60mins Day 2 - AM (2019)

GITEX 2019 TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS

Inspires Transformation

R epog rafix

GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK tahawultech.com

Show dates: 6-10 October 2019, Dubai World Trade Centre | Exhibition hours: 11am-7pm

HPE’s new VP and MD Ericsson: 5G is driving Starlink to spotlight its for the MESA region innovation in the Middle new products and vision highlights IT-leader vision East & Africa for growth HPE is sharing their vision to enhance the way people live and work at this year’s GITEX. Wolfgang Egger, HPE

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Fadi Pharaon discusses the impact of commercial 5G networks going live in the region.

Fadi Pharaon, Ericsson

Data management leader Veritas has released their new Databerg report at this year’s GITEX. 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

ADS to showcase evolving role of CCTV at GITEX 2019

Christopher Cooper, Lenovo

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Veeam will showcase how it aims to help regional organisations embrace DX. 4 CONTINUED ON

Claude Schuck, Veeam

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Mindware flaunts new solutions unit and end to end VDI bundle

Bitdefender on how its network security offerings can enable organisations to stay resilient.

Rafik Hajem, Bitdefender

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“Digital disruption is the only constant”: Veeam

Bitdefender shares vision to bolster enterprise business

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Bashar Bashaireh, Starlink

Lenovo’s channel focus is one of the company’s key market differentiators, says Cooper.

As HikVision’s UAE national distributor, ADS spotlights its “excellent” product line.

Faisal Kan, ADS

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“We live or die by the channel”: Lenovo

Veritas releases new Databerg report at GITEX 2019

Johnny Karam, Veritas

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Starlink’s CEO, Bashar Bashaireh, has a mindset of “growth and nothing but growth”.

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Value-added distributor Mindware will highlight the launch of a new ‘Solutions Unit’.

Mostafa Kabel, Mindware

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HPE’s new VP and MD for the MESA region highlights IT-leader vision Hewlett Packard Enterprise is sharing their vision to enhance the way people live and work at this year’s GITEX. The IT-leader’s new Vice President and Managing Director for the Middle East and South Africa, Wolfgang Egger, discussed the company’s investments in the UAE and their greater vision for the region.

“I have been appointed as the Vice President and Managing Director for the MESA region three months ago, and I am happy to lead the region in this new era of innovation – I am here for the long run. We have made some huge investments in the UAE, the first one being our new office. We recently opened the office and we really wanted to provide a new style of work for our team. Just as an example, I don’t have a desk – everything is shared. I sit with a different team every day and this also helps us meet our customers’ needs.

“Our new office also supports our approach to sustainability – this is a topic very close to my

The Digital Life Garage will launch early next year, and I believe it will be the seed to create a “Silicon Valley” in the Emirates.” www.tahawultech.com

HPE was founded seventy years ago in Palo Alto in a garage. Now, we want to apply the same rules and vision of that garage in the UAE and the Middle East.

This is our great vision for the region and I am happy to lead this moving forward.”

Wolfgang Egger, HPE

heart. I believe we really need to take care of the future of our planet for the next generation of innovators. I am a big advocate of the no-plastic policy in place in our new office, and I also believe in the power of a circle economy – something we really support at HPE with our solutions.”

Egger also explained the importance of the soon-to-beopen HPE Digital Life Garage for the region and globally. The

Digital Life Garage, a global project that HPE decided to first launch in the UAE, will bring together regional and global innovators to provide solutions to enhance the way people live and work.

“The Digital Life Garage will launch early next year, but we are already teaming up with partners and customers. In parallel we are also working with government entities to support

the smart city vision of the country – I think the Digital Life Garage will be the seed to create a “Silicon Valley” in the Emirates.

“HPE was founded seventy years ago in Palo Alto in a garage – it was the beginning of Silicon Valley in the US. We want to apply the same rules and vision of that garage in the UAE and the Middle East. This is our great vision for the region and I am happy to lead this moving forward.” @tahawultech

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Ericsson: 5G is driving innovation in the Middle East & Africa The deployment of 5G networks will allow operators to develop new use cases, applications, services and revenue streams from IoT and industrial applications – sparking an unprecedented wave of innovation.”

Fadi Pharaon, Ericsson

Ericsson Middle East and Africa President, Fadi Pharaon said that commercial 5G networks are going live in the region, making way for new consumer experiences and opportunities for enterprises.

Addressing media and analysts at GITEX 2019 in UAE, Pharaon also highlighted the role of 5G in driving new revenue streams emerging from the digitalisation of industries.

“The deployment of 5G networks will allow operators to develop new use cases, applications, services

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and revenue streams from IoT and industrial applications – sparking an unprecedented wave of innovation,” he said.

According to Ericsson Mobility Report MEA, 90% of subscriptions in the region are expected to be for mobile broadband by 2024, offering vast opportunities to operators to embrace 5G both for a better user experience as well as exploring new revenue streams.

Pharaon highlighted directions for service providers to realise

the full potential of 5G by sharing insights of some of the most successful use cases globally and highlighting a guide for service providers on how to realise the full potential of 5G. Pharaon presented go to market strategies, including considerations on business models and value chain positioning, as well as network deployment requirements.

He stated that many operators have already selected Ericsson as their 5G partner. The company

is first to publicly announce commercial 5G contracts and commercial live networks in four continents with more announcements to come.

Pharaon explained that Ericsson has a flexible portfolio with its 5G platform that enables telecom operators to smoothly switch on 5G on their existing 4G networks. The Ericsson Radio System hardware has been 5G-ready since 2015 and can also be used for 5G NR with a remote software installation.

He added, “We work with our partners to enable the evolution to full 5G deployment through manageable steps, in a way that matches business and technology realities. We offer our customers an expanded and adaptable 5G platform, making it easier for them to roll out 5G and speed up network coverage. Our end to end Radio and Core 5G platform enhances network flexibility for enabling new 5G use cases, lowering latency, and lowering total cost of ownership.”

Pharaon announced that Ericsson will provide actionable insights on prominent topics including driving 5G innovation, unlocking 5G business potential and many more. For a sneak peek at what the future holds, Ericsson will also present its annual report, “’The guide to capturing the 5G industry digitalisation business potential” – delving deeper into industry verticals that are prominent in the region and offer clear opportunities for 5G use cases.

Visit Ericsson in Zabeel Hall, Booth C22.

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Starlink to spotlight its new products and vision for growth We’re going to consistently reevaluate our solutions life cycle.

We’re going to identify new technologies, and new products that we should add to our offerings.”

Bashar Bashaireh, Starlink

The trusted cloud and cyber advisor StarLink has, in the words of its new CEO, Bashar Bashaireh, a mindset of “growth and nothing but growth”.

The Dubai-based Bashaireh, who joined StarLink at the beginning of September, says that the company is aiming to grow not only by expanding into new geographies.

