TECHx Review Magazine - GITEX Edition 2021 (English) by TECHx Media

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October 2021

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Dear Readers, Expert Insights for Your Business – We bring you the GITEX 2021 edition of TECHx Review Business Magazine, with top views of tech leaders from the Middle East region. This issue will give you insights on the Technology of Future Industries and will get you closer to the brands working relentlessly to strengthen the tech infrastructure of small and large businesses & enterprises. At TECHx, we strive hard to be not the best but the most effective medium of tech advocacy for the ICT ecosystem. In March 2020, we started with a team of 3, with a vision to create one of the most interactive media platforms for the tech community and serve them in their outreach and expansion plans. The last couple of years have challenged each one of us personally and professionally and after 1.5 years of putting our plans into action, we can proudly say that we are on the right track. The year 2022 has been year of many firsts for us – from the launch of our dedicated Arabic news portal to expansion in the Africa region via Egypt was super exciting. In another initiative, we launched ‘TECHx MOOC” – an online learning platform offering exciting virtual courses for individuals and corporates. Another milestone for us was the recent launch of TECHx Call Center to service customers and partners from across MEA region in enhancing their marketing efforts. Many more exciting things are coming soon @ TECHx in the coming months and we urge you to stay tuned and move along with us. Christopher David Director – Business & Media Relations

Con SECURING A ‘WORK FROM ANYWHERE’ WORLD - P-16

SIMPLIFYING DIGITAL JOURNEYS - P-18

GO FOR DATA-CENTRIC SECURITY - P-37

LEVERAGING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS - P-34

THE ‘X’ FACTOR - P-47

Published by: Interdev FZE LLC (TECHx Media) Address: 413, IT Plaza, Dubai Silicon Oasis Tel: 04 344 9939 | www.techxmedia.com General: info@techxmedia.com Editorial: editor@techxmedia.com Media relations & Advertising: chris@techxmedia.com

October 2021

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ntent Welcome to the new edition of TECHx Review! Fall in the UAE has already begun with new beginnings and great expectations, like Expo 2020 and Gitex Technology Week, leading to the refreshing change we've been looking forward to. Following a challenging year in 2020, TECHx's 2021 turned out to be a year of achievements. We launched various projects including TECHx Arabic, TECHx Call Center, and TECHx MOOC. In addition, we expanded into the African market with the establishment of a new office in Cairo, Egypt. With a dedicated team, we reached numerous milestones one after the other, and we are proud to say that we are currently among the region's fastest-growing media houses. You are now holding the third edition of TECHx Review, which has come a long way since its inception last year. The beauty of TECHx Review is how many industry leaders have come together on one platform to express their perspectives through interviews and expert opinion pieces. This issue covers many aspects of the technology sector, including cybersecurity, digital transformation, storage, gaming, and so on. Let's dive into it and enjoy reading! Rabab Zehra Executive Editor

Dear Readers, Remembering a Pentium I My first visit to Gitex was 22 years ago. I was working with Emirates News in Abu Dhabi. It was a day’s visit to Dubai and Gitex. When I went back in the evening, I had with me my first desktop computer with a Pentium I processor. The ‘system’ used to take some minutes to ‘boot’. My cousins and flat-mates waited impatiently in front of the monitor to read messages in different chat rooms. Once in a while an email landed in my inbox. Years have rolled on in a blur. The country has changed overnight. Technology has disrupted almost every gadget we used, shrunk the world and changed the concept of time. When a little virus drove us back into our houses and locked down the world, it was communication technology that kept us connected, helped us run our businesses, and manage our classrooms. It is technology, in its manifold forms, that runs the world. We are growing fast, transcending borders. TECHx Africa will be launched next month at ICT Cairo. We hope to reach and cater to our growing audience through a multimedia platform—bringing to them news about the who’s who is technology industry, and tell some stories of inspiration and innovation. Stay safe!

CEO: Director Business & Media Relations: Group Editor: Executive Editor: Chief Program Director: Regional Director Africa:

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TP Sharafudheen Christopher David Sabin Iqbal Rabab Zehra Shadi Dawi Ashraf Gaber

Sabin Iqbal Group Editor

About: TECHx is an exclusive media and publishing platform for technology affairs, facilitating the promotion of new technological innovations, product launches, and advocacy of exclusive market insights on technology and various other domains interdependent to technology.

October 2021

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KODAK ALARIS WINS BLI PACESETTER AWARD IN DISTRIBUTED CAPTURE FROM KEYPOINT INTELLIGENCE

eypoint Intelligence announced that Kodak Alaris has won the Buyers Lab (BLI) 2021-2022 PaceSetter Award in Distributed Capture. Based on research conducted in the North American market, this accolade recognizes the OEM with the leading distributed capture technology portfolio, including singlefunction scanners, capture software, and professional services offerings. For this study, Keypoint Intelligence invited all leading document imaging OEMs to complete an exhaustive questionnaire detailing their industry vision, strategy, product portfolio, professional services offerings, and value proposition as it relates to distributed capture technology. After gathering this data, Keypoint Intelligence analysts used a proprietary rating scale to determine the BLI PaceSetter Award winner. Kodak Alaris makes it easy for businesses to unlock pertinent business information trapped in paper documents and send it where it’s needed next—all in an instant, from anywhere on the globe. Kodak Alaris combines an outstanding lineup of document scanners with workflow automation, distributed capture,

October 2021

and remote monitoring and management solutions to help businesses get the most out of their digital transformation investments. “We are very impressed with Kodak Alaris’s distributed capture technology portfolio,” said Lee Davis, Associate Director of Software/Scanners. “The entire breadth of the company’s hardware is best characterized by its ease of use, media-handling capabilities, and image quality—a perfect fit in shared scanning environments. Meanwhile, Kodak Alaris’ Info Input Solution and INfuse Smart Connected Scanning Solution equip organizations with powerful OCR, for n, document classification, intelligent data extraction, and workflow automation capabilities.” “Claiming the first ever BLI PaceSetter Award for Distributed Capture is a tremendous honor,” said John Blake, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Product Management for the Alaris division of Kodak Alaris. “We continue to invest in distributed capture solutions that extend our scanners’ capabilities beyond hardware to include software, solutions, and services that create significant value for our customers and partners.”

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GITEX GLOBAL 2021 AND THE GOLDEN JUBILEE OF UAE

his time is relevant to revisit the humble beginning of the most celebrated technology exhibition in the region in the context of the Golden Jubilee of the UAE. The coveted show began in a small area of Dubai World Trade Centre in 1981. But it has now filled the entire DWTC complex, consisting of 10 exhibition halls comprising a million feet of exhibition space. The year 2021 will be marked as a remarkable milestone both in the history of the country and GITEX. It has been widely recognized that Vision Africa, Vision Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Vision UAE Projects of the 50, Vision GCC — Bahrain & Oman are the most attractive session that this edition of GITEX presents. The 50 years legacy made the country one of the most celebrated nations in the world as the data shows that the UAE’s Gross Domestic Product is now Dh1.57 trillion—up from Dh11 billion in 1973, giving the UAE the world’s seventh-highest GDP per capita. Five decades ago, only 48% of UAE adults were literate, but today over 95% are literate. Educational attainment is also much higher, in total the UAE has 624 English-medium international schools, the second-highest in the world. Life expectancy averages 75 years for men and 80 years for women. From seven hospitals, there are now over 100. The UAE Centennial 2021 Project aims to make the country the best in the world by 2071 based on the following four pillars: Future-focused government, Excellent education, Diversified knowledge economy, Happy and cohesive society. For TECHx Media, GITEX is one of its most important seasons to network with all the technology organizations who actively participate in the region’s development for a futuristic living culture. Our ‘Focused Region’ has been well defined: Middle East and African countries. We closely work with the entire stakeholders of the technology ecosystem. TECHx was set up in 2019 with a special mission to collaborate with 100 universities, creatively collaborate with both tech giants and startups. Our International Student Forum will soon have 100000 students associating in various internships and other

October 2021

TP Sharafudheen CEO - TECHx

initiatives to develop them as 'Leaders of the Future’. We believe that by working closely with various government institutions, we can expedite the region’s objective of developing key governance for the benefit of the people. TECHx seeks to bring 500000 technology experts together at a large network platform. TECHx is striving to provide the latest information, news and market pulse on technology affairs primarily in the Arabic language, and broadly in English language. It is a one-stop place for the latest technology knowledge sharing. In a short span of time, we have created a reading culture among our users who believe in technology, both spiritually and materialistically. We stand for ‘Evangelising Technology’ as you can find on the front door of our mission room.

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TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE "NEW NORMAL" Many authors have surveyed the impact of COVID-19 on different aspects of the economy and culture, and speculations abound on what the "new normal" will look like for different segments of society and in various types of organizations. It is important to consider how the pandemic has impacted us as security leaders, and how we can navigate the uncertain waters of the emerging postpandemic world in the coming months and years. The Technology Dimension: Accelerating Digital Innovation Digital innovation was already in full swing at most enterprises, but the pandemic forced an already accelerating trend to move even more quickly. Projects that were several years out on the roadmap were suddenly business-critical. Companies could no longer just maintain, but instead needed to enable a new generation of networks, collaboration tools, and cloudbased services with a widely distributed architecture— and protect it at the same time. In other words, we must do two seemingly contradictory things: protect and connect. The security leader is an increasingly essential part of these conversations. As we emerge from the pandemic, no one should expect the need for digital innovation to slow down. But to do these innovations safely, a holistic approach to security is increasingly critical. This is why COVID-19 may have put the final nail in the coffin of the "point product" approach to solution selection. This approach involved conducting a separate search for each element of the network or security architecture, without regard for how the siloed solutions would work together. Ultimately, someone had to glue everything together—usually by doing a lot of manual work to collate information from different solutions. A holistic approach means building an entire architecture as a single unit, enabling organizations to accomplish both digital innovation and security at the same time by using native integrations. I should quickly note that holistic is not necessarily monopolistic, and organizations do not have to throw away their installed base to take advantage of an integrated cyber response. However, security elements should be chosen so that they natively work together. The holistic approach has a number of benefits that align with today's requirement for rationalization. The perfect example is the massive adoption of secure softwaredefined wide-area networks. The demand for secure SD-WAN is accelerating due to its increased agility and reduced cost coupled with full visibility into traffic. Smart

October 2021

Alain Penel Regional VP-ME - Fortinet

companies are adopting a security-driven networking approach as they perceive the need for network innovation and advanced security to be addressed as one. This merges two previously siloed functions, improves the efficiency of both, and makes security an enabler of digital innovation. Another element of the holistic view is adaptive cloud security. The cloud is one of the biggest IT trends of our generation, enabling incredible computing power without capital expenditures. Some enterprises have tried to focus on a single public cloud because security protection is more straightforward that way. But this also locks the enterprise into following a specific technology roadmap— and a future cost structure—that it may not control. On the other hand, if security sits on top of a distributed, multi-cloud infrastructure, the enterprise has freedom to find the best cloud for every service. A third pillar of this approach is zero-trust network access. With this approach, access to resources is dynamically granted and reevaluated based on the realtime context and behavior of the requestor. As billions of new devices are trying to access our connected world, we must permanently challenge all attempts to access the network and different resources within it.

