Reseller Middle East March 2016

ISSUE 231 | march 2016

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Channel masters

Channel prospects in cybersecurity

RSA’s Robert Griffin on the threat landscape

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise’s channel roadmap

Top vendor channel executives who are redefining the regional IT landscape.

Connect.Share.Give.Take.Solve.Save.Smile.Unify.Introducing Unify.Unifying business communications for the new way to work.

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cover story

ISSUE 231 // march 2016

HigHligHts6 News

We help you catch up on all the major

news and announcements in the regional channel community.

opinion

31 Business enabler

Sachin Bhardwaj of eHosting DataFort, explains how the IoT will drive demand for cloud and managed IT services.

interview

32 Strategy for security

RobertGriffin,ChiefSecurityArchitect, Security Evangelist, RSA, shares insights on how organisations can strengthen their security posture.

Feature46 Combatting cyber threats

Reseller ME investigates how channel partners can maximise opportunities present in cybersecurity.

vendor Focus50 Fortifying partnerships

MorenoCiboldiandMarcoPascullifrom Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise discuss the channel roadmap for 2016.

review

Hot products

contents

35

5554 Philips launches 43-inch 4K Ultra HD monitor

Linksys unveils Max Stream EA7500

57 SanDisk Ultra USB Type-C

Samsung flaunts new Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge

Lumia 950 XL

Connect.Share.Give.Take.Solve.Save.Smile.Unify.Introducing Unify.Unifying business communications for the new way to work.

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Copyright © Unify GmbH & Co. KG, 2015

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cHannel mastersReseller MEprofilestopvendorchannelexecutives whose primary responsibility involves interacting with channel partners and ensuring they are given all the support required in order to be the company’s representative in the market. We take a closer look at their role and how they are shaping the regional channel ecosystem.

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Here is some good news in the midst of all doom and gloom. According to Gartner, the Middle East IT spending is projected to reach $212.9 billion this year, registering a 3.7 percent growth compared to 2015. Despite the economic uncertainty at both global and local levels, the research firm predicts positive IT growth, spurred by Smart City initiatives and adoption of Internet of Things.

Surprisingly, Gartner says devices will account for 19 percent of total IT spending, with tablets and PCs showing a good momentum. This should be a big relief to distributors and resellers focused on this segment, as the PC market has seen a sharp decline over the last couple of years. Tablets and PC sales are forecast to reach nearly $8 billion this year, and exceed $10 billion in 2018. Mobile phone sales are expected to grow from $30 billion to nearly $37 billion by 2019.

In the forecast, Gartner says business IT services will represent 84 percent of the total services segment, which remains largely untapped by VARs in the region. Within software, enterprise application software is expected to clock the largest growth in the forecast period. However, for those focused on the infrastructure side, Gartner predicts the data centre market will remain relatively flat this year, which includes networking, external storage and servers.

Perhaps, most importantly, Gartner says industries are building their own platforms, and 10 years from now the definition of vertical industries may not work and we will talk about connected eco-systems. IT budgets are flattening out from a global perspective and enterprise IT spending in GCC is likely to remain static this year. Already, governments and verticals such as energy have started to re-prioritise their IT budgets with the focal point being cost optimisation and process efficiencies. With hardware becoming a commodity, the research firm predicts the software market will explode and it’s where the real changing is happening. I think that’s where the channel should be focusing on over the next decade.

Jeevan ThankappanGroup Editor

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Help AG has announced changes to its go-to-market strategies with secure access solutions vendor,PulseSecure,to

capitalise on the region’s growing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and enterprise mobility market.

By strengthening its ties with the vendor, Help AG aims to become the biggestpartnerforPulseSecureintheUAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.“Mobileapplicationsareredefiningthe

enterprise user experience, giving workers anytime access to corporate information. At the same time, due to improper managementandineffectivesecuritytoolsand policies, these devices are becoming the weakest link in enterprise IT security. We want our customers to leverage the benefitsofBYODwhilesecuringtheirdata

Help AG, Pulse Secure revise BYOD market strategy

Al-Jammaz Distribution was recently recognised as the Emerging Regional and Specialty Distributor of theyear2015byCisco.