Describing itself as a true valueadded distributor, StarLink is also looking to expand its range of solutions in the marketplace.

“We’re going to consistently re-

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evaluate our solutions life cycle. We’re going to identify new technologies, new products we should add to our offerings,” said Bashaireh.

When it comes to introducing new technologies, StarLink aims to capitalise on the way in which “IT has become a really integral part of enabling the business”.

“We have to introduce IT solutions in order for us to become competitive and be ahead of the others, regardless of what market segment,” he said.

“An example is adoption of the cloud. Another trend we see is

digital transformation.”

The company can help customers with everything from regulatory compliance to dealing with external and internal threats.

“Taking all that into account we have developed our StarLink Solutions Lifecycle, which addresses these challenges,” said Bashaireh.

“There are some people who say data will become more expensive than black gold – oil – so we really need to provide the right product.

Whether it’s on-premise or in the cloud, data needs to be protected.”

StarLink has an on-the-ground presence in 20 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and a number of other Middle Eastern nations, and has a portfolio of more than 45 technology vendors.

Its channel network of over 1,100 partners serves more than 2,200 enterprise and government customers.

Bashaireh says there are numerous elements to StarLink’s description of itself as a “true” value-added distributor.

“For each vendor or solution, we have a product-management team acting as an extended arm for that vendor. We help our vendors to improve their market coverage and market reach,” he said.

StarLink also focuses on improving customer “stickiness” and acts as a training centre for its many vendors.

“On the customer side we act as a true value-added and trusted advisor both on the cyber side and the cloud side. Our mission is to reach the highest levels to enhance the customer experience,” he said.

“Our technical reseller consultants and business development teams work closely with our customers to identify gaps in their security postures and come back with a value-added proposition to identify them.”

As well as expanding in the Middle East, StarLink is looking to increase market share in Europe and the United States, areas where the company has made “huge investments” and opened new offices.

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Emiratisation, a major focus for Injazat Hussain Al Obeidi, Chief Human Capital and Admin Officer at Injazat - A Mubadala Company, talks about the company’s strategy on Emiratisation, bridging the talent acquisition gap in the UAE and its role at EXPO 2020.

EMIRATISATION: As a semi-government entity, we are deeply invested in the future of the UAE and the future of the UAE’s citizens. Tech is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country and the world, and we see no end in sight for job opportunities for Nationals in our industry.

Currently, a third of our workforce is Emirati, which we are very proud of. As we are a Mubadala entity we are actively involved in the Mubadala Train for Work program where Emirati interns are brought into Injazat and end up gaining valuable work experience in various departments, which has been a huge success. We look forward to welcoming more Nationals into the organisation and to training the future generation as well.

Hussain Al Obeidi, Chief Human Capital and Admin Officer at Injazat - A Mubadala Company

TALENT ACQUISITION: Talent acquisition is a challenge in any industry but there are obstacles unique to the tech industry in terms of acquiring individuals with specialised niche skillsets that occur more often in the tech sector.

We are fortunate that Injazat is a desirable place to work and we work hard to ensure that our culture, incentives and the type

As a semi-government entity, we are deeply invested in the future of the UAE and the future of the UAE’s citizens.”

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of work that we do is attractive to employees around the world. We currently have xx nationalities that work under the Injazat umbrella, and our diversity is something that we are very proud of, and one that makes us stronger as a company and therefore able to attract global talent but also provides an edge in that diverse workforces are generally those driving innovation.

STRATEGY ON RECRUITMENT: Our team is crucial to the success of Injazat. I’m aligned very closely with the C-suite to ensure our workforce plans are aligned with our direction as an organisation.

As we expand, our team needs to expand as well, and skillsets evolve quickly. We are in the fortunate position of witnessing a lot of demand, so we need to be able to grow our team quickly in order to meet that demand.

Our strategy is not only based on hiring the best talent but also on retaining the best talent.

As a company, we offer a very desirable workplace culture and exciting projects for our employees. We also have an aggressive training program designed to nurture talent and promote from within.

EXPO 2020: EXPO 2020 is a very significant event for the UAE, and we are very excited about next year when the world will descend on the Emirates and we will be able to showcase our culture, achievements and forward-thinking culture.

Injazat will be very active next year and in the run up to EXPO 2020 and we look forward to the opportunity to interact with the nation’s visitors and provide an exemplarily reflection of the UAE. www.tahawultech.com

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Veritas releases new Databerg report at GITEX 2019 Data management leader Veritas has released their new Databerg report at this year’s GITEX. Johnny Karam, Regional Vice President for Emerging Region at Veritas, explained the report is based on a survey that collected responses from more than one hundred customers across different industries.

“Thanks to the new Databerg report we learned many important facts about the state of data management and the related issues. The first one is that the migration of data into the cloud is slower than predicted. Last year this was 38 percent, and it was predicted to jump to 55 percent this year. In reality it only jumped to 44 percent. The main reason for this small adoption is the lack of visibility into the data and the lack of automated processes.

“The second thing we learned from the report concerns important and critical data – if we look at the report from last year, it showed that organisations had

We are working with our customers to help them get visibility into their data, so they can easily automate their data cleaning processes. We are also focusing on moving data from expensive primary storage to long term retention.” only 19 percent of critical data stored. The rest comprised of dark data, that is obsolete or trivial data for the organisation. When we look at the report from this year, the

3 findings from the Databerg report Cloud migration slower than expected The migration of data into the cloud in 2019 has been slower than predicted. Last year this was 38 percent, and it was predicted to jump to 55 percent this year. In reality, it only jumped to 44 percent.

Dark data is growing In 2018, organisations were shown to have only 19 percent of critical data stored. The rest comprised of dark data, that is obsolete or trivial data for the organisation. This year, the percentage of critical data dropped down to 12 percent – meaning that the dark data, the trivial and obsolete, is growing.

Nearly half of organisations still vulnerable to ransomware attacks The third thing that we noticed is that around 50 percent of the data is still stored between tape and primary storage – which means this is costing organisation a lot of money. Moreover, from a ransomware point of view, only 55 percent of organisations said they can recover from a cyberattack within 24 hours.”

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Johnny Karam, Veritas

percentage of critical data dropped down to 12 percent – meaning that the dark data, the trivial and obsolete, is growing,” Karam said.

Karam blames this drop to the lack of a strong data management strategy in organisations, as less and less companies have the processes to delete and manage data, while this grows at an exponential rate.

“The third thing that we noticed is that around 50 percent of the data is still stored between tape and primary storage – which means this is costing organisation a lot of money. Moreover, from a ransomware point of view, only 55 percent of organisations said they

can recover from a cyberattack within 24 hours.”