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The Move from Infrastructure Security to Data Security Enterprise infrastructure, including devices, applications, networks, people, and so on, is moving away from the control of the enterprise. There are many ways to protect the infrastructure, such as perimeter security, network security, and endpoint security. These methods are necessary but not sufficient. Security can no longer afford to stay confined within infrastructural limits and needs to move towards the very asset we are protecting, and that's Data. Seclore Data-Centric Security platform allows large enterprises to move to data-centric security driven by automated platforms through best-of-breed data-centric security solutions to streamline the discovery, identification, protection, and tracking processes. Get in touch with us: Rohit Oberoi

Regional Director - Middle East and Africa +971 55 792 3262

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SECURING A ‘WORK FROM ANYWHERE’ WORLD Over the last 12 months, organizations across the Middle East have been adapting to business disruption and embracing new working environments. Since the start of the pandemic, working from home has become much more widespread across the Middle East and the rest of the world. While this approach is convenient and has many benefits, it also exposes businesses to a range of new and emerging cybersecurity risks. According to a report from the TRA, the UAE saw cyberattacks increase from 21,000 in January 2020 to 103,408 in June and 123,000 in December. The report also outlined that the top threat at the end of 2020 was malware attacks, which contributed to 62% of all cybersecurity attacks in December. As more businesses move from a temporary solution towards a more holistic ‘work from anywhere’ approach, organizations in the Middle East need to increase awareness of emerging cybersecurity trends.

STAYING SAFE IN A ‘WORK FROM ANYWHERE’ WORLD When it comes to protecting your organization, the speed that you can detect and respond to a threat is crucial. Implementing automation tools can optimize an organization’s time to qualify (TTQ) and mean time to respond (MTTR) to a security threat. A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution with Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) capabilities can be deployed to remove human error from operations and maximize efficiency. Prioritizing cybersecurity best practices will allow Middle Eastern organizations to achieve the best

October 2021

outcomes for their employees, customers and operations. Business leaders must update their employees on security protocols and educate users about policies and guidelines that will ensure that teams stay aligned with current operational norms. Security Operations Center (SOC) teams should review their cybersecurity efforts to match the requirements of a new hybrid working environment. The majority of breaches today are identity-related meaning strong access control is a must to protect businesses and their customers within remote environments. Adopting a flexible multi-factor authentication (MFA) can safeguard user credentials and minimize opportunities for hackers to gain unauthorized access through phishing attacks. On top of this, visibility and protection of the endpoint have become paramount in the remote workforce model. Greater visibility across endpoints, networks, and the cloud will allow SOC teams serve both remote and office-based operations. SIEM helps remote workforce visibility use cases by providing businesses with immediate visibility into their remote environments. Harnessing high-value insights can assist security and IT operations teams in delivering an effective and secure remote working capability. Dashboards can help SOC teams gain vision into the remote habits of a workforce can also provide useful pointers for where additional alerts will give the most value. Every organization should be able to search rich forensic data to understand when and how an incident occurred, and at the same time, contain the compromise with an endpoint lockdown.

Mazen Dohaji, VP, Regional Sales iMETA LogRhythm

BUILDING A ‘SECURITY FIRST’ FUTURE Organizations across the Middle East can achieve greater network protection by implementing security solutions empowered with network threat protection, multi-factor authentication, and automated security awareness services. As digital trends across the region continue to accelerate, it is expected that more businesses will embrace a flexible work environment. Organizations in the Middle East do not need to reinvent their approach to cybersecurity. They can simply streamline existing cybersecurity solutions to future-proof their operations and help them meet local compliance requirements. Digital transformation will only deliver Return on Investment (ROI) if organizations can navigate risk and reduce vulnerabilities. SOC teams should be applying the lessons learned in 2020 and beyond to guide the future of their organization’s dynamic.

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SIMPLIFYING DIGITAL JOURNEYS of certified systems integrators and value-added resellers can leverage our strengths and expertise to assist regional customers to modernize their applications and transcend operations into the digital realm,” added Dev.

Sayantan Dev President- Redington Value Redington Gulf

Redington Value, the value-added distribution division of Redington Gulf is participating at this edition of GITEX Technology Week under the theme ‘Simplifying Transformations’. Sayantan Dev, President, Redington Value, said: “We have been at the forefront of bringing in new technologies and IT consumption models that are in line with regional organizations’ digital goals. In our digital-focused avatar today, Redington Value’s single-most priority is to help customers realize their digital ambitions in simple and effective ways.” A digital transformation project often begins with ensuring networks are digital-ready. Redington Value powers network transformation for successful and seamless digital deployments through its growing portfolio of networking solutions. “As part of this vision, we have offerings that go end-to-end across a customer’s IT architecture, right from networks and security to cloud and data analytics. Our team

October 2021

Redington Value’s networking offerings include its proprietary and best-in-class managed networkingas-a-service offering: EdgeAhead by Redington. Delivered through an ‘asa-service’ model, Edge Ahead is led by Redington, Aruba Networks and Faraday Networks, and implements the best of breed wireless and network technology solutions to organizations for a fixed monthly fee. Every network or application needs quality infrastructure and services as a base. Edge Ahead offers Wireless-as-a-Service (WaaS) to bring down customers’ capital expenses whether they are setting up network infrastructures or upgrading it. Customers are now able to optimize wireless solutions through as-aservice models with Redington Value. “We pride ourselves on delivering solutions that don’t compromise on precision, automation and flexibility – all critical elements of a sound networking infrastructure,” added Dev. “Edge Ahead by Redington aims to simplify IT operations so that customers can focus on core business and profitability. We also offer consulting services that enable channel partners to position themselves as experts, helping to gain their customers’ trust and loyalty.” Redington Value features collaborations with global cloud leaders like Microsoft and Amazon Web Services (AWS), allowing

regional partners and customers to capitalize on a host of advanced technologies and services. Through Redington Value’s cloud management portal and marketplace CloudQuarks, regional customers can leverage industry best practices and global standards of consulting, professional and managed services on cloud technologies. CloudQuarks features the distributor’s Intelligent Cloud Management Platform TrackMyCloud. TrackMyCloud by Redington simplifies monitoring and optimization of spending, done on managing the cloud infrastructure. Dev said: “Customer centricity and innovation are two important ethos that we follow at Redington. We have designed exclusive services offering around the cloud such as TrackMyCloud to help partners enhance their profiles, grow their revenue streams and gain larger mindshare with their customers.” Redington Value also offers dedicated consulting and managed security services like DigiGlass. It covers applications, networks, endpoints, data, infrastructure, clouds, perimeters, and more, all with a range of service levels. The analytics wing of Redington’s services portfolio encourages customers to transform their business through the power of data. “Digital transformation is essential to the evolution of any organization. Redington Value, together with our channel partners, is constantly innovating to make every step of digital transformation effortless.” Dev added. Redington Value is at Hall 5, stand A1 at GITEX

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ROI OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION Business leaders will push for new investments in technology, and IT will be called upon to deliver. But they must also be ready to show the return on investment (ROI) of their decisions. There will soon come a time when IT budgets will once again start to be scrutinized in more detail and business leaders will want cold hard data to evaluate the impact of technology investments.

LACKING THE RIGHT TOOLS

David Noël GVP, EMEAR at AppDynamics

Last year, across the region, digital transformation allowed enterprises of all industries and scales to marshal a defense against the economic backlash brought about by the pandemic. And, of course, enterprises did all this at breakneck speeds. There was no time to plan. Existing digital rollouts were accelerated, and new ones were quick-marched to production. In AppDynamics’ Agents of Transformation 2021: The Rise of Full-Stack Observability report, IT professionals in the UAE confirmed that transformation projects had been accelerated due to the pandemic. The report also uncovered concerns that the pace of change would not abate in the coming months. Some 87% of UAE technologists see the need for speed in transformation as their biggest challenge for 2021.

October 2021

Because of the siege mentality induced by the pandemic, businesses have largely been ignoring ROI, concentrating on the here-and-now needs of customers and employees. While technologists are eager to deliver optimal digital experiences for customers and employees, they often lack the right tools to accurately measure the impact of digital transformation on business goals. Technologists point to a lack of visibility across what has suddenly become an expanding IT estate. UAE technologists have cited new sets of priorities and challenges (85%); acceleration to cloud computing (86%); and technology sprawl and a patchwork of legacy and cloud technologies (84%) as reasons for IT complexity. And 85% point to multiple monitoring solutions that do not integrate as a major reason why complexity persists.

DEMONSTRATING ROI Without visibility, IT teams that have delivered real digital boons to their businesses will not be able to demonstrate ROI. 99% of UAE technologists recognize having the

ability to monitor all technical areas across their IT stack and directly link that performance to business outcomes is important. But 67% say they lack the strategy and tools to effectively measure how technology decisions impact business outcomes. This does not bode well for sustainable ROI. The data that comes from the new hybrid infrastructures we have created for ourselves is only useful if we can funnel it into a unified analytical framework that produces coherent insights. IT professionals can then turn those insights into quick, effective action that has a positive business impact. Without the right tools, technologists are unable to prioritize innovation, and technology silos and wasted investments loom large. Against this backdrop, technologists are beginning to see full-stack observability as a solution to addressing these pressing challenges. Full-stack observability differs from the monitoring solutions that many organizations currently have. It allows IT teams to have a single high-level view of the entire IT environment from customerfacing applications down to core network and infrastructure. It allows admins to identify the source of performance issues and address them in time to prevent damage to their organization’s brand. Many good works by technology teams will be undone if full-stack observability does not capture the imagination of boardrooms. Business leaders must equip IT with the tools it needs to make its case when the time comes for scrutiny of technology investments. At that moment, CIOs and others will be able, with the right platform, to prove their worth by linking their hard-won digital transformation to positive business outcomes.

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data analysts and business intelligence platforms will help you identify trends in the market and explain the mechanics behind the success of one product or service versus another which may not be faring as well. Tools such as machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, round out the data analytics picture by aiding data mining, the process of collating large sets of data, and analyzing them to extract useful information. As a result, businesses can utilize data analytics to better understand their client base in terms of customer trends and behaviours.

THE POWER OF DATA Jadd Elliot Dib Founder and CEO Pangaea X As the role of technology becomes multifold in every sector, it generates huge amounts of information that can yield valuable insights into the field. This has led to a boom in the data analytics industry. Data analytics helps businesses and industries make sense of the vast volumes of information for growth and development. Data analysis, whether it is for your online or offline business, helps you draw a near-accurate marketing strategy. This means you can target the right audiences for your business with the correct blend of products or services. When you analyze data available from your website or eCommerce portal, you can get a clear picture of where the bulk of your customers are located and their buying preferences, budgets, and other vital details. These insights can then form the backbone of your marketing strategy. The world, as we know it, will continue to be increasingly driven by data. From a corporate perspective, data analytics is the tool that helps business owners in this day and age both understand how their business is faring and pinpoint areas that need attention. In its function to deliver critical insights as to whether a business is moving in the right direction or not, data analytics is fundamentally the key to effective decision making. Skilled

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One of the sectors where data analytics can make a difference is product development. Data analytics enables businesses to understand the current market scenario, which can lead to changing a process or perhaps trigger a need for a new product development that matches the market needs.

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Data analytics also enhances content. Organisations can use data to customise advertisements to target a segment of their entire customer base. Additionally, data analytics is extremely useful in measuring operations efficiency as it allows companies to see which operations have yielded the best overall results under various conditions and identify which areas need improvement. Technology professionals who are experienced in analytics are in high demand as organisations are looking for ways to exploit the power of Big Data. This apparent surge is due to the increased number of organisations implementing analytics and thereby looking for a certified data analyst. Pangaea X brings the Data Analytics world together in its unique way. It is the first-of-its-kind in the industry, connecting the Data Analytic seeker with the world’s best Data Analysts and Data Scientist freelancers across the world—a one-stop marketplace for all your data procurement needs. The ‘data rush’ has led to the emergence of a new breed of freelancers, and Pangaea X’s operational vision is to seamlessly connect the world, with the world’s best talent when it comes to data analytics. Pangaea X aims to transform the way you search, find and connect with Data Analysts into a seamless and hasslefree process, focusing on quality connections, easiness of communications, and productive collaborations. Whatever it is that you are looking for when it comes to the world of data, we’re sure you will find it on Pangaea X’s online digital supercontinent. Consider us the “Pangaea” to your “X.” Learn more about us at https://pangaeax.com

October 2021

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EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF THE EDGE WITH ARUBA Aruba’s Jacob Chacko tells us how its AI-powered ‘sixth sense’ ESP makes a difference in data analytics and real-time decision making Jacob Chacko believes that the most dynamic customer experiences happen at the Edge – an office, a hospital, a school, or at home. Work gets done any place, and data is generated by users, devices, and things across the network. Aruba’s mission, he says, is to help customers capitalize on these opportunities by providing secure edge-to-cloud networking solutions.

and secure the Intelligent Edge, and help organizations harness its immense potential,” says Chacko.