Ciscohostedits annual Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEAR) Distribution BusinessForuminViennalastDecember 2015 under the theme ‘Embrace the Journey’. The event focused on the rapidly evolving technology journey and how distributors can join the vendor every step of the way to ensure continued business impact and profitability.

Asim S. AlJammaz, VicePresident,Al-Jammaz Distribution, said, “During the GlobalPartnereventheld for the EMEA region, our efforts have been recognised byCisco.Wearereally honoured to be

named as the Emerging Regional and Specialty Distributor for 2015. This award not only recognises the work that Al-Jammaz does, it also reiterates the great commitment andsupportthatCisco’schannel,commercial, and mid-market teams have been showing to partners like us.

Al-Jammaz Distribution recognised by Cisco

Xerox to separate into two public companies

Nicolai Solling, help aG; and John mitchell, Pulse Secure

asim alJammaz, al-Jammaz Distribution

and mitigating the threat of data leakage andloss,”saidNicolaiSolling,DirectorofTechnologyServices,HelpAG.“PulseSecurehassignificantlyrefresheditsproductlinethrough 2015. The enhancements to its mobilitysolutionsofferbusinessestheflexibilitytodeliversimple,seamless,andsecure on-demand connectivity to mobile and remote workers.”HelpAGbelievesthePulseWorkspace

solution’s ‘containerised’ approach of segmenting corporate and employee data, apps, and connectivity is key to addressing privacy issues plaguing the security of employee owned devices. The solution encrypts all data at rest, controls data sharing between enterprise apps, wipes corporatedatawithoutaffectingpersonalinformation, and connects directly to the enterpriseVPN.

The Board of the company has unanimously approved the management’s plan to separate Xerox into two independent publicly- traded companies.

“Xeroxistakingfurtheraffirmativesteps to drive shareholder value by announcing it will separate into two strong, independent, publicly traded companies,”saidUrsulaBurns,ChairmanandChiefExecutiveOfficer,Xerox.“Thesetwo companies will be well-positioned to lead in their respective rapidly evolving markets and capitalise on the opportunities that now exist to expand margins and increase market share.

“Iamconfidentthattheextensivestructural review we conducted over the last few months has produced the right path forward for our company. We will now position the companies for success and execute our plan to separate them in the shortest possible timeframe while continuing to focus on achieving our 2016 goals,” said Burns.

According to Xerox, the Document Technology arm will continue to be a global leader in document management and document outsourcing with approximately $11 billion in 2015 revenue. Meanwhile, theBusinessProcessOutsourcing(BPO)arm of the company will be tasked to helpclientsimprovetheflowofworkby leveraging its expertise in managing transaction-intensive processes and applying innovations to automate and simplify business processes. With approximately $7 billion in 2015 revenue, theBPOdivisionofthecompanywillbefocused on growth markets including transportation, healthcare, commercial and government services.

The leadership and names of the two companies will be determined as the separation process progresses.

hIghLIghTS

$30BFORECASTED MIDDLE EAST

MOBILE SALES gROwTh IN 2016SOURCE: gARTNER

6march 2016 Reseller Middle East www.resellerme.com

Bit9+CarbonBlackannounced its official re-brandingtoCarbonBlack. According to the company, while the

name has changed, no changes will be made to the its strategy, product portfolio, technology direction and investments, and commitment to its 2,000 worldwide customers and hundreds of partners.

“Two years ago when Bit9 merged withCarbonBlack,wecombinedour names to send a message to themarket,”saidPatrickMorley,

Bit9 + Carbon Black re-brands to Carbon Black

CEO,CarbonBlack.“Wewantedtoemphasise that Bit9, well known for its superior endpoint threat prevention, was joining with an emerging leader in endpoint threat detection and response. The combined name was always meant to be temporary until weachievedleadershipinthefieldofnext-generation endpoint security. Having reached that goal it’s time to simplify our brand.”

The company also changed namesofitsproductstoreflecttheCarbonBlackbrand–theBit9SecurityPlatformisnowCarbonBlackEnterpriseProtection;theCarbonBlackproductisnowCarbonBlackEnterpriseResponse;andtheThreatIntelligenceCloudisnowCarbonBlackThreatIntel.