At this year’s event, Veritas is showcasing how organisations can get visibility into their data, as well as developing a strong data hygiene strategy thanks to process automation.

“We are working with our customers to help them get visibility into their data, so they can easily automate their data cleaning processes. We are also focusing on moving data from expensive primary storage to long term retention. Finally, we hope to show organisations how to recover very quickly in case of ransomware,” concluded Karam. @tahawultech

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“We live or die by the channel”: Lenovo Christopher Cooper, General Manager – Lenovo Data Centre Group, Middle East, Turkey & Africa, highlighted how its strategic focus on the channel is one of the company’s key market differentiators.

60 Minutes spoke to Cooper on the floor of GITEX Technology Week, which is the region’s flagship ICT event that got underway yesterday.

Cooper said that it was ultimately his responsibility to ensure that Lenovo becomes the best of the best in order to differentiate the IT leader from its market rivals.

The dynamic executive has overseen tremendous growth for Lenovo Data Centre Group since assuming his role in 2015, and said it was delivering on its message.

Cooper said, “Lenovo’s tagline and message is ‘Different is Better’ and I absolutely fundamentally humbly stand by that, as I think we’re very differentiated and that’s very important as it’s a case of disrupt or be disrupted. For us it’s about making sure we’re bringing the best of breed, best in class technologies through our routes to market because we’re 100% channel driven.”

Lenovo’s General Manager also pointed out that its complete focus on the channel was given it a market advantage over its competition and outlined how the company is placing an increased focus on educating its channels partners and more and more disruptive technologies emerge.

Cooper added, “We’re not flip flopping like some of our competitors have done. We’re sold into that vision and it’s there to stay. We rely on our routes to market, our distribution, our resellers and system integrators who are fundamental to us. In addition to this we’ve also placed a lot of emphasis on educating www.tahawultech.com

Christopher Cooper, Lenovo

For us it’s about making sure we’re bringing the best of breed, best-in-class technologies through our routes to market because we’re 100% channel driven.”

that community and ecosystem on new technologies that become available - and even new and evolving technologies before we even release them into the market, because if they’re our routes to market then we’ve got to make sure there one step ahead of the curve.”

Cooper concedes that their business model inevitably means there is a heavy dependence on the channel but again he can only see positives in this approach.

“Unlike our competition, when I say there is a heavy dependence on the channel we live or die by the channel – but what I mean by that is unlike our competitors who will hang on to every bit of GP possible and services, we actually embrace our channel in being our warranty service providers and doing implementation services and again this gives us another

key advantage.”

Cooper also highlighted how its business model was of great benefit to the overall ecosystem and discussed the main objectives for his team.

He concluded by saying, “The focus of my team is working with end-users to understand the business issues they’re facing and then bring that to the table and build a solution that is right for that customer and then sell it through the channel. The other benefit to the ecosystem is if you’re a partner we’re allowing them to win some of those service opportunities that they wouldn’t ordinarily get, so rather than going to a large global player those revenues are sitting in countries with local system integrators and local partners and I think that’s very important for the ecosystem.” @tahawultech

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“Digital disruption is the only constant”: Veeam

Claude Schuck, Veeam

Veeam Software will showcase how it aims to help regional organisations transition to the cloud and embrace digital transformation during its participation at GITEX Technology Week 2019. At the event, executives from Veeam

There is a new expectation for data in today’s enterprise: data must move to a higher state of intelligence and be able to anticipate need and meet demand.”

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will also share the firm’s vision for Cloud Data Management, delivering live demonstrations of Veeam Availability Platform.

Claude Schuck, regional manager, Middle East, Veeam, said, “As the importance of data has grown to drive every aspect of the digital business, so has the need for solutions that ensure information is available at any time, no matter where it resides. There is a new expectation for data in today’s enterprise: data must move to a higher state of intelligence and be able to anticipate need and meet demand. Data must also move securely across multi-cloud infrastructures and meet the expectations of the mobile, always-on world.”

Cloud data management and hybrid are very topical in the Middle East. Customers can finally take advantage of it by using the company to move work-loads.

Schuck highlighted that GITEX is an opportunity to turn the spotlight on the criticality of cloud data management.

“CIOs and IT managers need to understand that ensuring instant and reliable data availability requires an evolution in how it is managed from policy-driven to behaviourdriven, leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to enable data to back up autonomously, migrate to the right location based on the business need and to secure itself during anomalous activity,” he said.

Veeam has more than four and a half thousand customers in the Middle East and every single customer is equipped with something called ‘cloud connect’. This enables them to move work-loads to a public or private cloud. The company reverses that for the customers to help them maximise their investment.

The company was born in the new era of data centre in terms of virtualisation and has no legacy to protect in terms of old infrastructure. Veeam being scalable, flexible, reliable and simple to use, is able to innovate very efficiently.

Schuck states that disruption and digital disruption is the only constant. The four super powers – Cloud Mobility, Edge, AI, and IoT are driving businesses today.

Veeam will have its own dedicated stand at #C20 in Hall 7 at DWTC. www.tahawultech.com

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ADS to showcase evolving role of CCTV at GITEX 2019 ADS has just completed two years as a Hikvision national distributor in the UAE and things are going well – thanks to the “excellent” product.

“Our role is to promote the leading brand, which is pretty easy considering we have an excellent product line up – the right product, the right team, the right price,” said Faisal Kan, ADS's manager.

Hikvision describes itself as the world's leading provider of CCTV and video surveillance products and solutions. “We're lucky in the sense that other players are very weak value-wise and technologywise. The company behind us is half the size. It makes it very easy for us to gain market share,” said Kan. Illustrating how well things are going, in its first year, ADS exceeded its targets as a Hikvision national distributor by 100 percent and, in 2019, is expecting growth of at least 40 percent. ADS is “very strong” in its distribution channels, says Kan, with more than 1,500 direct-trade customers in the Emirates.

Most customers are small to medium-sized businesses, but ADS is also involved in larger projects with organisations that are household names in the UAE. “Hikvision is very strong on hardware and it's becoming very strong on software, too.

The industry will be driven by software,” said Kan.

Faisal Kan, ADS

Among the most exciting solutions Hikvision is showcasing at GITEX Technology Week is its ColorVu cameras, which are distinguished by their ability to capture colours even at night. This can make it easier to identify, for example, individuals or vehicles in CCTV footage.

Hikvision's automatic License Plate Recognition system is also capturing attention at this

year's GITEX. This solution can overcome many challenges, such as identifying license plates that have different formats because they come from varying geographies.

Hikvision emphasises that CCTV can be used well beyond what might be seen as the traditional use of the technology, namely identifying individuals for law-enforcement purposes. It may also be used, for

CCTV can be used well beyond its traditional realms, namely identifying individuals for lawenforcement purposes. It may also be used in high-end shops that are looking to identify their VIP customers so that they can be offered tailored products or services.” www.tahawultech.com

example, in high-end shops that are looking to identify their VIP customers so that they can be offered tailored products or services.