The company takes a cloud-native approach to help customers meet their connectivity, security and financial requirements across campus, branch, data center and remote worker environments, covering all aspects of wired, wireless LAN and wide-area-networking (WAN).

· Edge transformation in action: New Aruba ESP experiences will be demonstrated across healthcare, education, hospitality, finance, manufacturing, and retail. · Unified Infrastructure: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital transformation but created operational complexity for businesses. The company showcases how its unified network simplifies network operations and boosts IT agility. · Edge-to-cloud security: More remote workers mean more applications in the cloud. Aruba will discuss starting a SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) journey with WAN and security transformation. · AIOps: Event attendees can discover the Aruba network’s sixth sense – one that automatically monitors and fixes Wi-Fi, wired and SD-WAN environments. · As-a-service: Aruba executives will explain the company’s flexible consumption and financing options to easily deploy networking technologies in times of change.

This year Aruba returns to GITEX Technology Week, exhibiting under the theme ‘Your Journey. Your Edge’. In its 12th appearance at the event, the company will demonstrate how organizations in the Middle East can leverage Aruba ESP (Edge Services Platform) to prepare for a post-pandemic world of hybrid working, digital-first experiences, and hyper-aware facilities. “GITEX, with its position as the Middle East’s largest tech exhibition and networking platform, is the perfect venue for us to showcase our technology in simple, yet innovative ways,” says Chacko, regional director, Middle East, Saudi and South Africa, HPE Aruba. “Our solutions address the specific needs and imperatives of different industries and create value through transformed customer experiences and accelerated financial outcomes. We constantly strive to build loyalty among our customers as well as channel partners, including distributors.” The challenges today are the proliferation of data and the need to take decisions in almost real time. That’s where Aruba ESP makes a difference. “Legacy networks are unable to cope with the massive amounts of data and decisions required in near real-time. Network architecture needs to utilise Artificial Intelligence in order to be predictive. That’s where Aruba ESP comes in. It is the industry’s first platform with an AI-powered ‘sixth sense’. The solution is designed to unify, automate,

October 2021

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION FOCUS At the GITEX, Aruba demonstrates its latest technologies addressing the digital transformation needs of regional enterprises including:

An area of focus for the company at GITEX 630 Series Access Points (APs) – the industry’s first enterprise-grade Wi-Fi 6E solution. The benefits of Wi-Fi 6E are clear and, alongside other important networking advancements, it is set to enable businesses to become more connected than ever before. With organizations looking to lower their risk during uncertain times, Aruba executives are keen to discuss Aruba as-a-service and Aruba network as a service (NaaS) options that offer business and IT leaders greater visibility, control, and flexibility across hardware, software, and management operations. The pay-asyou-go budgeting model respects today’s organizational imperative of guarding the bottom line.

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ASSISTING GOVERNMENTS The UAE government is exploring ways to use data to improve the life of citizens, increase the efficiency of operations, and create more innovative business models. “Gathering, accessing and analyzing data can assist the government with insight to implement strategies, monitor the impact of those policies, and ensure a safe living and working environment while data can also assist in delivering proactive services to the public,” says Chacko, reiterating Aruba’s commitment on creating intelligent network solutions that will help the UAE become one of the most advanced countries. The real-time applications have to have the capability to receive, analyze and communicate huge amounts of data, and achieving this requires powerful computing and intelligent edge network, which offers a flexible, highly reliable connection to cloud services, such as Aruba Central. If the network connecting the sensors or devices goes down, local computer, storage and resources can keep the devices working until the cloud connection re-establishes. Safety and efficiency are therefore not compromised. Many governments around the world require the separation of open networks from classified networks but while sharing the same physical access point. With MultiZone, a capability of ArubaOSv8 operating system, government IT can create separate zones to allow multiple data classifications to share the same network infrastructure, but with appropriate levels of control. This control can be managed by Aruba ClearPass, which simplifies role-based access controls across wired and wireless networks for a unified approach. As government agencies are exploring IoT to increase the efficiency and safety of these smart cities, it’s important that the network on which the IoT is built is secure. An intelligent network can handle encryption for these devices, ensuring the integrity of communications, detect suspicious activity through analytics, and respond timeously to limit the spread of a cyberattack. This enhanced cybersecurity can be applied to the workplace, particularly as the coronavirus has accelerated the need for a smartly reimagined working environment. Employees in both the public sector and private sector are no longer office-bound but can operate anywhere using a number of devices, which makes them more vulnerable to threats. Aruba SD-WAN solutions allow IT teams to quickly optimize connectivity across a hybrid WAN of Internet, MPLS, and cellular in far-reaching locations,

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Jacob Chacko Regional Director - ME KSA & SA at HPE Aruba

without waiting for service providers. These systems are integrated with Aruba 360 security exchange technology, which delivers cloud-based firewall and threat protection. “Data-driven applications can provide the UAE government with the ability to make informed decisions to benefit citizens and economies. Through optimizing solutions offered by Aruba, government agencies can leverage data securely, increase efficiency in operations and services, and encourage innovation for a better future,” says Chacko.

NEW BUSINESS MODELS As public-private ecosystems around key areas such as health care, transportation, and education, are increasing to drive dynamic and collaborative networks, government data-driven applications can be used by other stakeholders. Many businesses depend on government data to guide business investments, create new products, and encourage innovation. Aruba’s cloud solutions can help in the creation of an open platform for collaboration between private and public sectors, paving the way for innovative business models.

October 2021

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ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

BE ‘UNIFIED’!

With unification, it’s possible to configure and manage video cameras, access-controlled doors, print badges, monitor intrusion panels, and have everything at the security person’s disposal to ensure a high level of functionality from within a single software platform. Physical security is – or should be – at the core of any business operation. In order to focus on production, sales, and ultimately success, organizations have to provide a safe and secure environment for employees and visitors. Video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection, communications, license plate recognition, and analytics are all key components of a modern security solution. When selecting a security product to protect a business, you are not only investing in a system that works now but a solution that will be able to change with the needs of your business moving forward.

BE UNIFIED, NOT JUST INTEGRATED Integrating separate security functions like access control and video surveillance using software development kits (SDK) or application programming interface (API) programming only is limited and can be a costly approach. Unification, however, takes standalone components of a security solution beyond just being loosely or superficially connected via an SDK or API. A unified physical security platform is a comprehensive software solution that manages the different components of a security environment through a centralized open-architecture built to provide complete access to all data. A unified platform goes above and beyond tagging or bookmarking video when an access control event occurs or offering the capability to unlock an

October 2021

access-controlled door from within the video surveillance user interface. A unified solution is developed from square one to not only work together but to purposefully intertwine functionality to offer a powerful user experience that includes built-in reporting and alarm management functionalities. With unification, it’s possible to configure and manage video cameras, accesscontrolled doors, print badges, monitor intrusion panels, and have everything at the security person’s disposal to ensure a high level of functionality from within a single software platform. With a unified solution like Security Center, manufactured by Genetec Inc, employees only have to get to know and use one system. Administrators save time configuring the system and only have one manufacturer to contact – Genetec – with any questions or issues. In a unified solution like Security Center, cybersecurity is applied – and updated – across all physical security components. It’s also important to note that a unified system is by nature highly flexible and can be expanded to meet customers’ changing needs.

MUCH MORE THAN SECURITY Advances in analytics and add-ons can also be more quickly and easily incorporated into unified security platforms yielding strategic and actionable business intelligence that can be used to improve operations and increase ROI.

Firas Jadalla Regional Director META - Genetec

For example, a unified solution in an airport can feed comprehensive security data into associated analytics software that can present a better understanding of terminal usage and density, as well as traveler and visitor flow. Retail customer intelligence gathered by a unified system can engage in visitor counting, conversion rates, queue management, heat maps, directional analysis, and face capture. This type of information can provide retailers with intelligence that allows them to better understand consumers, make real-time informed decisions, and increase both consumer engagement and in-store profitability. Unification brings together all security system components seamlessly in a single software platform with one user interface in a way that can vastly improve physical security management. Plus, unification can open up a new world of collecting and using actionable business intelligence that can greatly enhance business operations. End users are demanding simplicity and greater functionality. Offer them both with a unified security solution.

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INTERVIEW

‘WE’RE GETTING INTO MOBILE ACCESSORIES SEGMENT’ Within a year of its operations, ICT Bluezone has transcended business horizons and carved out a niche as a valueadded-reseller in a growing market, says its chairman, Abdurahman Al Hamami. building a sustainable IT ecosystem where all parties like vendors, channel resellers can grow together.

Abdurahman Al Hamami Chairman ICT Bluezone Give us a brief overview of ICT Bluezone, and how have you established yourself as a prominent value-added reseller in the market in such a short span of time? ICT Bluezone was established earlier this year. From a modest beginning within a span of one year, we have assimilated over 200 channel clientele in the UAE and have garnered varied IT channel resellers and system integrator customers across the GCC and Africa. Our success as a value-added reseller (VAR) trusted by prominent brands can be attributed to extensive use of business analytical tools, proper use of market intelligence, constant training and motivation of staff, building deep and healthy customer relationships across all our channels. We strive to differentiate with other similar entities in the region by

October 2021

What are the areas of technology sector you are now targeting and what is the future roadmap of ICT Bluezone? We are currently involved in gaming accessories, consumer series of products, video conferencing solutions, PC components & peripherals focusing on hundreds of brands and varied levels of SKUs. Through TECHx Media, we are proud to announce our latest feather in the cap our foray into the mobile accessories segment targeting Independent Retailers (IR) with immediate 300 SKU on offer from prominent brands like Ugreen, Samsung, Lexar, Toshiba, etc., and our own labelled product in the mobility segment. We currently deal in Logitech, SteelSeries, Microsoft, Qmax, Astro, Crucial, Raidmax, Samsung, Lexar, Toshiba, Kensington, HP, Apple, Google, Sony PS5, Nintendo, etc. As part of our global expansion drive, we are in the process of opening our first hybrid gaming experience centre with state-of-art designs and a retail office in Dubai with a floor space of 2000 sq. mt. Our main goal is to educate the future generation of consumers on all emerging technologies in the field of gaming and also provide vendors with a platform to showcase their latest products and innovations. Our roadmap involves turning ICT Bluezone into a globally known VAR. We are targeting to open in 35 locations across the MENA region by 2026.

Shahanaz Bin Yusuf Business Unit Head at ICT Bluezone

How has the pandemic reshaped the ICT reseller market? What are the opportunities that have been created, and what are you doing to take advantage of those opportunities? The pandemic has reshaped the entire ICT market significantly. It has created a continuous demand for consumer series of products like webcams, headsets, laptops, etc. as majority of the global workforce are still working from home. Major sectors of gaming accessories, PC components and video conferencing areas have shown 100 % growth in sales during the pandemic period. Manufacturers worldwide are still reeling under the shortage of critical components like IC chips, copper, plastic raw materials. We have invested significantly in strengthening our sourcing and supply chain of these crucial emerging sectors and have put in contingencies to ensure a seamless supply of products to cater to changing market demands.