“Other than the new names, there are no changes to the technology, the release schedule, the strategic plan, or anything else related to our products,” said Morley.

Qualys signs Ixtel as premium partner

hadi Jaafarawi, Qualys middle East

Patrick morley, carbon Black

Qualys announced that Ixtel has signed up to become a one of it premium partner in the UAE.

As a premium partner, Ixtel will now offertheQualysCloudPlatformandintegrated suite of security solutions.

With a mission to be the ‘virtual service provider of choice for the GCC’sleadingorganisations’IxteloffersarangeofservicesfromITstrategy, IT consultancy, systems integration, as well as outsourcing IT business functions.

According to Ixtel, becoming a strategic business partner of Qualys enablesthemtoexpandtheirofferingto include cloud security, vulnerability management and compliance cloud solutions. Ixtel is set to integrate its managed security services portfolio with Qualys’ portfolio to help customerseffectivelyunderstandpotential IT security threats and help them mitigate those risks.

“Our relationship with Ixtel helps us to strengthen and grow the Qualys’ business in the UAE,” said Hadi Jaafarawi, Managing Director, Qualys Middle East. “Ixtel is well-known for its exceptional expertise in IT, outstanding customer service and wide customer base in a number of industries, including oil and gas and government security, which provides Qualys and Ixtel the ability to help these customers strengthen their cyber defences against attacks.”

PCCIGroup,acustomerexperienceand operations outsourcing provider in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, has recently announced that it has relocated its international headquarters toCentralParkTowersinDubaiInternationalFinancialCentre(DIFC).

According to the Group, the expansion is in response to the strong client demand and customer base in the Middle East, which it has witnessed in the last quarter.

ThroughitsofficeinDIFC,PCCIGroup will provide a tailored end-to-end customer experience strategy design, in combination with outsourced operational delivery solutions, to customers in the UAE and across the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

“In line with our global expansion plan,PCCIGroupispleasedtoannounce the opening of our newest

officeatDIFC.Dubai,beingthegateway between the East and the West, attracts top professional talent, which makes it the perfect location for our global headquarters. In addition,DIFCisaperfectfitforthePCCIGroupheadquartersandourcustomers,asitoffersadvancedinfrastructure in a stable and secure environment, with a world-class regulatory and legal framework,” explainedNidalKamouni,CEO,PCCIGroup. “We are excited about the next stage of our expansion plan, as we move forward with the execution ofourstrategytoofferfullcustomerexperience delivery solutions, which will enable our customers to not only enhance their total customer life cycle, but also assist them in becoming market leaders in an efficientandprofitablemanner.”

PCCI Group opens new office in DIFC


Cisco has announced its plans to acquire Jasper Technologies, to help enterprises and service providers launch,

manage and monetise IoT services on a global scale.

Under the terms of the proposed acquisition,Ciscowillpay$1.4billionincash and assumed equity awards, plus additional retention based incentives.

Jasper is an IoT service platform used by a number of enterprises and service providers. The company develops and provides SaaS platforms with a recurring revenue IoT business that manages and drives a wide range of connected devices and services for more than 3500 enterprises worldwide. Jaspert also works with 27 service provider groups globally.

“I am excited about the opportunity forCiscoandJaspertoacceleratehowcustomers recognise the value of the InternetofThings,”saidChuckRobbins,

Cisco announces intent to acquire Jasper Technologies

hIghLIghTS

Oracle has unveiled a new Oracle PartnerNetwork(OPN)CloudProgrammetohelppartnersaccelerate the growth of their Oracle Cloudbusinessbyprovidingthemwithtechnical and go-to-market support.

“OPNnowoffersacomprehensiveportfolio of cloud programmes availabletoday,”saidShawnPrice,SeniorVicePresident,OracleCloud.

“Our rapid growth and extensive SaaS,PaaSandIaaScloudportfoliopresents an unparalleled opportunity for partners and customers alike. We can now equip our highly experienced partners with the tools they need to successfully move their customers to modern business models. This vast partner community includes tens of thousands of implementation experts with transferable skills who can help our customers navigate their transition to the cloud.”