Other CCTV uses that Hikvision is keen to promote include applications in the oil and gas industry and in environmental monitoring, something that the company says can prove valuable in protecting ecosystems.

“We also have a range of thermal cameras we're very excited about,” says Kan, explaining that detecting temperature anomalies can be especially useful to identify – and act upon – faults in the operation of electrical substations. Just as the scope of the technology is expansing, so the cameras themselves are becoming smarter, processing the data themselves and only transferring what it useful to a central server.

Indeed, Kan says there will be an ever-increasing use of artificial intelligence in CCTV, and greater storage in the cloud. @tahawultech

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Bitdefender shares vision to bolster enterprise business

Rafik Hajem, Bitdefender

Global cybersecurity firm Bitdefender is highlighting how its network security offerings can enable today’s organisations to stay resilient.

Established in 2001, the company offers a wide array of security products and solutions including Endpoint Protection Platforms (EPP), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Advanced Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), Network Traffic Analytics (NTA), sandboxing, as well as training and knowledge transfer

services.

Predominantly known in the consumer cybersecurity space, the company is increasingly raising the profile of its enterprise portfolio.

“Bitdefender technologies are embedded in over 38 percent of the world’s security solutions,” said Rafik Hajem, senior director, Central Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Bitdefender.

“Over the past few years, the

Bitdefender technologies are embedded in over 38 percent of the world’s security solutions.”

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company has seen tremendous business success with over 500 million systems using Bitdefender technology in more than 150 countries through OEM licences,” he added.

“Many of the biggest global IT vendors such as Fortinet, Cisco and Forcepoint, have Bitdefender technologies embedded into their products and solutions, which is a testament to the quality of our solutions.”

While this reflects a massive achievement for the company, Hajem noted that the Bitdefender is now shifting its focus to raising its own brand as an enterprise security solutions provider.

“Our aim this year is to raise awareness about our capabilities in the enterprise space. We will be focusing on a multitude of industry verticals starting from government, banking and finance, oil and

gas and so on. We also aim to bolster our collaboration with telcos and managed service providers (MSP),” said Hajem.

According to Hajem, another objective for the firm is to increase its investments by onboarding more expertise, adding resources, launching marketing initiatives and developing new technologies from now until 2020.

“The Middle East market is going to play a key role in this objective, we believe that the region is one of the very important growth markets for us,” said Hajem. “There is a huge market for IT investments and innovations in this region and as we know with growth comes risks as well. Therefore, we believe that Bitdefender will be instrumental in helping regional enterprises stay secure.”

At GITEX Technology Week, Bitdefender is showcasing how its Network Traffic Security Analytics (NTSA) utilises network traffic to provide an effective threat and breach detection solution, improving the security posture of IoT infrastructures.

The company is also demonstrating how the Bitdefender GravityZone can offer organisations an end-to-end breach avoidance platform across endpoint, network and cloud, enabling them to protect both IoT and IT infrastructures by yielding complete visibility on securityrelevant events across both environments, and providing the tools to respond proactively, before an attacker can establish a presence in the infrastructure.

Visit Bitdefender at Sheikh Rashid Hall, stand E2. www.tahawultech.com

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Mindware flaunts new solutions unit and end to end VDI bundle Value-added distributor Mindware will highlight the launch of a new ‘Solutions Unit’ comprising of pre-sales and ser vices teams focusing on infrastructure, security and cloud solutions at GITE X 2019.

The company will also unveil an end-to-end desktop and application vir tualization infrastructure solution, that resellers can of fer their customers, that the company claims is flexible, reliable, scalable and easy to deploy.

Mostafa Kabel, Solutions Unit Manager at Mindware said, “Technological mix and complexity in the everchanging IT landscape require successful implementation of IT solutions which are critical to customer business success.

Mindware helps its par tners achieve this with its newly formed Solutions team, which includes a pool of exceptional technical subject-matter exper ts capable of addressing technolog y concerns, simplif ying technolog y and

deploying it ef ficiently in complex IT infrastructures, cyber security and cloud environments.”

The collective experience of the Solutions team covers all areas of IT such as strategic consulting, designing, planning, deploying, implementing and technical trainings.

The Pre-sales Unit will comprise of technical engineers with the highest levels of training and cer tification in relevant vendor technologies. There will be two separate teams – one focused on datacenter and infrastructure solutions, and the other on security.

The Solutions Unit will focus on three areas – professional ser vices, cloud ser vices and training.

GITE X is also the launchpad for Mindware’s new Vir tual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) bundle – an end-to-end solution stack comprising best of breed technologies including

Mostafa Kabel, Mindware

Technological mix and complexity in the ever-changing IT landscape require successful implementation of IT solutions which are critical to customer business success. Mindware helps its partners achieve this with its newly formed Solutions team, which includes a pool of exceptional technical subject-matter experts.” www.tahawultech.com

infrastructure-ser vers by Dell Technologies, security by RSA, vir tualization sof tware by Citrix and a choice of Wyse and OptiPlex client endpoints.

The solution stack has been fully optimized and validated for interoperability and of fers customers cost savings of up to 39% as compared to traditional solutions. Mindware’s ser vices bundle includes consulting, deployment, suppor t & management and training.

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STAND TO WATCH

2CRSi H8-C32

Avaya ZH-C20

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STAND TO WATCH

Ivanti H5-A11

Business France H4-E30-F30

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Ogloba on “reinventing” digital payment methods in the Middle East Ogloba is a processor of nonbanking transactions – and the company is poised to take advantage of the major changes ahead for this type of activity.

The company has been active in the region for well over a decade, and coordinates its Middle East operations from Dubai.

Much of its current business centres on mobile top-ups, which might involve, at the smallest end of the scale, an end-user in Saudi Arabia visiting a “mom-and-pop” store for a top-up.

Ogloba also deals with operations at the other end of the scale in terms of size, and numbers well-known organisations such as Du and the Majid Al Futtaim Retail – Carrefour operation as clients.

The pre-paid market in the Middle East is, says Arnaud de Harenne, Ogloba Middle East's general manager, worth about $8 billion annually. Indeed, in the region's largest market, Saudi Arabia, top-ups still account for 80 percent of mobile phone turnover.

However, in some other markets, such as Europe, prepaid now has a market share of only about five to 15 percent, depending upon the country, and there is a general trend to postpaid at the expense of prepaid.

Arnaud de Harenne, Ogloba

As a result, payment methods are being “reinvented” with a move towards digital wallets that can be used to top up a mobile phone, but that can also be used to pay for other goods. They could, for example, be used to buy music on iTunes or – one of their most important potential uses – to purchase discounted shopping cards at major retailers.