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INTERVIEW

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BEWARE OF RANSOMWARE! Since cyberattacks are on the rise, and businesses, especially the SMBs, are vulnerable to hackers, there is an urgent need for a well-thought-out cybersecurity policy, says Husni Hammoud, Managing Director, Barracuda Networks, Ivanti and ESET Middle East.

How has the need for anti-virus and firewall products evolved since the outbreak of the pandemic? It is critical to understand how effective each security product is in stopping the new tactics that the attackers have been using since COVID-19. Conventional antivirus solutions alone are no longer as effective as they need to be in order to counter threats. For these reasons, many of today’s antivirus solution vendors are adopting methodologies that combine machine learning, sandboxing and EDR to stay ahead of the attackers. Which are the most serious threats that enterprises and consumers need to be concerned about right now? Since COVID-19, there has been a significant rise in ransomware & Business Email Compromises (BEC) and Zero-day threats. The best way for businesses to protect against these threats is to have a comprehensive set of security tools in place and to utilize Security Awareness Training to ensure that users are aware of security threats and how to prevent them. How can businesses protect their remote employees from potential cyberattacks? A well-thought-out cybersecurity policy and employee training is undoubtedly the top defense against cyberattacks, especially for remote employees. Some companies are turning towards more aggressive protection models such as zero-trust policy, which is based on the principle “Never Trust, Always Verify”. Adding multi-factor authentication into your existing architecture makes it harder for potential hackers to gain access to your sensitive information. And, ensure your OS and AV engine is always up-to-date. Which industries or sectors do you believe have become more vulnerable to cyberattacks? While all industries are at risk to cybercrime, some sectors are a greater target than others, and should be taking extra precautions to guard themselves against such attacks. SMBs are always an easy target for cyber

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Husni Hammoud MD Barracuda Networks Ivanti and ESET ME attackers. Furthermore, healthcare, financial services industry, technology and telecoms industry appear to be cybercriminals’ favourites. What do you think the malware landscape will look like in 2022? Can you anticipate any trends? Attackers will continue to go after the low-hanging fruit but prices for the return of precious data will most likely fall as people become more aware of the threat and new protections are put into place. The digital supply chain will become more vital and thus more of a target to attackers. Moreover, social engineering will continue to dominate as the vector of attack until companies can find a way to build a true culture of cybersecurity, train employees properly and improve individual cyberbehaviour and hygiene.

October 2021

INTERVIEW

ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

LEVERAGING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS with a consultative approach with the best bread of vendors. What kind of opportunities do you see in the Middle East for AI-based deployments and what industries are more likely to adopt them, especially with Digital Transformation at its peak? As we speak today, we are honored to say that we have implemented several major AI solutions with large corporate clients and that we are currently discussing many additional projects that will be completed in the region since customers are AI futuristic. We are addressing a wide range of verticals, including healthcare, smart cities, higher education, telecommunications, defense, energy, cloud service providers, and so on. With artificial intelligence ushering in a new age in the IT business, every vertical customer is migrating to an AIpowered workflow for increased efficiency and accuracy. Justin Jacob Head of Sales & Marketing – MEA Advanced Integration

Advanced Integration has positioned itself as an AI solution provider in the region, what’s your story and what gaps are you looking to fill in the Middle East AI ecosystem? Advanced integration was founded in 2019, with our initial relationship with NVIDIA concentrating on artificial intelligence solutions, but we now cover the whole NVIDIA product line with customized solutions depending on customer requirements. Advanced Integration provides the most comprehensive computing, storage, and networking portfolio for data centers. Today, thankfully, we were able to reach out to other Middle Eastern customers to build and deploy the best technological solutions, not just in the UAE. Our strong marketing and technical expertise have greatly assisted us in approaching all business customers and assisting them in designing and sizing their project requirements. With our company's continual focus on innovation, quality, dependability, and outstanding support, we look forward to strengthening our team for better facilitation. Lack of latest technical expertise in the industry or individuals often fails to offer the correct optimized AI solutions where Advanced Integration may bring value

October 2021

Please mention some of your recent AI-based deployments in the region and how are you adding value to your customers? The majority of Iconic projects are located in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, but we are unable to name any of them owing to NDAs in place. The solutions, on the other hand, are built on: • • • • • •

BIS (business intelligence solution) for marketing & communication data GeForce Gaming platform for sub-scribers ISP 4G/5G enabled Edge device computing Commercialize GPU as services. GPU based HPC solutions for leasing etc Deep learning and machine learning platforms for AI data scientists etc.

Please tell us about any recent partnerships Advanced Integration has made in the ICT ecosystem and what’s next? Thanks to NVIDIA for the strong partnership as an authorized certified partner. Later this year, we expanded our relationship with Mellanox, the supplier of the world's fastest infiniband and Ethernet networking solutions. Also collaborated with NetApp for their AI storage solutions. Not to limit, we are open to any new vendor relationships that fit the solution portfolio that we provide in the industry.

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OUTPERFORMING THE COMPETITION Tell us more about your partnership with NVIDIA and your recent deployments in the region? The PNY and NVIDIA partnership has been strong for a long time and gives us large opportunity to grow in the market as NVIDIA advance to many new GPU & Networking solutions. Our partnership with NVIDIA is open for a wide array of products in consumer and enterprise solutions. PNY provides a dynamic range of consumer GPUs and the most comprehensive computing, storage and networking portfolio for Datacenters. Its vast expertise and experience enables support for the challenges of the Datacenter, coming from a variety of industries such as Healthcare, Retail, Higher Education and more. Talus Arukalil Regional Manager PNY Technologies MEAI

What kind of demand growth did you notice in the memory market within the past year or so and how does that shape PNY in the region? In 1985, PNY opened the global business with DRAM module as their first product. Since we have followed the technology by focusing on removable and internal memory portfolio. Today we carry all formats of memory (USB drives / graphics cards / DRAM full range / SSD full range). Many PC applications are switching from HDD to SSD, and PlayStation also announced the upgrade to NVMe SSD with sped of 5500 Mbs and above. The PNY SSD range includes basic 2.5” till CS3140 NVME with high performance up to 7500 Mbs, which is one of the fastest in the industry. The PC gaming category is a strong aspect for PNY through NVIDIA GPU association. The Middle East is home to more than 100 million gamers, how does PNY contribute to this ever-growing industry and the gaming community? Our range of components is our strength and uniqueness. The PNY lineup for gamers is targeting all key components in a PC which enhances performance (GPU, SSD, DRAM modules). GPU availability is very limited in recent times and we have challenges to fulfill the market demand. With PNY being NVIDIA partner for Consumer and Professional graphics cards, we are able to provide more GPUs to the market compared to competitors focusing on GeForce only.

October 2021

What is PNY’s future roadmap for consumer & enterprise segments? Any new launches on the go? Our direction is to continue focusing on the PC components market aimed at consumers, whilst harnessing all the key components to be a true supplier in the ecosystem supplier. In the enterprise, opportunities regarding each category are wide open. New gamechanging collaborative solutions such as NVIDIA Omniverse combined with NVIDIA RTX technology will revolutionize the 3D production workflow. In the datacenters, three converging forces have sparked the AI era: the availability of huge databases, the invention of Deep Learning algorithms, and the unprecedented performance of GPU computing. By popularizing GPU processing, NVIDIA has provided a new path for the entire industry and will deliver up to 1000 times faster computing performance by 2025. PNY offers the NVIDIA DGX A100 AI Infrastructure based on the NVIDIA A100 GPU architecture, one universal building block for the AI datacenter for enterprise at scale, allowing to build DGX PODs and Super Pods, a complete, cloud native AI datacenter with limitless capacity. In this environment, PNY proposes different storage solutions dedicated to datacenter & AI, coming from strong partners such as NetApp or DDN, or the PNY in-house storage server PNY 3S. Finally, PNY recently signed a direct distribution agreement with NVIDIA Mellanox Networking solutions and offers a complete Infiniband and Ethernet networking portfolio to orchestrate the compute and storage of the datacenter: SmartNICS, switches, cables, and more.

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GO FOR DATA-CENTRIC SECURITY Data protection is critical for any enterprise now, and data-centric security and rights management are key to survival and growth of any business. Hence, it is important to have a unifying platform in place, says Vishal Gupta, Founder and CEO, Seclore. What is the first step for enterprises in their data protection journey? It is important to realise that IT infrastructure consisting of devices, networks, applications and even people are all moving outside of the enterprise control. If data protection is the goal, data protection should be the activity against infrastructure protection. Enterprises have typically taken a broken approach to data security i.e. deploying a specific technology like DLP or Classification and then adding more things like encryption or rights management. My first recommendation would be to define the data protection program and have a unifying platform in place. The unifying data-centric security platform can provide a single pane of glass view of all data protection initiatives. What are the key drivers for adopting data-centric security and rights management? For enterprises today, data has become like oil i.e. the most valuable asset. Enterprises are today in a constant data chase where they are chasing data from endpoint devices, networks, applications, cloud, phones and third parties. This has become a nearly impossible chase. Enterprises are realizing this and moving their security initiatives to data. While the implication of data-centric security is far and wide the most drivers are: 1. 3rd party risk/external collaboration: Every minute there are millions of emails and documents containing confidential information being shared with external agencies. Half the enterprise data breaches are due to

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breaches at these external agencies and nearly two-thirds of enterprises don’t even know which external agencies have access to confidential information. With security that follows the data, the data itself carries its own security and privacy policy and can therefore be freely shared with third parties but still be controlled. Examples of this are: a. One of the largest banks in the world uses Seclore’s data-centric security to share confidential customer data with third-party collection agencies. b. The largest material research company in the world uses Seclore to share highly confidential design documents with external fabricators. c. More than 100 listed companies use Seclore to protect forward-looking financial statements with external auditors to protect against insider trading. 2. Data privacy and compliance nonrepudiation: Data privacy and compliance is already a tough problem. With compliance that follows the data, enterprises can now get usage information like ‘who’ accessed the information, ‘what’ did that person do, ‘when’ and ‘where’. This rich telemetry of data usage provides immensely valuable and is helping enterprises comply with privacy regulations and prove the compliance! Within the Middle East itself compliance frameworks like SAMA, NESA, FIFA are making life difficult for enterprises. 3. Data security in the cloud: More and more enterprises are moving collaboration to the cloud. One of the challenges with cloud-based collaboration technologies is that the data security is directly dependent on

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Vishal Gupta Founder & CEO, Seclore security of the cloud infrastructure on which enterprises have no control and little visibility. With data-centric security that follows the data, enterprises can regain control of the data going to the cloud and ensure that even if there is a breach of the cloud service, the enterprise data does not get compromised. Tell us a little more about Seclore’s business associations Seclore is one of the largest specialist providers of data-centric security platforms and rights management systems. Seclore’s customers include some of the world’s largest organisations like American Express, General Motors, ICICI, Allianz and Prudential besides numerous government and defence establishments. Within the Middle East, Saudi Telecom, Etimad, Oman Data Park, PIF, Smart Dubai, Red Sea and KFUPM, etc., rely on Seclore to protect their most confidential information. For more info, visit www.seclore.com

October 2021

INTERVIEW

ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

LOWERING YOUR RISK OF A CYBER ATTACK Let us know more about LogRhythm's SIEM offerings and how they are assisting your clients and customers in dealing with cyber threats. As the threat landscape grows increasingly complex, our customers require a solution that allows them to take control of their security environment. Our NextGen SIEM platform provides our customers and partners with intuitive, highperformance analytics and a seamless incident response workflow to uncover threats faster, mitigate risks more efficiently, and reduce risk to their businesses. One of the innovative ways our NextGen SIEM solution is transforming our customer’s approach to cyberthreats is through its automation capabilities. Threat hunting can be automated and optimized using Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) to remove the risk of human error and increase efficiency in response and detection time. Leveraging our SIEM technology allows our customers to spend their time on impactful work instead of maintaining their SIEM tool. More and more companies are adopting a cloud-first strategy, how does LogRhythm Cloud help organizations ensure cloud security? Over the last 12-18 months, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven the rapid adoption of cloud services across the world. LogRhythm Cloud provides a complete NextGen SIEM experience with the ease and flexibility of a SaaS solution to meet our customer’s growing security needs. Our dedicated compliance and threat detection modules help security