Programmequalificationswillbebased on critical cloud performance metrics including the partners’ cloud specialisations, applications on the OracleCloudMarketplace,CloudFixedScopeofferings,successfulgo-livecloud implementations, cloud success stories, dedicated cloud focused resources and expertise, as well as other metrics that demonstrate masteryinOracleCloudsolutions.

According to Oracle, the fourtiersofthenewOPNclouddesignationsareCloudStandard,the first tier in the programme where cloud partners can begin to differentiate themselves in the market;CloudSelect,whichisfor partners that have achieved aCloudspecialisationand/oraredeveloping and selling Oracle Cloudtechnologiesorservices;CloudPremier,thethirdtieroftheprogramme, reflects partners who have transformed their business to focus specifically on driving theirOracleCloudsolutionswithsuccessful and repeatable customer usecases;andCloudElite,which is the highest programme designation, which is for highly-skilled and committed partners that have demonstrated full investment in a depth and breadth of Oracle Cloudsolutions.

Oracle debuts four-tier cloud-focused partner programme

ChiefExecutiveOfficer,Cisco.“Together,we can enable service providers, enterprises and the broader ecosystem to connect, automate, manage, and analyse billions of connected things, across any network, creating new revenue streams and opportunities.”

According to reports, the acquisition willallowCiscotoofferacompleteIoTsolution that is interoperable across devices and works with IoT service providers, application developers andanecosystemofpartners.Ciscowill continue to build upon the Jasper

IoT service platform and add new IoT services such as enterprise Wi-Fi, security for connected devices, and advanced analytics to better manage device usage.

JasperCEOJahangirMohammedwill run the new IoT Software Business UnitunderRowanTrollope,SeniorVicePresidentandGeneralManager,IoTandCollaborationTechnologyGroup,Cisco.The acquisition is expected to close in thethirdquarteroffiscalyear2016,subject to customary closing conditions.

98%OF MOBILE DATA TRAFFIC IN 2020 wILL BE gENERATED FROM SMART DEvICES

SOURCE: CISCO

chuck robbins, cisco

Shawn Price, Oracle


“For More information on Aruba, kindly email us on [email protected]”

which include eight in the UAE, and 17 inKSA.

“Today’s customers are looking to maximise value for their investments. More than economic value, after-sales services are becoming recognised as an important factor when purchasing a device,” said Faisal Al Bannai, Managing Director, axiom. “We are pleased to be an authorised service centre for 16

global mobile brands, and our holistic strategy has been tailored to cater to the needs of our customers to ensure a pleasant experience with their chosen mobile brand.”

International brands covered by axiom care include Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Blackberry, Lenovo and Microsoft, in addition to luxury mobile brands,suchasGivoriandVertu.

hIghLIghTS

axiom care announced that it will continue to expanditsofferingamidagrowing demand for quality post-sales support

among customers.Repair time and excellent after-

sales service are among the top five most important factors that more than two-thirds of UAE customers (74percent),considerwhenmakinga purchase, according to a 2015 YouGov survey commissioned by axiom telecom.

In response to these recent customer demands, axiom care said thatitisreaffirmingitscommitmentto quality after-sales assistance by offeringarangeofcomprehensiveservices, from software and hardware services, to express repairs, extended warranty, damage insurance, pick-up and delivery, and more across its more than 25 service points in the region,

axiom care expands services in the GCC

ALE, operating under the Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise brand, last month held its annual regional partner event in Dubai.

Accordingtothefirm,theeventwas dedicated to strengthening and driving growth between the companyanditsBusinessPartners.The theme of the 2016 event ‘Own it!’ encouraged partners to consider how to deliver top technology offeringsthatmeettheneedsoftoday’s businesses.