“That's the second part of the business – to issue the shopping

card. We do that for the large retailers in the region,” said De Harenne. Until now, the gift cards business has primarily been a B2B (business-to-business) market in which loyalty programme managers for, say, food-andbeverage [F&B] companies, would buy cards in bulk and offer them to their members. The move to digital wallets has opened up new opportunities for companies such as Ogloba.

Ogloba has experienced massive growth with its shopping card initiatives in countries including China, Thailand and Indonesia. These kinds of programmes have been plugged to the loyalty programmes of large employers, F&B companies and digital wallets.”

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“We're adding a 'C' [consumer] component to the B2B. The B2B becomes B2B2C. You have to be a member to access these cards,” said De Harenne.

He says that Ogloba has experienced “massive growth” with such programmes in Asian countries including China, Thailand and Indonesia. “These kinds of programmes have been plugged to the loyalty programmes of large employers, F&B companies and digital wallets,” said De Harenne.

Ogloba is now starting its first programme with two large employers in the UAE and is also involved in an initiative with STC Pay, the digital secure wallet of the Saudi Arabian telecommunications operator STC. “Shopping cards are moving to digital so there will be an increase in volume,” said De Harenne, who added that they could be used by large employers to reward staff members, or by companies that want to reward agents. www.tahawultech.com

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Abu Dhabi Digital Authority accelerates digital agenda with new data management platform

Abdulla Al Kendi, ADDA

The Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA) has unveiled its new Abu Dhabi Data Management Program (DMP), a data-centric open data platform and open data sharing ecosystem, during its participation at the 39th edition of GITEX Technology Week.

The Data Management Platform, which falls within the Open Data initiative under Abu Dhabi’s Development Accelerator programme, the platform called Ghadan 21, is envisioned to help unlock the high value potential of government entities’ rich and dynamic data sets-bringing the UAE capital’s digitisation agenda into full realisation.

Ghadan 21 is designed to fulfil the government’s vision of a diversified knowledge based economy making Abu Dhabi one of the best places in the world to do business, invest, live, work and visit.

Dr Rauda Al-Saadi, Director General, ADDA, said, “We are proud to announce the ADD’s new Data Management Platform, which reflects the robust roadmap that we have created to help implement our Abu Dhabi Data Strategy. The roll out of the DMP initiative will fully enable the effective and efficient delivery of future government services, which in turn, will serve as a precedent for excellence from government entities wanting to

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build a better quality of life for Abu Dhabi citizens, residents, visitors, and investors.

“To fulfil the future-facing mandate, ADDA is responsible for building a common data strategy, policies, and governance model for the Abu Dhabi government. The Program is aimed at driving the Abu Dhabi government digitisation agenda, strategically advancing the economic development and the information economy in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and refreshing Abu Dhabi Data Management Strategy,” he added.

Al Saadi expressed ADDA’s continued commitment towards achieving its mandate, stating that the emirate’s digital transformation efforts combined with the need to achieve economic growth and development is an essential component in the move to attain social and economic prosperity in the long term.

Bringing Abu Dhabi’s data vision to life ADDA continues to work in close coordination and cooperation with other Abu Dhabi government entities (ADGEs)--leading in the efforts to enable, support and deliver a smart digital government that is proactive, personalised, collaborative, and secure. In fact, its newly launched DMP initiative will allow ADGEs to work together in a seamless data sharing environment; enable Data Federation and Data Sovereignty as

the basic guiding principles of Data Sharing; and enable high quality of Data and Shareable Data Sets from all ADGEs. The move enables a slew of technology driven initiatives for adoption in Abu Dhabi to foster new data capabilities.

Unlocking data’s full potential With the initial phase of the platform scheduled to be functional by the end of 2019, DarkMatter Group has been awarded the program to facilitate ADDA’s objectives.

“As a digital-first organisation operating within the innovative environs of Abu Dhabi’s enterprise and government sectors, DarkMatter Group’s success and growth is testament to the Emirate’s visionary outlook and ambitious objectives,” said Karim Sabbagh, chief executive officer, DarkMatter Group.

“Therefore we are proud to facilitate the grand vision for digitising Abu Dhabi’s government entities to unlock the next chapter for predictive decision-making and effective value-creation in the digital transformation journey ahead. Data is indeed the new oil of the knowledge-based economy, which is why DarkMatter Group will continue to evolve and implement this vision to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s future and enable the proliferation of a dynamic data sharing ecosystem in the UAE capital.”

Abdulla Al Kendi, Executive Director - Technology and Policies,

We are proud to facilitate the grand vision for digitising Abu Dhabi’s government entities to unlock the next chapter for predictive decision-making and effective value-creation in the digital transformation journey ahead.”

ADDA, also highlighted that the new DMP is aimed at unlocking the full potential of ADGEs vast data pool resources, which is focused on brining in the full implementation of five highimpact use cases by (Date). “This initiative reflects ADDA’s efforts to increase awareness about the key fundamentals of data management and help accelerate the maturity of data management practices in the Abu Dhabi government.

“The success of this program is expected to help provide strategic foresight for ADGEs, which will play a key role in their efforts to build new capabilities and capacities for advanced analytics and a robust decision support system.

The key results to be gained from DMP will lead to the creation of an open data ecosystem with data sharing capabilities to support new services, improve existing services, and drive the development of technology startups,” said Al Kendi.

The road ahead Al Kendi explained that the DMP is a centralised data platform that is expected to generate five times worth of returns as compared to its initial investment, thus enabling the Abu Dhabi government to seamlessly connect private sector enterprises and startups to gain valuable data from government operations. The program is set to demonstrate value realisation from government data assets with a high financial impact.

“Utilising the DMP as a platform for high quality data and shareable data sets from all government entities will bring about technology-driven initiatives for adoption in the UAE capital to foster data capabilities and drive the economy’s sectors to form a collaborative working data relationship--ultimately resulting in a fully enhanced and evidencebased decision making process,” said Al Kendi. www.tahawultech.com

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‘’Seize this opportunity to transform the market’’: Wizaplace Are you launching/announcing any new products and services at this year’s GITEX? We have two major announcements, first is our fundraising, where we raised EUR 13 million to become the leader of B2B marketplaces creation. Now, we would also like expand our solution abroad.

We would like to expand our solution abroad. Second, is our SaaS marketplace solution, which covers all business uses, not only ecommerce. Wizaplace offers an easy-to-use, complete and strong solution for any type of marketplace: e-procurement platforms, franchise network marketplaces as well as B2B circular economy marketplaces.

Why is GITEX such an important platform for your company to connect with the Middle East’s technology industry?

This is the first time we are participating in a show in the Middle East. GITEX is a great

Investing in research and development to strengthen our SaaS solution is our priority.