October 2021

on machine learning (ML) based threat detection, our platform uses hybrid analytics that combines machine learning, rules-based detection, and threat intelligence to analyze network, user, and host activity. Our holistic approach provides a true representation of all activity within the enterprise domain, making it possible to detect in real time lateral movement, exfiltration, malware compromise, ransomware, and other threats. Mazen Dohaji, VP, Regional Sales iMETA LogRhythm

teams to quickly address a wide range of compliance requirements and pervasive threats in real time with 24x7 infrastructure monitoring. I believe the need for cloud security solutions will continue to increase. LogRhythm Cloud helps organizations prepare for this changing landscape with a more advanced level of security maturity. Increasing cyber threats have also led to an increase in the demand for NDR solutions. What is LogRhythm's unique approach to network security? This year, we have witnessed an increased number of ransomware attacks and Advance Persistent Threats (APTs) launched by nation state threat actors. The proactive deployment of Network Detection and Response (NDR) can be the difference between detecting a ransomware threat in real time before falling victim to the attack. While other NDR solutions rely solely

What are the most common mistakes CSOs and CTOs make while building their IT infrastructure? Are there any best practices they should follow to keep their businesses running smoothly? Cybersecurity is often an afterthought for many organizations who are expanding their infrastructure, and this can leave them vulnerable to damaging attacks. To avoid being seen as low-hanging fruit by threat actors, organizations need to prioritize the security of their IT infrastructure to safeguard their networks, build future resilience and maximize operational performance. By implementing a combination of essential security strategies, such as multifactor authentication, endpoint detection and response, basic backups, behavior analytics and patching of IT operations, security leaders can demonstrate a proactive approach to evolve their security posture. On top of this, undergoing a threat modeling exercise to gain insight into their attack surface and the threats posed by cybercriminals can allow CSOs and CTOs to capture the potential of streamlined protection capabilities.

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INTERVIEW

‘MONITORING’ PERFORMANCE As PC Monitor Segment has seen significant growth across the region, AOC stands to benefit with its AGON series, says Carol Anne Dias, Regional Sales Head -MEA at AOC

We have seen tremendous growth in PC monitor shipments in 20202021 across the MEA region, how much has AOC been able to capitalize on this? Indeed the growth was exponential, and AOC has been able to capitalize with almost 127% growth increase in revenue as compared to last year. We have also seen year-on-year growth in our ASP with almost 43%. What kind of demand do you foresee in the professional home/ office monitor segment postpandemic? AOC has seen an incremental business especially for 27’’ and above in the Home and Office segment. As per context, there has been a growth of 105% in AOC 21.5’’ and 198% growth in 23.6 and 23.8’’ segments which mainly caters to the professional and Home and Office use. AOC has built quite a reputation in the gaming monitors’ space with its AGON series. How do you differentiate yourself from the competition, and how is the gaming segment performing for you? Our Gaming performance has almost doubled since last year, especially in our AGON series and G-Line series 27’’ displays. Praised by both the gaming community as a whole as well as by hardware reviewers, ‘AGON by AOC’ monitors continue to stand out for their superb ergonomics, winning features, and use of high-quality materials. Nevertheless, as part of AOC’s strategy for constant improvement and growth, the ‘AGON by AOC’ brand is poised for further evolution.

October 2021

Carol Anne Dias Regional Sales Head -MEA at AOC

What’s new in the gaming segment for AOC and how does the market look for you in coming years? ‘AGON by AOC' is our latest step of its global brand strategy to benefit gamers with an enhanced portfolio and more monitor choices. This global brand enhancement encapsulates an inclusive range of gaming ecosystems that welcomes players at all levels of ability, as they hone their skills and aspire to be their very best. To match the increasing demand for a competitive edge and top-tier performance, AOC launched AGON – AOC’s specialist gaming monitor brand. Named after the Ancient Greek word for “struggle” or “contest”, the AGON brand represents AOC’s

engagement with the world of gaming. In addition to embracing new technologies, we've put our money where our mouth is by sponsoring many leading esports events and teams – actively driving the emergence of gaming as the global profession it has become today. Whether you're an esports professional or an aspiring home gamer, AGON’s performance-driven specifications and convenient features will eliminate any obstacle encountered on the path to glory. Tell us about some of your recent partnerships in the gaming arena? Our partnerships with brands like Porsche, Red Bull, G2 Esports team are some of the key associations.

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SITTING PRETTY IN CYBERSECURITY Spire Solutions is a value-added distributor (VAD) in MEA with exclusive distribution rights for renowned vendors that offer niche cyber security solutions and services. Sanjeev Walia, Founder and President, Spire Solutions, throws light on the company’s progress and plans. How has the need for cybersecurity solutions grown across MEA region since the pandemic? Research and statistics show that the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation on one hand and introduced many critical cybersecurity challenges on the other. People, processes, data, and technologies are now distributed everywhere due to trends like ‘work from home’ so CISOs and cybersecurity professionals have a much harder task in hand. This is driving them to proactively seek collaboration with solution providers from multifold advisory, solutions, services, training, and talent perspectives. Also, the board and broader C-suite are now keenly participating in cybersecurity discussions, a change that was much needed. These developments are propelling growth in the cybersecurity industry. What are the most common threats that enterprises have been facing? Endpoints, networks, and humans are being targeted using various methods. Brand and VIP impersonations are on the rise. Supply chain attacks are being reported often. Cybercriminals are constantly changing their tactics, so it’s become a high priority for enterprises to be dynamic with their security approach. How is Spire enabling governments and enterprises with their cybersecurity needs? We are committed to enhancing our customers’ security postures, reducing security costs, and optimizing overall security performance by implementing niche solutions and services that carry out various risk and vulnerability assessments on their IT, OT and IoT

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environments; make data-driven decisions; automate and orchestrate security to increase SOC efficiency; hunt for threats proactively at the network and endpoint level and thwart them before an incident happens; aggregate, correlate and act upon relevant threat intelligence at the IT, OT and IoT levels; think like an attacker and visualize attack path to proactively fill gaps and build resilience; govern and secure organization-wide data and identities; and profile and provide targeted training to employees as part of human risk management, etc. The lack of skilled cyber security resources often leaves organizations vulnerable to cyberattacks. What approach and solutions can help address this issue? Teaming up with the right partners (VADs and resellers) will largely address the cybersecurity skills gaps and help reduce the need for full-time staff. From a solutions standpoint, it’s important to onboard technologies with a higher number of native integrations and those which can integrate with new solutions quickly, on-demand. Security orchestration and automation is another effective approach as it helps reduce human intervention as SOAR platforms can talk directly to multiple tools and technologies within the security environment. Can you share your recent or forthcoming collaborations in the region? We had several positive developments since the beginning of this year including exclusive partnerships and regional partnerships with Observability data unicorn Cribl to deliver control and flexibility for logs, metrics,

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Sanjeev Walia Founder and President Spire Solutions and events; threat intelligence and attribution leader Group-IB for detection and prevention of cyberattacks, online fraud, and digital risk & IP protection; attack path visualisation champion XM Cyber to break the critical points in the attack chain; world’s first human cybersecurity risk management platform OutThink to empower CISOs tackle human behaviour. What are the initiatives that you have launched recently and what can we expect in the coming months? Earlier this year, we launched Spire Data, our bespoke big data and analytics business unit, to transform the way companies make growth decisions. Data strategy and governance, BI analytics, AI automation and advanced analytics are amongst our core focus. We will shortly be announcing a few initiatives and partnerships in the cloud services space too given the growing demand from our customers and partners.

October 2021

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ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME! What does Lexar have to offer in terms of storage solutions for businesses and consumers? What sets your products apart from the competition? Lexar has been a trusted brand of memory solutions for two decades. Our products have a broad portfolio of solutions for mobile, computing, and consumer electronics markets, including memory cards, USB flash drives, readers, solid-state drives, memory module and personal cloud storage for retail and OEM customers, covering every possible need for consumers, so they can get the most from their multiple digital devices. Also, all product designs undergo extensive testing in the Lexar Quality Labs, facilities with various digital devices to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability. Gaming industry has been on a lifetime high and gamers have specific requirements when it comes to components. Could you please outline what Lexar offers to gamers? By applying experiences and expertise into the gaming industry, Lexar has been committed to developing a series of gaming solutions, including memory cards, memory modules, internal SSD, and portable SSD. All Lexar gaming solutions are well-designed for your home gaming rig or portable gaming device to keep up with all your favorite games. And with speed demanding performance and optimized compatibility, Lexar wants to ensure every consumer can find the perfect solution for their style of gameplay. Has there been a shift in the adoption of storage technologies before and after the pandemic for businesses and consumers? This pandemic has made home working, distance learning, home entertainment become the new normal. Especially with the growing demand for storage and related memory applications from consumers, the need for memory solutions like USB drives, SSD, and memory modules is still rising. Moreover, since personal cloud storage has the advantage of easily accessing anywhere, which makes remote work a lot easier, it is now more attractive to consumers now more than ever. Lexar just released a new personal cloud storage, M2 memory box, in China, and we expect this trend to continue. As for memory cards, we found the demand is mostly shifted to micro SD cards, which is probably due to the sales increase of gaming devices for entertainment and also drones and action cameras for personal content creations.

October 2021

Kevin Wang General Manager Lexar

What is the storage market like in the Middle East? How do you think it will scale over the next couple of years? Middle East market had seen explosive growth for storage products business over the last couple of years, Lexar was well-positioned for the growth with investments in supply chain and technology enhancements. We would be looking to consolidate our position in the market in the coming year by engaging professional gamers and highend applications Give us an overview of your GITEX participation. What will you be showcasing, and where can we find you at the event? We are excited to showcase our professional memory options, including the new HADES RBG, OC DDR4, and the new professional NM800 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD, which has been designed specifically for hardcore gamers and creative professionals. Meet us at the Fairmont hotel, 33rd floor, Palm Salon 10, close to Dubai World Trade Centre.

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See where unified security can take you. 93% of organizations that moved to a unified platform saw a decrease in compatibility issues across their security system. This is why our Security Center platform excels. It delivers a cohesive operating picture through modules that were built as one system. So, whether you’re securing an airport, a parking structure, a multi-site enterprise, public transit, or an entire city, you can access all the information you need in one place. This is unification.

To learn about the benefits of unifying your security operations visit genetec.com

INTERVIEW

GO DIGITAL WITH QNAP is also proving file encryption to make sure all confidential files are well secured in QNAP NAS and Cloud. As more businesses go digital, retail is becoming a datarich environment. Tell us about KoiRetail and how it helps retailers deal with the new challenges. KoiRetail is a comprehensive smart retail solution that assists you in building business strategies based on in-store customer activities. With AI-powered data analytics, KoiRetail provides heatmaps, dwell rates, and active areas for you to gain insight into your business performance. All of this data can be viewed in the KoiRetail dashboard with a visualized chart and intuitive UI.

