerprint sensor. At 8.2mm thick and 158g in weight, the device is slim and feels very light in the hand. But, as the back has a polished metal finish it is also quite slippery to hold.

As for the display, it has a 5.5-inch screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, and with a 1080p resolution the device shows sharp and crisp colours. Being an IPS display, text and images can be viewed from different angles and still maintain the same picture quality. However, the screen could be very reflective and the display colours tend to look a bit washed out when used under direct sunlight. As with most phone screens it is also quite prone to smudges and fingerprints.

The Honor 5X is equipped with a modified version of Android dubbed EMUI (ver. 3.1) that is based off of Android 5.1.1. EMUI gives the device an interesting – more toned-down iOSlike user interface. It also shares many of the features from some of its predecessors, like a one-handed UI and gesture controls, but it doesn’t have the side-by-side multi-tasking and knuckle gesture features like the Honor 7.

Under the hood, Honor 5X is powered by a 1.5GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor with Adreno 405 GPU and 2GB RAM. The smartphone’s performance is generally smooth and speedy with only a small amount of lag when switching between apps.

The power button and volume rocker on the right hand side are still easy to access with your thumb.

Another notable feature of the Honor device is its triple slot design, as on the left hand side sits the microSD, microSIM and nanoSIM drawers. This means users can increase the storage, which is likely needed as it only comes with 16GB of internal memory, with the microSD the smartphone is expandable by up to 128GB. The 5X packs a 5MP front camera and 13MP rear shooter that is accompanied by an LED flash, it takes generally good images during the day, but it definitely lacks the ability to capture scenes perfectly in low light or when performing night time shots.

The fingerprint reader is located on the back of the device. The scanner is

no longer just for unlocking the phone, it can be used for other tasks such as taking photographs and answering calls.

Honor also loaded a few extra functions onto the scanner, which made it more useful. For example, once unlocked, a swipe down on the rear scanner pulls down Android’s notification bar and swiping left and right in the photo gallery lets users scroll through images.

The phone is equipped with a 3000 mAh battery, which disappointingly doesn’t last a full day of usage and takes more than one hour to recharge.

In conclusion, at AED 1,399, the Honor 5X is well spec’d and priced.

The refined design and interesting fingerprint features really adds value to it and makes it a decent buy for a midrange smartphone.

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hot products

A10 Networks releases Thunder 7440(S) application delivery controller

D-Link unveils DCS-960L

According to A10 Networks, the Thunder 7440(S) appliance provides performance and scalability of 220 Gbps of traffic per second, 10.5 million connections per second. It can also provide defences for over 300 million DDoS attacks per second and can secure even the most demanding data centre applications and networks.

DCS-960L is a full function day and night HD H.264 180° horizontal panoramic view wireless cube network camera of D-link surveillance product line.

The HD CMOS sensor achieves low noise and high resolution sensor with H.264 high compression rate codec capability for network surveillance application.

Given the excellent video quality and small form factor are designed for easy install in any indoor environment.

Besides, the camera itself built-in removable IR-cut filter and IR LED which can support 5M distance. DCS-960L built-in 802.11AC with WPS design is easy install without professional installer.

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Thunder 7440(S) is based on A10’s innovative ACOS Harmony platform.

A10 Networks highlighted that the fourth generation Thunder appliance leverages a data centre efficient design, consuming less power, cooling, and rack space, which are critically important metrics for organisations.

It offers 220 Gbps in 1 RU, 48x10GbE, 4x40GbE, 36 cores, 3x FTA-4.

Western Digital introduces WD Gold hard drives

Western Digital Corporation has announced the expansion of its colour portfolio with a new line of WD Gold data centre hard drives.

Designed for a broad range of applications – including small- to medium-scale enterprise servers and

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storage, Western Digital highlighted that the new hard drives flaunt a highcapacity configuration of up to 8TB. According to Western Digital, the new hard drives offer power efficiency up to 15 percent. HelioSeal technology enables up to 26 percent lower power consumption. It also has up to 18 percent sequential performance improvement over previous generation WD Re 4TB data centre drives, and up to 30 percent improvement in random write performance over previous generation WD Re 6TB data centre drives through media-based cache.

Western Digital offers a 24/7 premium support line for WD Gold.

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AMD unveils new FirePro S9300 x2 server GPU Based on the third generation AMD Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture, the FirePro S9300 x2 Server GPU delivers up to 13.9 TFLOPS of peak single-precision floating point performance. It is also equipped with High Bandwidth Memory (HBM).

According to AMD, the 1TB/s memory bandwidth enabled by HBM on the FirePro S9300 x2 GPU is 3.5X the memory bandwidth of the closest competitive solution while providing over 15X the memory bandwidth and 12X the

Axis introduces new generation of modular cameras peak single-precision performance of competing CPU solutions.