Thanks to our recent fundraising, we will extend the functional scope of our technology to make it even more powerful.’’

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Eric Alessandri, Wizaplace

opportunity to expand our business and present our saas plateform to a new market. It’s the biggest tech show in the area, so as a saas publisher we have to be here!

What do you think are the biggest trends that will transform the market you’re operating in?

By 2022, 67 percent of e-commerce sales in the world will be made on marketplaces. Furthermore, in the same year, 75 percent of indirect purchases will be transacted on marketplaces as well. A marketplace revolution is underway.

Companies shouldn’t miss out and have to seize the opportunity to transform their market!

How are you innovating to ensure that your offerings are future-proof?

Investing in research and development to strengthen our SaaS solution is our priority.

Thanks to our recent fundraising, we will extend the functional scope of our technology to make it even more powerful. By mid-2020, the technical team will be doubled!

Find them at Stand H4-E36 (Business France’s pavilion).

ADDED to enhance consumer protection with newly-launched smart initiatives The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) is throwing the spotlight on three of its homegrown initiatives - the ‘Consumer Digital Platform,’ ‘Price Monitor,’ and the ‘Digital Complaints Channel’ - during its participation at the 39th edition of GITEX Technology Week.

The three offered services have been developed and implemented to help ensure consumer protection and enhance better communication ties with the public, private sector companies and points of sale in Abu Dhabi.

H.E. Rashed Abdul Kareem Al Balooshi, Undersecretary, ADDED, said, “This year’s GITEX theme, ‘Synergizing the mind and technology economy,’ proves to be both timely and strategic as it complements our aim of consolidating efforts in the move to achieve digital transformation, particularly in the online products and services we offer to the public.”

He explained that the three initiatives being showcased at this year’s show rely on harnessing modern technology to further enhance consumer protection, strengthen Abu Dhabi’s business sector and offer leading smart services, which altogether help in achieving high levels of consumer happiness and customer satisfaction.

ADDED has also revealed that it has received considerable results for its ‘Consumer Digital Platform’ since its soft launch. In fact, the

number of complaints received have totaled to 147 since the implementation of the initiative’s trial stage during the second quarter of this year. The complaints, which have already been addressed, covered various vital sectors in the emirate like retail, automotive parts, electronics and mobile phones.

According to ADDED, the initiative has also driven a reduction in the procedure process - from seven to three easy steps, wherein the time required to address the complaint has also dropped down to two days as compared to the earlier process time of five days. The services have also helped raise awareness about ADDED’s functions, laws and legislations concerning consumer protection, including efforts to boost the quality and enhance the role of the department as a supervisory body in consumer protection.

H.E. Al Balooshi pointed out that the new offered services reflects ADDED’s move to create smart digital platforms aimed at reinforcing communication ties with its customers. The move also allows for easier access to ADDED, which represents a forward step in the emirate’s government service segment, including the efforts to create an integrated digital society based on knowledge, innovation and creativity.

ADDED is one of the 32 government entities featured in the Abu Dhabi Government Pavilion, which is headed by the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA).

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A multi-layered approach to cybersecurity ESET Middle East offers offers human expertise as well as highly sophisticated cybersecurity software. Dimitris Raekos, the company’s Middle East general manager, describes how the company’s solutions deal with the evolving threat landscape.

Give us a brief overview of your company.

ESET is the number one cybersecurity company in the European Union. It has been operating for more than 30 years and has 13 research and development centres.

ESET takes a multi-layered approach with its software, which includes machine learning technology and has an incredibly low number of false positives. It also offers human expertise on top of the technology.

As the number of cyberattacks carries on increasing, ESET solutions continue to be lightweight but powerful.

ESET Middle East has operated for the past 15 years and has a head office in Dubai Internet City. The regional team focuses on sales, marketing and technical support activities.

The cloud ecosystem in the Middle East is changing rapidly, with many hyperscalers opening data

Dimitris Raekos, general manager, ESET Middle East

centres in the region. What is your organisation’s approach to cloud security?

Cloud is not something new and has made things simpler for small and medium-sized businesses and enterprises,

Any organisation, before migrating to cloud fully or partially, needs to consider the benefits of it and any complications that it might bring, especially in relation to current and future regulations.”

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but it has also prompted many discussions.

No system is perfectly secure and this applies to the cloud too, as there is no magic behind it.

Some companies will improve security upon migrating to the cloud, while some others might become complacent, thinking that they do not have cybersecurity responsibilities.

Any organisation, before migrating to the cloud fully or partially, needs to consider the benefits of it and any complications that it might bring, especially in relation to current and future regulations.

Companies should also evaluate the service provider and read the terms and

conditions. Furthermore, access to cloud resources needs to be addressed and data should be encrypted.

Last, but very important, backup needs to be tested even if it is offered by the provider.

ESET offers its solutions for management and protection via extensions and VMs via all the well-known cloud providers entering the Middle East.

What are the biggest trends that will transform the market you’re operating in?

There are many trends out there, but if we would like to avoid buzz words and exclude terms like AI, blockchain and others, we can point to the following three. @tahawultech

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Data protection will be a major issue for small and large companies, either because they have been forced to consider it by regulations, or because they have suffered data breaches.

Cloud service providers with data centers in the Middle East will create the next wave of migrations to the cloud as decision makers will feel more

secure making the migration.

Faster networks like 5G will bring benefits, but also will increase the number of IoT devices and consequently the risks related to them for both individuals and companies.

Are you launching any new products or services at this year’s GITEX?

This year we are officially introducing ESET Enterprise Inspector. This is primarily targeted at customers who need to increase their ability to detect and respond to incidents in their network, and to fight with advanced attacks and advanced persistent threats that try to evade detection by the endpoint security solution.”

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Last year we did a soft launch of our endpoint detection and response (EDR) solution as it was mainly available in certain EU countries.

This year we are officially introducing ESET Enterprise Inspector. This is primarily targeted at customers who need to increase their ability to detect and respond to incidents in their network, and to fight with advanced attacks and advanced persistent threats that try to evade detection by the endpoint security solution.

In addition, we are introducing new management consoles for cloud and on-premise management that, among much else, will include a full disk encryption option.

Can you highlight any major regional customers that you have on-boarded over the last 12 months? How are they using your technologies and services to protect their business security?

ESET’s research and

development has highlighted a lot of advanced persistent threat (APT) and cyber-espionage groups and has produced a lot of articles and whitepapers related to their activities, which impact on organisations in the Middle East.

A few months ago a crucial enterprise organisation in the Middle East that cannot be disclosed replaced its existing solution with ESET’s endpoint and mail server protection.

During installation our software detected suspicious activity in the network and within a few hours we had been informed by one of our research and development offices that the network had been compromised for a long period by a cyber-espionage group that was intercepting all email communication and even had remote access to all the endpoints.