Alex Tsai Sales Manager - IMEA QNAP How does Qnap’s NAS differentiate itself from other providers in the market? What are the advantages it offers individuals and businesses? Firstly, QNAP a NAS hardware/software manufacturer, we are having its own factory without outsourcing, which all devices and technology are under QNAP quality and R&D control. Secondly, localization QNAP FZE was found in 2019 in Jebel Ali free zone, with GCC top distributions Logicom, Redington, and Asbis, we are offering a direct support without any latency Finally, in addition to English marketing activities, QNAP is now focusing on local customer needs such as Arabic product reviews, YouTube video tutorials, and online articles, which can engage more Arabic users and meet their requirements. What are you doing to help organizations establish a resilient network to facilitate their digital transformation journey? The most common or quick digital transformation is converting all paperwork to digital files, QNAP is ready to back up all digital files from one PC to another, company servers to cloud, as the data is booming, they will need more backup/ and higher security to protect all files. QNAP

October 2021

We'd like to know more about QNAP QVR Elite. How is this solution empowering the surveillance sector? Records using the MP4 video format: QVR Elite records video files in the universally supported MP4 format, allowing for smooth playback on all your devices. In addition, you can conveniently back up recordings to other QTS / QuTS hero NAS or Cloud storage space using Hybrid Backup Sync or HybridMount. QVR Ecosystem: QVR Elite is compatible with the existing QVR Center and QVR Pro Client, allowing you to seamlessly transition from QVR Pro to QVR Elite. You can even use QVR Center to centralize your management of QVR Elite and QVR Pro systems, enabling the easy expansion of your surveillance service. Leverage AI-based applications for value-added services: QVR Elite’s surveillance footage can be processed by multiple QNAP AI-based video analytics applications (e.g. QVR Face, QVR Human, QVR DoorAccess) to empower your surveillance systems with smart door access, facial recognition, human counting capabilities, and more. Easy capacity expansion: You can create multiple recording spaces for QVR Elite recordings. If you run out of storage space, you can easily expand your NAS storage by connecting to QNAP expansion enclosures. Low cost: the flexible subscription plan: QVR Elite is subscription-based, with monthly, yearly, and 3-year subscription plans. You can build a robust surveillance system with a low-cost monthly price of US $1.99 per channel. You can alter the subscription-based on your needs to reach higher cost-efficiency.

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IT'S TIME TO CONNECT How do you see D-Link positioned in the region's Wi-Fi market with its offerings for SMB’s & Enterprises? D-Link is positioned exceptionally well to cater to the market’s increased Wi-Fi and connectivity needs. From Mesh routers – cutting-edge technology modernization for home and SMB and enterprise Wi-Fi setups to pioneering remote networking solutions, cloudbased offerings, networking solutions, and Wi-Fi 6 routers, we have an extensive range of products specially curated for the new digital era. Cloud Managed Networking is being seen as a game-changer, how is Nuclias by D-Link adding value for enterprises in this space? The Nuclias portfolio is best suited for both small businesses and large ones. We have seen a rapid adoption rate for Nuclias Cloud since unveiling it last year. Nuclias Connect and Nuclias Cloud Remote Network Management Solutions are part of our revolutionary remote work solutions portfolio and are true market differentiators. Nuclias Connect empowers network administrators through its centralized control, configuration, and customization capabilities while minimizing their onsite workload. Nuclias Cloud is often the preferred choice in remote work models as compared to a traditional networking solution as it is cost-effective, efficient and features zero-touch deployment. Nuclias Managed Wireless Networking Solutions offer the capability, hosting flexibility, and value that customers need to carry out their digital transformation efforts with minimal interruptions. How is D-Link contributing towards

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Smart Cities, Smart Transportation, and Smart Factory applications? The main technologies that will define the connected and smart home future include cloud, IoT, latest Wi-Fi versions and hardware, innovations within networks, 5G and so on. At D-Link, we have a pioneering suite of solutions across all these areas. This ranges from switches, 4G and 5G solutions, Smart Home innovations, IoT solutions, CCTV and IP Camera solutions, Whole Home Wi-Fi routers, including novelties around Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi Mesh Solutions, IP Telephony and so on. Our Mesh technology Covr provides a seamless Wi-Fi solution that blankets every square inch of the home with high-speed AC1200 Dual-Band Wi-Fi allowing users to enjoy Wi-Fi that's stable, consistent, and truly seamless. Other recent big launches include D-Link Thermal Solution Fever Screening Kit and D-Link Temperature Measurement Face Recognition Terminal suite of products to remote work management solutions such as the Nuclias Managed Wireless Networking Solution portfolio. Our ground-breaking Wi-Fi 6 routers, including two of our flagship products - DIR-X1560 EXO AX AX1500 and DIR-X1860 EXO AX AX1800, also cater to the evolving needs of the market. We have also recently introduced our DWR-925W 4G LTE M2M Router in the region to offer seamless connections to businesses. What major industries do you think should adopt cloud-managed networking and why? Cloud-managed networking is offered as a service, allowing businesses the flexibility and convenience of managing all network users and devices from a single platform, without

INTERVIEW

ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

Sakkeer Hussain Director, Sales & Marketing, D-Link ME constraints of physical borders. From telecom and IT to retail, education, healthcare, and BFSI and so on, will find it useful to deploy these services and solutions. As smart homes simplify our daily lives, connecting all devices to one console can be complicated. Do you have any solutions simplifying this? The objective of any smart device is to simplify tasks and improving its efficiency. By doing so, it revolutionizes the use of a normal appliance by integrating technologies like sensors, low-power and shortrange radio signals like Zigbee and Z-Wave. To simplify all this, most smart homes are managed by a central controller often referred to as the "hub" so they can all be connected to the Internet. To make it even easier, the hub and all other smart home devices can be managed through a mobile app which is simple enough to use even for any novice user. As technology advances, smart home devices get even smarter and easier to use.

October 2021

INTERVIEW

SAFE UNDER THE SCANNER!

Award-winning scanners from Kodak Alaris offer scanning solutions that protect sensitive data and give channel partners new avenues for growth.

coveted ‘Scanner Line of the Year Award’. Given once a year, this award recognizes the vendor whose product line is deemed best overall based on its rigorous lab evaluations. “From small desktop devices all the way up to high-volume production units, Kodak Alaris scanners provide businesses with everything they need to optimize processes where paper documents are fed into digital workflows or repositories,” said Lee Davis, Associate Director of Software/Scanners at Keypoint Intelligence. Kodak Alaris has won Scanner Line of the Year five out of the last six years.

Maria Moubarak Regional Marketing Manager Kodak Alaris Digital Transformation has been a hot trend for past few years. How is Kodak Alaris helping businesses on their path to Digital Transformation? Kodak Alaris is a leading provider of information capture solutions that simplify business processes. We exist to help the world make sense of information with smart, connected solutions powered by decades of image science innovation. Our award-winning range of scanners, software, and services are available worldwide, and through our network of channel partners. Earlier this year, Keypoint Intelligence – Buyers Lab, the world’s leading independent evaluator of document imaging hardware, software, and services, announced Kodak Alaris as the winner of its

October 2021

Has there been any kind of shift in the demand for scanners since the pandemic for organizations and individuals? Yes. Moving business-critical data between home-based workers and back-end systems for processing can be a challenge, especially when workers are remote. Businesses need to enable remote workers for success by providing a way to deal virtually with data, either on paper or digital documents. The data needs to be captured correctly the first time and information must be sent to backend systems as quickly as possible. All this needs to be done securely. Mail and other business-critical documents need to be processed and distributed. Production and departmental scanners from Kodak Alaris are ideal for quickly and accurately processing important documents and digitally sending them to remote workers. What’s new for Kodak Alaris in the product lineup? Are there any

recent innovations you want to highlight or upcoming launches? In June, Kodak Alaris launched a secure scanning solution that protects sensitive data and gives channel partners new avenues for growth. The new INfuse Expansion Modules include six software add-ons and support for a third-party card-reader accessory, which allows users to scan documents more securely and efficiently than before. Partners such as ISVs and Systems Integrators can now customize their core INfuse offering by adding one or more of these modules to their solutions. The INfuse Solution integrates into other applications allowing users to complete tasks more accurately and faster than ever before. Tasks previously completed in days are now measured in minutes or hours. Kodak Alaris has also expanded its document capture portfolio with the launch of a line of low-volume production scanners and a refresh of its web-based capture software. The award-winning Kodak S2085f and S3000 Series are fast and powerful while offering network connectivity and an outstanding user experience. New models include the 85 pages per minute (ppm) Kodak S2085f Scanner (A4 paper size) and the 100 ppm Kodak S3100f Scanner (A3 paper size). Both of these models are equipped with integrated flatbeds to easily capture information from business cards to books, and more. Also, new to the Kodak Alaris portfolio are the 60 ppm Kodak S3060 Scanner, the 100 ppm Kodak S3100 Scanner, and the 120 ppm Kodak S3120 Scanners, which are all A3 scanners.

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INTERVIEW

ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

THE ‘X’ FACTOR Please highlight your Middle East footprint and how you’ve established yourself as a reliable ERP software provider in the region? Established in 1992, Focus Softnet consistently develops products that are user-friendly, flexible, and adapted to the requirements of your business, built using up-todate, feature-rich, state-of-the-art technologies. This proactivity is what makes our company a reliable ERP software provider in the region. Our company focuses on continuous R&D and teamwork to stay ahead of the challenges of today’s competitive business environment by providing innovative, custom-built IT solutions. With close to 30 years of experience and multi-domain expertise, Focus Softnet’s consulting services and skills are backed by deep insight and knowledge of the industry, proving to be a trustworthy ERP software provider in the Middle East and beyond. Focus Softnet has now evolved into a multinational organization with 27 offices in 17 countries across Asia, Middle East, Africa and North America. You are celebrating your 25th anniversary this year with the launch of Focus X at GITEX. What value proposition are you offering your customers with this? Twenty-five years is a significant milestone, and we wanted to ensure that we launch an ERP software that will allow businesses today to thrive in the current digital landscape. Focus X’s ERP capabilities are extensive because it enables organizations to operate with ease and flexibility. The software simplifies and automates a vast range of tasks for almost every function

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in an organization with unmatched speed, and it is directly available on your mobile device, too. Featuring in-memory computing, advanced AI through Artificially Intelligent and Futuristic Applications (AIFA), and predictive data-analysis and forecasting, Focus X empowers organizations as it allows users to communicate with ERP and ask it to perform tasks when needed. And if you need something specific, you can just ask AIFA – from a report, document, or data, with a single verbal command, AIFA’s VUI (Voice User Interface) will have it prepared in no time. Additionally, Focus X incorporates banking right within the application. Businesses can now initiate realtime transactions, and automatically reconcile their bank statements with entries in the accounting ledger, a simple, yet secure process. Focus X is based on AI technology and given the risk with automated platforms, how safe is Focus X for its consumers? AI is now one of the most relevant and prominent technologies in the digital stratosphere, and multiple industries are adopting it into their systems to keep up with digital transformation and flourish. Focus X maintains the privacy of both organizations and individuals by building frameworks to control security and information access between, and granted across different departments. What kind of ERP and CRM solutions are in demand by businesses today, and how are you meeting those demands? Within ERP and CRM solutions, the following elements are steadily

Ali Hyder Group CEO Focus Softnet

gaining prominence and will continue to be in demand over the next 3 to 5 years: Artificial Intelligence – an integrated AI would support an organization’s interaction with its stakeholders, from customers to vendors to employees, and receive critical information for decision making. Most CRM and ERP software are now either providing or gearing towards releasing AI embedded applications. Hybrid Cloud – almost all CRM/ERPs will be sold as an out-of-box product without a long deployment time as most of the ERPs will be offered as verticalready solutions. ERP and CRM as a platform – according to Gartner, the future of ERP and CRM software will be more of a composable platform system. This will allow organizations to plug-in or integrate various components as required, without having to go through a long and costly deployment phase. Focus X addresses most of the abovementioned features with integrated AI modules, and provides seamless integration with multiple plug and play modules, offered on-premise and on cloud license.