During the event, key ALE partners were also awarded for outstanding performance in 2015. The winners from the Middle East region included Redington Gulf, UAE astheNewDistributoroftheYear;Intraconsult Telecom, Egypt wins the ProjectoftheYearaward;Al-FuttaimTechnologies, UAE was named as

ALE honours regional business partners at annual event

The UAE roadshow also celebrated a number of top individuals from the following partners in the lower gulf region for their sales and technical achievementsin2015–FVC,UAE;AlFuttaimTechnologies,UAE;OHITelecommunications,Oman;RedingtonGulf,UAE;Telephony,UAE;and Tuqnia, UAE. The roadshow will continuewitheventsinQatar,Kuwaitand Saudi Arabia later this quarter in the Middle East.

Baher Ezzat, Regional Director, Middle East, ALE, said, “We feel these events showcase our commitment to our partners by awarding some of the key achievers from last year and also provide them with insight into our performance in 2015. Over the course of the two-day event, we conveyed what we wanted to achieve this year andhowsignificanttheircontributionwill be. The event also acted as a platform for partners to provide feedback on how together we can have another year of success.”

ConvergedPartneroftheYear;Inter-tech,QatarbagstheDataNetworkPartneroftheYeartitle;andIntercolDyarco, Qatar wins the Hospitality PartneroftheYearaward.

“We feel these events showcase our

commitment to our partners by awarding some of the key achievers from last year and also provide them with insight into our performance in 2015.”


ManageEngine announced key process automation and security

enhancements to its client management suite, Desktop Central.

Available immediately, the company highlighted that the new features include an iOS mobile app for managing desktops and monitoring their performance on-the-go, a two-factor authentication login system for IT administrators, an HTML5 viewer for remote desktop control that requires no additional plugs or installation, and .EXE block for Windows.

ManageEngine enhances Desktop Central

hIghLIghTS

Ingram Micro to be acquired by China-based Tianjin Tianhai

“We understand that process automation and security are two of the most important desktop management requirements for IT administrators,” said Mathivanan Venkatachalam,DirectorofProductManagement,DesktopCentral,ManageEngine. “The

new updates will simplify their regular chores such as deploying commonly used software and troubleshooting, while focusing on providing maximum security.”

ManageEngine explained that theDesktopCentralaimstoaddress

mathivanan Venkatachalam,

manageEngine

Ingram micro hQ

California-headquarteredIngramMicroandChina-basedTianjinTianhaiInvestmentCompanyhaveenteredintoadefinitivemergeragreement under which Tianjin Tianhai will acquire Ingram Micro for $38.90 per share in an all-cash transaction with an equity value of approximately $6.0 billion.

Upon close of the merger, Ingram MicrowillbecomeapartofHNAGroup, a Hainan-based Fortune Global 500 enterprise group and a leader in aviation, tourism and

logistics and the largest stockholder of Tianjin Tianhai. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by both Ingram Micro’s and Tianjin Tianhai’s boards of directors, represents a premium of approximately 39 percent over the average closing share price of Ingram Micro for the 30 trading days ended 16th February 2016.

Following the close of the transaction, which is expected in the second half of 2016, Ingram Micro will operate as a subsidiary of Tianjin Tianhai,consolidatedunderHNAGroup, the largest stockholder of Tianjin Tianhai(viaHNAGroup’ssubsidiaries).Ingram Micro is expected to remain headquarteredinIrvine,California,andIngram Micro’s executive management team will remain in place, with Alain MoniécontinuingtoleadasCEO.AllIngram Micro lines of business and all regional and country operations are expectedtocontinueunaffected.

AlainMonié,CEO,IngramMicro,said,“OuragreementtojoinHNAGroupdelivers near-term and compelling cash value to our stockholders and

we expect it to provide exciting new opportunities for our vendors, customers and associates. Innovation, new services introduction, brand management and ensuring the stability and continuity of the businesses joining their enterprise are fundamentaltoHNAGroup’soverallstrategy.AsapartofHNAGroup,we will have the ability to accelerate strategic investment, as we continue to capitalise on the constant evolution of technology and emerging trends by adding expertise, capabilities and geographic reach. Additionally, Ingram Micro will now be part of a larger organisation that has complementary logistics capabilities and a strong presenceinChinathatcanfurthersupportthegrowthandprofitabilityobjectives of our vendor and customer partners.”