ESET Dynamic Threat Defense, which is a cloud sandbox powered by machine learning algorithms, could have prevented or limited this attack in a timely manner. Also, an EDR solution such as ESET Enterprise Inspector could have alerted the responsible people and provided the ability to trace the source of infection and to deal with it.

Many times, companies neglect, or do not have the budget, to take appropriate measures and this can cause major financial and political problems.

It is very important to mention that whatever technologies are in place, human expertise is paramount and this is what ESET offers apart from its security products. www.tahawultech.com

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“We are looking for distributors in Middle East and Africa”: Athesi French manufacturer of Rugged Smartphone and Tablet Athesi is launching their new 5.5-inch Rugged Smartphone Athesi RT55 at the GITEX Technology Week 2019.

Making its first ever participation at GITEX, the company is exhibiting its latest products and solutions at the French Pavilion in Hall 4.

Athesi is an independent French company with equity, composed of a team of experts active in the market of automatic identification and professional mobility since 1990. It focuses on developing solutions around professional mobility. The main mission of Athesi

We now have products that are able to integrate all biometric sensors to secure small mobile devices and manage all security controls in real time.”

is to design, import and distribute a very comprehensive range of related hardware and services in order to increase the efficiency and productivity of your business.

Rocco Spano, CEO, Athesi, said, «In the security field, we now have products that are able to integrate all biometric sensors to be able to secure small mobile devices and manage all security controls in real time. We are giving our distributors real innovative products with specific features to give them opportunities to implement unique solutions with high value add.

We strongly believe the system

integrators’ value add is the key to develop a successful channel network for our products.”

Visitors can find Athesi at their stand in Hall 4, F37.

a new tech-based project, as well as raising awareness about its current and digital projects related to Abu Dhabi’s energy sector. At the forefront of these is the Abu Dhabi Integrated Energy Model ‘Energy Cube,’ which captures the most up-to-date energy-related information from more than 10 sector stakeholder and leverages the data to understand the current

energy sector scenario in Abu Dhabi and project its demands for the next 10-30 years.

DoE is aiming to use its platform at GITEX 2019 to identify and learn about new innovative technologies and tools related to energy, which are being presented at the exhibition by private and public sectors institutions from around the world.

Rocco Spano, Athesi

Department of Energy to spotlight Abu Dhabi datacapture solution Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) is participating at GITEX 2019 within the Abu Dhabi Government Platform, which aims to showcase the recent innovative projects,

initiatives and smart applications that help enhancing the well-being of Abu Dhabi community.

During its participation at GITEX 2018, DoE is announcing

The ‘Energy Cube’ captures the most up-to-date energy-related information and leverages the data to understand the current energy sector scenario in Abu Dhabi and project its demands for the next 10-30 years.”

GovTech Founder, CPIMEDIA GROUP Dominic De Sousa (1959-2015), Publishing Director Natasha Pendleton, Group Sales Director Kausar Syed, Business Development Manager Youssef Hariz, Senior Sales Manager Sabita Miranda, Deputy Editor Sharon Saldanha, Editor Mark Forker, Deputy Editor Giorgia Guantario, Online Editor Adelle Geronimo, Design Manager Froilan Cosgafa, Senior Designer Analou Balbero, Designer Marlou Delaben, Operations Manager Cherylann D’Abreo, Web Developer Jefferson de Joya, Abbas Madh, Photographers Charls Thomas, Maksym Poriechkin

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Anker MEA to display its latest innovations at GITEX 2019 Anker Innovations’ will be showcasing their diverse range of new products at GITEX 2019 in Sheikh Maktoum Hall at Booth SM B1.

Faraz Mehdi, Regional Sales Head at Anker Innovations MEA said, “We are delighted to be at this year’s GITEX with a strong representation from our core brands and our team will be introducing the latest products in chargers, cables, audio, smart home entertainment, smart home appliances, security cameras.”

To meet the growing demand in charging and smart home products and solutions, the brand caters to the needs of discerning consumers in search of fast charging solutions,

Our team will be introducing the latest products in chargers, cables, audio, smart home entertainment, smart home appliances, security cameras.” innovative products and appliances as well as a range of portable entertainment products and technologies.

Anker’s stand is also

showcasing chargers and cables, Soundcore features audio products, Eufy for smart home appliances and security products, Nebula for home entertainment and ROAV has smart car accessories.

Anker experts will be on hand

throughout the week at GITEX and will outline how the dynamic approach of the brand is meeting end users’ expectations.

You can visit Anker Innovations at their stand which is located in Sheikh Maktoum Hall at Booth SM B1.

Hiperdist set to demonstrate its technological capabilities at GITEX 2019 Regional value-added distributor Hiperdist will be highlighting its key focus areas – which are Cloud and Security at GITEX 2019.

In addition to this, the company will also be keeping an eye on all the emerging trends within the ecosystem of digital transformation that will be discussed during GITEX 2019.

Hiperdist will be conducting training sessions, workshops and demos for all attendees, whilst giving them the opportunity to test their knowledge and get certified on the stand itself. Additionally, the

organisation provides an opportunity for resellers and vendors to schedule one-on-one meetings during the event.

Speaking about this initiative, Santosh Sansare, General Manager, Hiperdist said, “As a growing distributor, our key focus is on solutions of the future that are based on these major technologies.

Keeping this in mind, we have invested in developing capabilities from a long-term perspective. We plan to showcase our readiness via GITEX, and to establish our enduring approach to this region and the

As a growing distributor, our key focus is on solutions of the future that are based on these major technologies.” www.tahawultech.com

Dr. Antoine Kareh, CIS Group and Santosh Sansare, Hiperdist

channel.”

Dr. Antoine Kareh, General Manager, CIS Group also expanded on the long-term vision of the organisation by saying, “We have over 40 years of experience in the MEA region, and a long legacy of success in the African sub-continent.

This is due to our relentless focus on empowering our partners with the

right tools suitable to the market.

Our long-term vision is to share our expertise with our partner base and allow them to leverage our deep reach in the African countries. At GITEX, this is the commitment we want to emphasise.”

You can visit Hiperdist at their stand which is located at F-1 in Hall H-3. @tahawultech

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GITEX 2019 HIGHLIGHTS

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STAND TO WATCH

Dell Technologies H6-D1

FORTINET H7-D1

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STAND TO WATCH

HikVision H4-B10

HPE H7-A1

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STC touts 10 innovative digital projects

by Saudi entrepreneurs

Mohammad bin Rashid Abalkhail, STC

STC is unveiling ten innovative digital platform projects created by young Saudi men and women during its participation in GITEX 2019 in Dubai.

The top ten projects have won STC’s support through its InspireU incubator in the field of digital payments, technology, economics, education, health and sports, including Solfa project, which is an electronic platform for lending small amounts up to five thousand Saudi Riyals within just 15 minutes.