October 2021

INTERVIEW

ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

MBUZZ: BUILDING THE ICT ECOSYSTEM Governments to build infrastructure to service their customer base. We have successfully done 5G/SDN trials along with our partner Kaloom with Leading European telecom operators like Telenor and Telefonica

Nawaf Al Shammari Chairman, MBUZZ

How have you coped with Pandemic blues? We are affected, but the pandemic has made us stronger. We are proud that we managed the challenges of global disruption in supply and logistics for ICT and Project supplies. I thank our strong team of 400+ and highly supportive brands and vendors for being there to deliver the services when our customers needed them the most. We all should thank the healthcare sector and be proud of the roles played by technology to bring the human race back into action within one and a half years. How is the ICT Industry emerging for MBUZZ? Our dedication and resilience made us uniquely positioned to be the best among the ICT Solution providers for IT & telecom infrastructure. We burned our midnight oil to be in this position and will harp on our standing. We implemented projects; for Government, large enterprises and telecom companies in the Saudi Region to achieve their fast-paced adoption of the latest technologies and digital transformation initiatives. Being a solution provider and distributor; we are there to support brands and vendors to introduce their new age products and solutions to Middle East markets with resilient and cost-competitive solutions. We are working with telecom, enterprises, cloud service providers and

October 2021

How would you describe your Distribution foray and plans? Like any ICT Distributor, we too started in component ranges. We are proud to succeed in the region with Micron, Lexar, Team Group, PNY, Supermicro, Asus and raising our stakes with them. Completing our 3rd year; despite pandemic sores, we were able to establish an association with 35 ICT brands. We are proud that vendors are seeking our partnerships. We are building our share in Server, Storage, Wireless, Networking, Document Imaging, Internet Security and Surveillance domains. We have plans to reach all parts of UAE and KSA within 2021 and scale up our presence to Kuwait, Egypt and forays into other GCC Countries with direct offices soon in Bahrain, Qatar and Oman and to have controlled distribution in LEVANT, Africa and CIS regions. We recently established an EXPERIENCE CENTRE in Dubai to profile and demonstrate brands and products. Our Bid desk and technical team will help enterprises and system integrators to develop customized bids and solutions using multiple categories of products which is the main attraction of our Value-Added Distribution model. How do you see your future of the ICT Industry in the Middle East especially in Saudi Arabia? We are here building project implementation capabilities and achieving the patronage of vendors. We are working with reputed local and regional mobile operators and other leading ICT customers such as STC, Mobily, Zain, Ericsson, GACA, Saudi Aramco, VIVA, Telefonica, etc. In emerging technologies, we are building capabilities to adopt and service AI, Cloud computing, IoT, Advanced Robotics, Big Data Analysis and computing besides eyeing automation and energy efficiency forays. MBUZZ is a proud KSA Corporate. KSA has more than 50% of the ICT market in the MEA region and is estimated to have IT and Telecom spending of SAR 160 billion in 2024. Digital transformation will be a key contributor to achieve the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. MBUZZ will act as a key agent of technology adoption in Saudi.

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Elastic Search Platform

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PRODUCT SHOWCASE

PHILIPS MOMENTUM 4K HDR DISPLAY WITH AMBIGLOW Experience a new level of entertainment immersion with the new Momentum 4K HDR display with Ambiglow lighting. An expansive 4K UHD display with DisplayHDR 1000 delivers ultra-crisp and vibrant image quality that will get you in the moment. For true console gaming enthusiasts, the Designed for Xbox Momentum display delivers a new era of gaming. Level-up with sound by audio experts Bowers & Wilkins and new Ambiglow lighting for deeper immersion and overall gaming awesomeness.

DESIGNED FOR XBOX • • • • •

Designed for Xbox for the optimal gaming experience Smooth console gaming at 4K / 120Hz 4K / 144Hz PC gaming on the big screen Purpose-built for low latency gaming DisplayHDR 1000 for truly vivid details and realism

DESIGN FOR IMMERSIVE ENTERTAINMENT • •

Integrated Bowers & Wilkins speakers for immersive sound Ambiglow adds a new dimension to your viewing experience

FEATURES FOR GAMERS NEEDS • • •

LowBlue mode and Flicker-free easy-on-the eyes viewing USB-C one cable does it all MultiView enables simultaneous dual connect and view

LEXAR JUMPDRIVE P30 USB 3.2 GEN 1 FLASH DRIVE Lexar JumpDrive P30 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive is sleek, portable and perfect for professionals who want to make transferring, sharing photos, videos and large files a breeze even when on the go with blazing fast USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds—up to 450MB/s reads and writes. It is available in different capacities up to 1 TB to best suit your needs.

JumpDrive P30 is designed with 256-bit AES encryption to protect your essential files against corruption, loss, and deletion for added security. You can easily create a passwordprotected vault that automatically encrypts your data. This sleek, metallic, and portable drive also comes in a wide range of capacity options—from 128GB up to 1TB.

KEY FEATURES: • For professional users who want to store and transfer large files and content with blazing fast USB 3.2 Gen 1 performance of up to 450MB/s read and write • Securely store your files with 256-bit AES encryption software. For peace of mind, files that are deleted from the safe are securely erased and can’t be recovered • Compatible with PC and Mac systems • USB 3.2 Gen 1 enabled; backwards compatible with USB 3.1 / USB 3.0 and 2.0 devices • Five-year limited warranty • Sleek and durable metallic design to store your content up to 1TB

October 2021

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PNY CS3140 SOLID STATE DRIVES Now you can freely move games between the PS5

desktop system. The PNY XLR8 CS3140 is highly durable,

console's storage, a connected USB extended storage

less likely to fail, and features a 5-year warranty.

device, and the added M.2 SSD storage. The CS3140 M.2 NVMe Gen4 x4 Solid State Drive is the ideal solution

The PNY XLR8 CS3140 is engineered with the same

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operating systems.

deliver the performance you demand for your laptop or

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

SPECIFICATIONS: • Capacity 2TB • Form factor M.2 2280 • Interface PCIe Gen4 x4 • Max Sequential Read Speed 7500 MB/s • Max Sequential Write Speed 6850 MB/s • NAND Type 3D Flash Memory • MTBF 2,000,000 Hours • Warranty 5

LIVA Q1D LIVA Q1D is the Mini PC that you’ll never see because it’s just so small you won’t believe it’s a PC. Expand your workspace with dual display with up to 4K resolution, giving you the ability to expand your desktop workspace and multitask on two displays without the need for an additional VGA card. In spite of its compact dimensions, LIVA Q1D is designed to feature an internal cooling fan to prevent overheating. It can keep your system stay cool and more reliable. LIVA Q1D comes equipped with integrated Intel HD Graphics 500/505, so you can enjoy watching video and viewing images in stunning 4K resolution. KEY FEATURES: • Dual Display Output – HDMI 2.0/ Display Port • HDMI CEC Support • Up to 4K Resolution • Pocket-size Design • Micro SD Card Extended

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October 2021

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

QNAP TS-873A POWERED BY AMD RYZEN Featuring an AMD Ryzen V1000 series V1500B quad-core processor that delivers great system performance with up to quad-core / 8 threads and Turbo Core up to 2.2 GHz. The TS-873A features two 2.5GbE RJ45 ports and two PCIe Gen 3 slots for you to flexibly deploy 5GbE/10GbE networks. Two M.2 NVMe SSD slots for Qtier Technology and SSD Caching enable constant storage optimization. FEATURES: • High-performance AMD Ryzen processor • 2.5GbE switches supporting Multi-Gigabit NBASE-T • Switch operating systems for optimal data integrity and reliability • Two M.2 NVMe SSD slots for you to enjoy SSD caching • Two PCIe Gen 3x4 slots for various expansion cards • Easy and secure file management • PCIe slots to support high-profile graphics cards • High-speed 2.5GbE VM Backup Solution • Flexible and economical storage expansion • More productivity applications • Extend hardware warranty up to 5 years

LEXAR NM800 M.2 2280 PCIE GEN4X4 NVME SOLID-STATE DRIVE The Lexar Professional NM800 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD, designed for extreme gamers and creative professionals, offers maximum SSD performance with speeds of up to 7400MB/s read and 5800MB/s write1. It is backward compatible with PCIe 3.0 and supported by the PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe 1.4 technology standard. PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS: • Superior speed PCIe Gen4x4 interface: 7400MB/s read and 5800MB/s write1 – NVMe 1.4, with M.2 2280 form factor • Get 12.7x the speed of a SATA-based SSD3 • Designed for hardcore gamers and creative professionals • Features LDPC (Low-Density Parity Check) • Shock and vibration resistant with no moving parts2 • Designed with a heat dissipation label that keeps your computer cool CAPACITIES: • 512GB (up to 7000MB/s read, 3000MB/s write) • 1TB (up to 7400MB/s read, 5800MB/s write)

October 2021

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KODAK INFUSE - SMART, CONNECTED, SCANNING SOLUTION Kodak INfuse is a standalone, network connected, enterprise grade scanning solution designed to efficiently submit content into business processes and real-time acknowledgement is received at the point of scanning. The system does not require a PC to operate and setup is via a single QR code sheet unique to the customer, so configuration takes seconds to complete. The Kodak

INfuse Solution integrates directly with a host of business applications and enables customers to carry out tasks in hours which, in the past, may have taken days to complete.

SPECIFICATIONS: • Throughput Speed • Daily Volume • Feeder Capacity • Connectivity • Max. Document Size • Min. Document Size • Max. OCR • Environmental

80 ppm / 160 ipm Up to 12,000 pages per day Up to 80 sheets of 80 g/m² USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 USB 2.0 compatible Wireless Network 802.11 b/g/n 10/100 Ethernet 216 mm x 3000 mm 52 mm x 52 mm 600 dpi EPEAT Gold Award

PRODUCT SHOWCASE

ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

D-LINK EAGLE PRO AI SERIES The EAGLE PRO AI Series brings AI-enhanced capabilities to optimize your Wi-Fi, and the AI Assistant to intelligently monitor network usage to give simple, actionable recommendations to keep your network at peak performance for everyone in the family. Get the EAGLE PRO AI Series in your home and experience the power and convenience of AI-powered Wi-Fi. D-Link’s new EAGLE PRO AI Series features a comprehensive range of routers to fulfill everyone’s needs for home Wi-Fi and 4G Wi-Fi. Equipped with Wi-Fi 6 Technology, the R15 AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 Smart Router, M15 AX1500 Mesh Router, and E15 AX1500 Mesh Range Extender deliver up to four times more capacity and 40% throughput increase than Wi-Fi 5. Wi-Fi 6 enables uninterrupted, high-quality online experiences for today’s generation of users who demand

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simultaneous connection of multiple devices at home. The R03, R04, and R12 Wi-Fi AI Routers are entrylevel devices for emerging markets that provide the latest WPA3 security encryption for more secure connectivity. The EAGLE PRO AIseries also includes 4G AI Routers G415 and G416, as well as entry-level models G403 and G412, all with two built-in external LTE antennas.

FEATURES: • AI Mesh Optimizer • AI Wi-Fi Optimizer • AI Traffic Optimizer • AI Parental Controls • AI Assistant

October 2021

AFRICA

ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

EXPANDING HORIZONS Headquartered in Cairo, Raya Holding for Financial Investments is an investment conglomerate managing a diversified investment portfolio across continents.TECHx Africa caught up with Mr. Medhat Khalil, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Raya Holding, who spoke about business developments and Raya’s operational expansions. What is the vision of the company, and how does it plan to enhance its presence on the global map of Egypt's IT industry? Raya Holding for Financial Investments manages more than 14 sectors, and we constantly try to expand our business in various sectors. Our strategy for 2020 and 2021 specifically targeted expansions in the areas of “financial inclusion,” “manufacturing,” “trade and distribution,” and “contact centres.” Indeed, it was decided to increase our investments during the current year, with a value of up to 700 million Egyptian pounds ($44,553,635) to reach more than 8 billion Egyptian pounds this year. How do you plan to be a part of the vision of digital transformation and financial inclusion in Egypt? We are following the state's vision and direction regarding digital transformation and financial inclusion. Since its establishment, Raya has always been keen on opportunities in emerging fields. We established Aman Holding Company at the beginning of the year with a capital of 375 million Egyptian pounds and strengthened the three subsidiaries of Aman. We are currently working on issuing securitization bonds worth 500 million pounds ($32 million) before the end of this year. We also plan to list Aman shares on the stock exchange by the end of this year or early next year. Currently, Aman Holding Company is establishing three new subsidiaries, including Aman Consumer Finance with a capital of 110 million pounds, Aman Securitization with a capital of 5 million pounds, and Aman for financing small and medium enterprises through Aman Microfinance Company.