To further accelerate the capabilities of the FirePro S9300 x2, AMD developed the Radeon Open Compute platform, a Linux-focused open source software parallel computing platform optimised for HPC and Ultrascale computing. The Radeon Open Compute kernel provides direct access to the graphics hardware, offering programmers more control over the code execution.

R&M flaunts Netscale R&M has recently launched Netscale, a high-density fibre cable management solution, in the Middle East.

According to the vendot, Netscale features integrated intelligent infrastructure management functionality.

It utilises a small diameter uniboot patch cord for minimal cabling bulk.

It also sports the R&MinteliPhy technology, allowing it to deliver a density of up to 80 RFID-monitored LC duplex or MTP ports, and even 120 standard LC duplex or MTP ports per rack unit. The rear-cabling manager, according to R&M, makes it easy to manage connections while alleviating risk during MACs and migrations.

While the typical 10 to 15 cm drawout-length of trays places stress on patch cords, Netscale only has the industry minimum of 5.5 cm.

R&MinteliPhy automates the tracking of network cabling, ensuring the data integrity of the documentation. The

company highlighted that the Automated Infrastructure Management (AIM) solution can be retrofitted on Netscale which allows customers to gradually extend the features and functionality of their investment while managing costs. With the patch cord, the solution also features R&M’s new LC quick release connector in combination with the smallest available diameter uniboot patch cord and cable access from the rear and front.

Axis P1244 is an HD 720p modular network which features a thumb-sized sensor unit ideal for use in stores and banks, and for integration in tight places such as in ATMs and ticket/vending machines.

According to Axis, compared with its predecessors, the P1244 offers better image quality in low and varying lighting conditions, and provides improved video compression and analytics capabilities.

The device comprises a sensor unit with a 102° horizontal field of view. It can be mounted in tight places, or in walls or ceilings with the included flush mount kit. Optional accessories enable the sensor unit to be tilted in a surface or recessed mount. The sensor unit comes with an 8-m (26 feet) cable for connection to the main unit. The main unit of P1244 is three times smaller than previous P12 main units.

The P1244 supports full frame rate HDTV 720p videos and is equipped with Zipstream technology for lower bandwidth and storage use, Power over Ethernet (PoE) for easy installation, and a microSD card slot for local storage.

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HOT PRODUCTS

RIVERBED ANNOUNCES STEELCONNECT AOC LAUNCHES NEW LINE OF GAMING MONITORS

AOC has officially launched its new gaming brand – Agon.

According to AOC, Agon displays will be designed with user comfort in mind.

The devices will be equipped with flicker free and low blue light features for added eye protection. Some of the displays will also be in QHD or 4K resolution, and will include Adaptive-Sync or G-Sync for smooth visuals and 144Hz refresh rates for faster hardware performance.

The displays will include gaming optimisation features such as the AOC Game Mode, which will allow users to choose between different modes (e.g.

FPS, RTS, etc.). Users will also be able to conveniently shift through these game modes from the comfort of their seat via an AOC-developed remote control. Other optimisation options include shadow control, DialPoint and low input lag among others.

AOC highlighted that Agon displays will have a headset hanger to save time and space; an easilygripped handle for convenient portability; height adjustment for optimal line of sight; and adjust the monitor’s angle to accommodate playing position.

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Riverbed Technology has announced the launch of Riverbed SteelConnect, an SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) solution.

According to Riverbed, SteelConnect is designed to enable business-intent policies for applications to provide the performance and agility enterprises need today. The device enables organisations to unify network connectivity and orchestration of application delivery across hybrid WANs, remote LANs and cloud networks such as AWS (available today) and Microsoft Azure (later this year).

SteelConnect is equipped with features like SteelConnect Manager, a centralised and multi-tenant management portal that provides an intuitive and simplified workflow for designing, deploying and managing

distributed and hybrid networks. It is also equipped with SteelConnect Gateway, a line of physical and virtual secure WAN gateways, which according to the vendor, provides unified connectivity (point-to-point and full-mesh) and enforcement of global policy across on-premises and cloud network environments, zerotouch provisioning, automated VPN management and next-generation firewall and threat protection capabilities.

Finally, it features SteelConnect Switches and Access Points, a line of remote LAN switches and Wi-Fi access points that support zerotouch provisioning, automate global enforcement of access control policies and provide visibility into connected users and devices.

HUAWEI UNVEILS P9 Huawei has recently unveiled the P9 and P9 Plus in the Middle East.

Created in collaboration with Leica, the smartphone flaunts a dual-lens camera.

According to the company, the RGB camera on the P9 is good for capturing colour, while the monochrome camera is works best in acquiring picture detail.