Mohammad bin Rashid Abalkhail, Director General of Corporate Communications, STC pointed out that this year’s exhibition showcases future digital services and solutions that enrich the lives of individuals and institutions.

He indicated that STC is not just a telecommunications company but a digital enabler and key player in the digital transformation in the

Kingdom according to its Vision 2030. He stated that STC, through Saudi entrepreneurs and women entrepreneurs, will tell innovative success stories achieved through the support, training and relationship building provided to them by STC through the InspireU incubator.

Abalkhail indicated that STC participation will also feature signing several agreements with major international companies.

Through its strategy, STC is primarily focused on the growth of services, platforms and digital infrastructure, taking into account realising a greater value than its current assets of its employees, brand, customer base, technical assets and business partners to

ensure that sufficient resources are available to invest in future opportunities.

STC, through Saudi entrepreneurs, will tell innovative success stories achieved through the support, training and relationship building, provided to them by STC through the InspireU incubator.”

“Innovation is one of our engines”: Systancia

Jonathan Fussner, Systancia

Systancia is launching a new version of Systancia Cleanroom - a secure and disposable virtual desktop for the administration of all your resources, on premise or in the cloud, during its participation at GITEX Technology Week.

The firm is looking forward to interacting with other companies about their cybersecurity and digital transformation projects.

Jonathan Fussner, Director, www.tahawultech.com

Channel & International Development, said, “With the growing security threat, regulatory bodies will issue increasingly stringent and demanding policies, that can impact business operations.

At stake here, the need for operational solutions which meet the highest levels of security. Innovation and advanced technologies, such as AI and RPA will transform our market. These technologies render possible capabilities which were not accessible to people or traditional computing.

“Innovation is one of our engines. Technological innovation drives our product innovation, such as AI and RPA. They enable, for example, ‘continuous authentication’ (make sure the person behind the screen is still the one who

With the growing security threat, regulatory bodies will issue increasingly stringent and demanding policies, that can impact business operations. At stake here, the need for operational solutions which meet the highest levels of security.”

is expected), or to administer all possible resources without the need to develop a connector for each of them. On the other hand, the cloud as an infrastructure, as a business

model, and as a hybrid architecture, paves the way for innovations, allowing to cater for specific business use cases instead of the use of point products,” he added. @tahawultech

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Creating a security fabric for the Gulf Businesses large and small in the Middle East face growing cybersecurity threats. Alain Penel, regional vice president at Fortinet, describes how organisations in this region are staying safe thanks to the Fortinet Security Fabric.

DATA SECURITY IS ONE OF THE MAJORS CONCERNS FOR COMPANIES. HOW CAN YOUR ORGANISATION’S HELP COMPANIES HAVE A ROBUST CYBERSECURITY STRATEGY? An integrated security framework allows all security components to see other devices, shares and correlates information between them, and facilitates a coordinated threat response. It needs to be woven into and across every aspect of the evolving network to enable things like unified policy creation, centralised orchestration and consistent enforcement.

This approach allows organisations to extend visibility deep into their infrastructure to see every device, track every application and workflow and more importantly, see and secure all data.

It also supports an organisation’s efforts to demonstrate compliance with data privacy and protection requirements.

The Fortinet Security Fabric is the vision and architecture to achieve these objectives.

A RECENT STUDY BY IDC FORECASTS THAT BETWEEN 2018 AND 2022, IT-RELATED SPENDING ON DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WILL REACH $7.5 TRILLION. HOW WILL ORGANISATIONS ADAPT TO THESE CHANGES? Digital technologies are fundamentally transforming economic and business processes in every corner of the global economy. www.tahawultech.com

Alain Penel, regional vice-president, Fortinet

To define digital transformation in economic terms, it means the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, resulting in fundamental changes to how businesses operate and how they deliver value to customers.

While businesses have employed computing technology since the early 1950s, the role of technology has changed from supporting business processes (accounting,

data processing, communications, product design and the like) to becoming an essential element of a business’s strategy and customer value proposition.

Businesses in industry segments such as financial services, industrial products, automotive, oil and gas, transportation, food and medical services now understand that unless they can enrich their revenue-generation processes with digital technology value, they

risk not just falling behind more digitally savvy competitors, but also becoming irrelevant to the marketplace as a whole.

CAN YOU GIVE US EXAMPLES OF HOW YOUR ORGANISATION’S TECHNOLOGIES OR SERVICES ARE ENABLING INNOVATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST? Organisations from across multiple verticals rely on the @tahawultech

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The Fortinet Security Fabric offers broad visibility, it stops advanced threats through its integrated AI-driven breach prevention, and it reduces complexity through automated operations and orchestration.” solutions that make up the Fortinet Security Fabric to reduce and manage the attack surface.

The Fortinet Security Fabric offers broad visibility, stops advanced threats through its integrated AI-driven breach prevention, and reduces complexity through automated operations and orchestration.

Abu Dhabi Municipality, for example, has deployed Fortinet’s NGFW to secure its network at the headquarters and 45 branch operations.

Oman Data Park is another customer who has deployed Fortinet secure SD-WAN to enhance its managed security service offering to customers.

The leading telecommunications provider du has also deployed Fortinet Security Fabric solutions as the foundation of its Cloud Unified Threat Management

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(UTM) managed security services, designed for enterprise broadband premium and professional customers, as well as small and medium-sized organisations.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO ORGANISATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST FACE WHEN IT COMES TO SECURITY? Organisations in the region are dealing with a number of challenges. The attack surface is getting wider and wider due to new technologies that are available every day, while chief information security officers (CISOs) are managing escalating threats with limited resources and are, additionally, facing skills shortages.

Fortinet helps organisations address these challenges with the

Fortinet Security Fabric, while we strive to close the skills gap from a grassroots level with the Fortinet Network Security Academy programme, which provides industry-recognised training and certification to students around the world, and with the Fortinet Network Security Expert (NSE) certification programme. This programme is composed of eight levels, and offers courses, exams and hands-on practical sessions to technical professionals looking to grow their business with the advanced security skills they need to stay a step ahead of resourceful cyber criminals.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE AT GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK 2019?

GITEX allows us to connect with

existing and new customers and partners, while showcasing our industry-leading solutions to a wider audience.

Over the years, GITEX has evolved into a global event for companies present in the region, and we look forward to being a stage for innovative technologies across the IT spectrum.

We are participating this year to highlight the importance of securing edge networks and to showcase our secure SD-WAN, SD-Branch, operational technology (OT) and cloud security solutions.

We will emphasise how the Fortinet Security Fabric delivers broad, integrated, and automated protection across an organisation’s entire digital attack surface from IoT to the edge, network core and multi-clouds. www.tahawultech.com

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