October 2021

In what ways does the company evaluate the investment climate in the ICT industry in Egypt and on the African continent? In recent years, the company has seen a notable increase in the volume of its business related to servicing the telecommunications sector and the banking sector, as a result of the implementation of many successful projects with all of the telecommunications companies operating on the Egyptian market. We designed and implemented a large number of projects related to network development and modernisation, increasing the capacity of the Internet, and the growth rate of our ATM projects and solutions, as our market share in the field of supplying and operating ATMs reached 45%. Currently, the company has four regional offices based in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf region and East Africa. Raya Holding has recently moved towards manufacturing. What are its outputs and your plans for expansion in the manufacturing sector? Through Haier Raya Electric, we started production of General Electric air conditioners at the beginning of the year in cooperation with Haier International. To encourage local production, we decided that the production process would be based on the local component by 60%, and the factory currently produces 70,000 air conditioners per year, and the investment cost of the project is about 250 million pounds, and our plan includes adding another production line soon. Also, we are collaborating with Haier to manufacture television screens with a 60% local component. We launched our brand Sary and it is expected to be very popular. On the

Medhat Khalil Chairman, Board of Directors, Raya Holding

other hand, Raya Otto produces the most famous electric motorcycles in the world, with a production capacity of 2500 Watts. The trend towards manufacturing electric vehicles stems from national policy on clean energy and reducing carbon emissions. What about the new markets you plan to target in 2022? Our subsidiary, Raya for Trade and Distribution, which pumps 60% of the total revenues of Raya Holding, is looking to expand in the Sudanese market, but we are waiting for the stability of the capital market, improvement in prices, and an increase in trading values. These endeavours enhance our presence in Africa, along with our expansions in Nigeria, and we are also working there to increase our branches and products that cover all major cities in the Nigerian states.

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AFRICA

ONE STOP MEDIA PLATFORM FOR TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY

DIGITAL EGYPT MAKES A DIFFERENCE In an exclusive interview with TECHx Review, Egypt’s Minister of Communications explains how ‘Digital Egypt’ has helped the country in the testing times of the pandemic. Information and Communication Technology sector has witnessed rapid progress in Egypt in the last two years, and its contribution to the national economy is poised to double in the next three years, said Dr. Amr Talaat, Minister of Communications. The minister told TECHx Review that telecommunications contribute about 4.8 billion Egyptian pounds to the national economy, which is about 4.5% and is slated to contribute about 8 percent within three years. He said that the telecommunications industry has been one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the country for the past two years, increasing at a rate of about 16 percent annually. He also said that the government is keen to create a “Digital Egypt”, making most of the official transactions ‘paperless’. “Digital transformation in Egypt is a trend that receives very serious attention and work from the government,” he said.

SOARING DIGITAL EXPORTS In terms of Egyptian digital exports, Talaat said: “We exported digital products worth $2.8 billion last year, which was an increase of 16 percent over previous years, thanks to the large IT skills pool that the country has.” He contributed to the hike in IT exports to three factors: international businesses’ preference of Egypt as their regional hub, local IT firms and the freelancers and startups. The minister said that in a study the

October 2021

government conducted with the help of an international consultancy, it emerged that Egypt has huge potential in call centres, outsourcing centres, automation, data analysis, artificial intelligence, electronic design, and integrated programs for hardware, modern equipment, cars, etc. He said the government’s decision to invest over 30 billion Egyptian pounds in IT infrastructure in the country during the pandemic paid off. “The Dr. Amr Talaat World Bank issued a report recently Minister of Communications praising Egypt’s for its digitisation Egypt drive, and ranked Egypt among the fastest developing countries.” launched an initiative to train 10,000 African youth and launch In the Knowledge City that the country 100 companies, and we are just is building, there are research centres about to complete training that large and the first university in Africa which number, despite the challenges of specializes in Information Technology. the pandemic. Furthermore, we “We have training centres, and established an academy within facilities for global companies coming the National Telecommunications in at the Knowledge City.” He said the Regulatory Authority to cooperate fact that the city is in the heart of the with similar agencies in several country’s administrative capital shows African countries to provide them the importance Egypt gives to the with the needed expertise.” industry. There are submarine cables owned by DIGITISATION OF Egypt across the African continent, GOVERNMENT SERVICES providing communication and He said that digitisation lies at the heart information technology services, of the ministry’s strategy, with the as well as the "HARP" system launch of the Digital Egypt platform implemented in Africa by Telecom earlier this year. “We aim to provide Egypt to create a link between all 200 services to facilitate all sectors of African states, including coastal and the Egyptian people.” landlocked ones. The minister said that Egypt regards cooperation with all African countries as an important part of its strategy. “President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi

He added that the country has agreements with several African governments to assist them in digitising their government services.

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AFRICA

‘MUSEUM TECHNOLOGY PAVILION TO BE THE HIGHLIGHT OF ICT CAIRO’ Over 100,000 people expected to visit the expo’s silver jubilee edition this year This year Cairo ICT will celebrate its silver jubilee, making it one of the most important technology conferences in the world. It is scheduled to take place in Cairo, on Nov. 15-18, 2021 A large number of local, regional and international companies in the field of information technology, artificial intelligence, cyber security and related sectors are participating in the event, which is a global networking opportunity. Despite the pandemic and travel restrictions, ICT Cairo expects about 100,000 visitors. Osama Kamal, president of Trade Fairs International, organizers of ICT Cairo, told TECHx Africa that the highlight of this year’s edition is the Museum Tech pavilion, which will showcase digital museum technology from around the world. Kamal said that in the last quarter of a century the Cairo event has had all aspects of digital transformation, education, e-government, real estate, transportation, smart cities, etc., through seminars, conferences and workshops. Kamal praised Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s support and for attending the exhibition for six consecutive years, saying that the president’s personal interest goes a long way in reflecting the government’s policy is backing the digital transformation and the country’s efforts in playing a leading role in it.

October 2021

Osama Kamal President of Trade Fairs International

Kamal said: “The president’s interest in attending the event has always motivated all agencies, sectors, and ministries to participate and explore the opportunities to build partnerships and associations with local and international service providers.” Kamal felt that the country needs to have more rapid progress in telecommunication sector. “The sector has accomplished some steps, but frankly, the pace of achievement in the telecommunications sector is much less than what is achieved in many other sectors.”

He said that Egypt has the expertise and opportunity to work with other countries in Africa in the field of communication technology in government and private sectors. “The opportunity is very favorable and is available to everyone to build effective and fair partnerships in which each country can complement each other. Exhibitions and conferences such as ICT Cairo would help stimulate the forces of innovation across the continent to reduce the digital divide between African countries and the rest of the world.”

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EMPOWERING YOUTH

Eng. Mohamed Abboud, Chairman of the GIE Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, tells TECHX Africa the plans of the foundation and how important it is to be at GITEX.

What are GIE’s initiatives at GITEX this time? GITEX is a good opportunity to bridge the gap between the requirements of the labor market, skills of graduates, and the vision of governments. GIE has various aspects of cooperation with the UAE government. We are responsible for organising the UAE Hackathon in partnership with the UAE TRA for two years as well as the UAE IoT Challenge, which has been planned for Oct 17 at GITEX. The GIA’s initiative at the event includes linking the role of innovation and youth in the development of society and to facilitate the cooperation between universities, industries and governments, including Egypt, the KSA, the UAE, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between the capabilities of graduates and the needs of the labor market, especially since the outbreak of the pandemic. We are facing many urgent requirements from fresh graduates to develop various sectors, including e-learning, smart transportation, and digital services

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needed by Arab and regional societies.

Emirates in 2020.

Can you explain your road to Africa via IoT & AI Technologies? Africa has many attractive possibilities for the innovation and entrepreneurship system. We have been working on this since 2013, and today we have a clear vision to enhance our presence and presence in the African continent in cooperation with leading companies in infrastructure and digital transformation.

The IoT and AI challenge is now being held at the Arab level with the participation of four countries— the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Palestine. IoT & AI Challenge Africa was launched in 2020, while we had planned only for five countries to participate more than 12 countries participated, including Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, and Ghana along with IEEE.

The IoT & AI Challenge was launched in 2016, and we worked with Etisal Association, Alexandria University, and the Japanese University, Academy of Scientific Research, Academy of Maritime Transport, and a few other distinguished partners. In the second year, many research papers and more than 125 graduation projects for STEM school students were completed. The program continued in 2019 with distinguished participation from the University of Dubai. The decision was taken to transfer the conference to the United Arab

AFRICA

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The winners of the Africa Challenge will compete in the final challenge that will be held on October 21 in Dubai, in partnership with a wide range of Arab and Emirati institutions and bodies with the aim of encouraging acceleration of the transition to digital transformation in governments across the region. The challenge comes as a serious step in the process of supporting the economic system in the Middle East and Africa in the field of technology as we seek to develop digital economy, especially in the field of smart cities and related key sectors.

October 2021

AFRICA

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NORTH AND WEST AFRICA IS OUR NEXT STOP’

MCS Holding Group is firming up its position as a complete provider of cybersecurity solutions and applications in the Egyptian market through a selection of channel partners who represent major manufacturers and developers of latest technology worldwide. The company’s expansion drive is in sync with the country’s policy on digital transformation and creating an investor-friendly climate. TECHx Africa met up with Eng. Tariq Shabakah, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Group, who highlighted the company’s vision at the local and regional levels, and the vast opportunities in the African Continent for local investors. How has the government’s digital transformation policy helped MCS’s growth? The Egyptian government has succeeded in keeping pace with the changes in investment patterns in various business sectors. It has been proactive in creating a digital ecosystem for all businesses and people-government transactions. The data and cyber security system have paved the way for companies like MCS to contribute significantly to the government’s vision and integration of various stakeholders in society. With the arrival of the digital transformation across all major sectors, our list of clients now includes various government agencies, including a number of ministries and major agencies. In the private sector, banks have become MCS’s prominent clients, in addition to telecommunications companies, petroleum services, etc. Can you tell us about the positioning of MCS in the African market? Apart from our prominent position in the Egyptian market, with both public and private sector clients, MCS now has its presence in 11 African countries, especially in the cybersecurity sector, and leads the way for Egypt. MCS brings world-class products and solutions to these

October 2021

Tariq Shabakah Chairman of the Board of Directors, MCS Holding Group African countries through channel partnerships. We are currently working in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Libya and Sudan. In the next stage, we aim to focus on investing in North African countries such as Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Our business partners are international companies with whom we work to enhance their business by transferring technical knowledge about solutions, products and services to our customers in Egypt and the African continent. Over the past eight years, MCS has been working with some of the global leaders in cybersecurity, and now we have 16 of them as our channel partners. We are able to provide an integrated system of cyber security for our clients in African countries. In the first quarter of 2023, we will be announcing the launch of our first environment-friendly small building in El Shorouk City, Cairo. The building, which has an area of 5000 square meters, is being built with the most modern innovative and sustainable technologies. The building boasts of many competitive technical advantages, most notably energy-saving methods. While 25 percent of the building’s space will be allocated to MCS, 75 percent will be available for rent.

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SIMPLIFYING TRANS

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17 - 21 OCT 2021 DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

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October 2021