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals in various jurisdictions, as well as the approval of Ingram Micro’s and Tianjin Tianhai’s stockholders and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

$971.8PREDICTED gROwTh OF MANAgED AND DATA CENTRE SERvICES

MARkETS IN ThE UAE BY 2018SOURCE: IDC

concerns with asset security and auditing as well as streamline processes such as software deployment and troubleshooting. The new features include a self-service portal, iOS app, HTML5 viewer, a two-factor authentication and a Block .EXE tool.


continue to deliver truly innovative technology. Our customers can control access from outside and inside the perimeter–aboveandbeyondVPNsandfirewalls,protectdataagainstlossand misuse, and easily demonstrate

regulatory compliance. In 2016, we plan to expand into new markets and recognise this includes investing in developing our partner programme in new regions. We are delighted to kickstart these ambitious plans in the Middle East and would like to welcome Global to our growing family of distributor partners.”

MarioM.Veljovic,VicePresidentofSolutionsforMiddleEast and Africa, Global Solutions Network,said,“Weprideourselveson working with partners to develop strong relationships, an ethossharedbyCryptzone.Itssolutions are very exciting and we know that our existing network of partners will tremendously benefitfrombeingabletodeployCryptzonefortheircustomers.”

Cryptzone has unveiled its firstMiddleEastdistributor partner, GlobalSolutionsNetwork,the Solutions Distribution

Arm of Global Distribution.Under the new partnership, Global

willhelpCryptzoneidentify,recruitandtrain systems integrators (SIs) who have the potential and expertise to drive its business forward in the region.

“Information Security organisations are struggling to protect their networks, while simultaneously meeting business user demands for convenient,flexibleaccess.Wecanhelp simplify security and streamline useraccess,”saidAlexPearson,General Manager for EMEA and AsiaPacific,Cryptzone.“In2015ourfocus was primarily developing and enhancing our core products so they

Global, Cryptzone sign Middle East distribution deal

Infor recently announced a new Infor CloudSuitespecialisationprogrammefor alliance partners.

According to the company, the new programme allows partners to complete a series of requirements that result in specialisation credentials, signifying applicable training to help customers move to the Infor cloud. Upon completion of theInforCloudSuitespecialisationprogramme requirements, partners will receive formal validation and acknowledgement from Infor, which differentiatesthealliancepartnerfrom other partners relative to their trainingregardingInforCloudSuite.

“We are pleased to have alliance partners that are specially trained to help meet some of the unique needs of our customers. This programme is designed to help ensure that every customer is able to take advantage of

thespeedandflexibilityofamoderncloud platform, with the added confidenceofatrainedpartnertohelpguide the transition onto an Infor cloud solution,”saidVibhuKapoor,DirectorChannelandAlliancesEcosystem,India, Middle East and Africa, Infor.

To qualify for cloud accreditation, applicants must have an existing InforPartnerNetwork(IPN)allianceagreement and which should in a good standing status. Eligible partners seeking to participate in the programme must complete a four-step validation process consisting of nomination, application, review and award. To begin the nomination process, eligible partners can request a programme application from an Infor Alliance manager, who will then provide a checklist of requirements and initiate the process. Eligible alliance partners that have solution

Infor announces Cloudsuite programme for alliance partners

mario m. Veljovic, Global Solutions Network

experience, have completed the required training and have a successful track record of customer implementations, including assisting customers transitioning to cloud willreceivetheirInforCloudSuitespecialisationcredential.PartnersthatareawardedInforCloudSuitespecialisation credential will be granted the following entitlements: aHookandLoopCloudSuitelogoandacertificateofrecognition,acknowledgement in the quarterly InforPRNewswire,andwillhavetheirspecialisation highlighted on the Infor PartnerFinder.

Vibhu Kapoor, Infor


Sophos has announced its participation in the Gulf Information Security ExpoandConference(GISEC)2016.

During the event the company will featureSophosSecurityHeartbeat–thesynchronised security protection for endpoints and networks, and showcase its security solutions including Sophos SG Firewall,XGFirewallandCyberoamNGServices.