Each P9 device is designed with 2.5D glass and an aerospace-class aluminum, with diamond-cut rounded edges. The device comes in 32GB and 64GB configurations and in Haze Gold and Ceramic White finish.

With a 5.2-inch 1080p display, the P9 is powered by the new Kirin 955 2.5GHz 64-bit ARM-based processor.

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The device runs Android 6.0 and is equipped with 3,000mAh battery.

Huawei also unveiled the P9 Plus, which features a 5.5-inch Press Touch display and a larger 3,400mAh battery.

The P9 Plus also offers dual-IC Rapid Charge, giving users six hours of talk time after a 10-minute charge.

The Huawei P9 and P9 plus will be available starting today across the region including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

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hot products

Microsoft features Surface Pro 4 At only 8.4mm thin and a mere 766g, Microsoft’s latest device features a 12.3inch PixelSense display, sixth-generation Intel Core processor and a multi-position kickstand, allowing the tablet to become a full-functioned laptop as needed.

It comes with a Pen with precision ink on one end and an eraser on the other, while the touchscreen uses palm-blocking technology to provide users with the best possible writing experience.

According to Microsoft, Surface Pro 4 is built to let the device-neutral Windows 10 stretch its wings. It features Windows Hello, which allows for fast and secure login, and smotth transition between tablet and desktop form factors.

The new Surface is supported by a slew of accessories, such as the Surface Pro 4 Type Cover, which comes in both English and Arabic. This is a completely

redesigned mechanical keyboard with a large trackpad, built for maximum comfort, and optimal key spacing allows for a fast and fluid typing experience.

HTC 10 now available The latest addition to the HTC phone family combines an enhanced camera with gold standard audio, bold new metal unibody design and great performance, according to the company.

It also features an integrated power button and fingerprint sensor with better sound quality. According to the company, the new smartphone features world’s first optically stabilised, larger aperture f/1.8 lenses on both the front and rear cameras, new larger sensors, 12 million new generation UltraPixels (1.55um per pixel), faster laser autofocus powering the main camera and a wide angle lens and screen flash on the front UltraSelfie camera. This allows the smartphone to deliver sharp, low light and high-resolution photos whether behind or in front of the lens.

The HTC 10 also combines vivid 4K video with a 24-bit Hi-Res audio recording, capturing 256 times more detail than standard recordings. Built

for audiophiles, the HTC 10 is certified for Hi-Res audio and has been designed to make music sound the way that the artist intended.

The device boasts the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor

with enhanced 4G LTE. The HTC 10 also includes the latest in-box quick charge 3.0 rapid charger with improved thermal management, so the battery can be charged by up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes.

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Column

Channel surfing Reseller Middle East's deputy editor offers her thoughts on the Middle Eastern technology channel.

Janees Reghelini, Deputy Editor, Reseller ME

Striving for excellence The last month has been a blur for all of us here at the team across functions, when each day has gone in preparation for our upcoming Partner Excellence Awards 2016.

This is the third year I am working on the Awards and this continues to be one of the most exciting times of the year for me. Interestingly, events that deprive me of my sleep are also the ones that drive me to work harder. The detailed planning of the event, along with calls for submissions, collaboration with people, and finally the execution, makes it worthwhile and rewarding on a personal level.

This year, it was heartening to see that the quality of the 300 plus nominations received, has definitely improved as compared to the previous editions.

We are grateful to our esteemed panel of judges – Ashwin Venkatchari, Research Director, IDC MEA; Moustafa Abd El-Mohsen, 82

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Founder/CEO, Shaheen Management Consultancy; Philip Hughes, Middle East Business Start Up Consultant, Pumpkin and Sudhir Nair, CEO, SOL Analytics; who have diligently reviewed the nominations over a period of more than 10 days to decide who they think is the most deserving in each category.

Each year, we have seen an increase in the number of entries, reflecting the solemnity of our Awards. It is indeed a proud moment for all of us in the team whenever we see a full-house at our events, an audience who understands the importance of such gatherings and is also geared to have fun.

The current issue features the heavyweights of the regional IT channel industry, the inspiring individuals who steer the business purely out of passion for what they do. We have spent a considerable amount of time ensuring all the right people are included in this power list.

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As professionals we all strive for excellence but there are only a few people who put in the efforts to make it a reality. In this issue we are recognising and applauding the dedication, diligence and fortitude of these channel players who have stood the test of time. It is definitely an admirable feat, one that must be celebrated.

Talking about celebrating, the theme for Reseller Middle East Partner Excellence Awards 2016 is ‘Oscars,’ as you may have already guessed by now from the branding. We do have quite a few exciting things planned for you, so come dressed in your Oscars best to be a part of a memorable evening on the 25th.

The team is excited and is looking forward to host you at the Awards and in the meantime, we should take a leaf or two from these channel champions and continue our pursuit of excellence.

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