HarishChib,VicePresident,Middle East and Africa for Sophos, said,“GISEC,beingtheregion’sleading IT security exhibition, is a perfect platform for us to promote Security Heartbeat, our synchronised security technology to our Middle East customers. By automating threat discovery, investigation and response, Sophos’ synchronised security vision revolutionises threat detection and reduces incident response times

Sophos to showcase Security Heartbeat at GISEC

Infoblox will be demonstrating its critical network services and solutions that protect DomainNameSystem(DNS)infrastructureatGISEC2016.

CherifSleiman,General Manager, Middle East, Infoblox, said, “Our solutions reduce the risk and complexity of networking. The company’s solutions automate network-control functions to reduce costs and maximise uptime, and they protect against the rising flood of malware and distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. From discovery, configuration

andcompliancetoDNS,DHCP,andIPaddressmanagement, our technology automates and simplifies complex processes.

From our highly secure hardware form factor, to our hardened OS, to the variety of security features in our

applications—no other network control vendor focuses more on security than Infoblox,” he said.

Infoblox will be exhibiting at GISECfromtheHelpAGstandnumber B-100 located in Sheikh Rashid Hall, Dubai World Trade Centre.

InfobloxtodemonstateitsDNSSecuritySolutionsatGISEC2016

Cisco announces participation at GISEC 2016

exponentially so tactical resources can be refocused on strategic analysis. Through presentations and demos at our stand, we plan to give our customersafirst-handexperienceonthebenefitsofsynchronisedsecurity.”

Sophos also plans to showcase the latest versions of its next-generation endpoint and network security solutions.

Sophos will be exhibiting at Stand C-94,HallGISECDivision.Expertsfromthe company will be available at the Sophos stand to interact with customers and channel partners from across the region and share their global experiences and success stories.

Ciscoannounceditsparticipationinthe Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference(GISEC2016)whichwillbeheldatDubaiWorldTradeCentrefrom29th to 31st March 2016.

The company aims to showcase and deliver its ‘Security Everywhere’ strategy–fromthecloud,networkandendpoints with new security products and features and a threat awareness service as organisations execute on their digital transformation.

AccordingtoCisco,theywillbeextending Security Everywhere with new capabilities and services that deliver greater visibility, context and control from the cloud to the network to the endpoint, for organisations of allsizes.AtGISEC2016,thecompanywill demonstrate and showcase how its products and solutions can support its customers safely and securely through digital transformation and how they can weave in the security techniques and deployment as part of it.

Rabih Dabboussi, Managing Director,CiscoUAE,said,“Ourcustomers are asking for a true security architecture where advanced security solutions are a part of an integrated portfolio that shares information and capabilities across the entire platform. I am proud that weatCiscoarespearheadingindustrycollaboration, working with customers tohelpraisetheirconfidenceasoursolutions enable comprehensive approaches to security they want, and frankly, they need.”

Ciscosecurityspecialistsandpartners will be available at stand #C-100

rabih Daboussi, cisco

hIghLIghTS

harish chib, Sophos

cherif Sleiman, Infoblox


SpectramiDMCCandRedHat have recently signed a distributions agreement for the Red Hat JBoss Middleware portfolio and

RedHatMobileApplicationPlatform.Under the terms of the agreement,

Spectrami anticipates training a strong sales and pre-sales team focused on Red Hat JBoss Middleware products. According to the two companies, Spectrami’s‘VendorExtensionModel’–customer facing sales teams who actively selltoend-users–canprovideRedHatwith greater access to customers in the

Spectrami, Red Hat ink distribution agreement

Middle East. The distributor also plans to include Red Hat Mobile Application Platform,whichenablesenterprisesto develop and deploy mobile applicationsinanagileandflexiblemanner, as part of the portfolio of Red Hatproductsitoffers.

The two companies plan to work together to identify channel partners withspecialisedtechnicalproficienciesin middleware. Red Hat resources will be available to assist Spectrami in areas such as technical and sales training, solution design and implementation,aswellasProofofConcept(PoC)deployment.AnandChoudha,ManagingDirector,

Spectrami, said, “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to extend the Red Hat JBoss Middleware portfolio in the Middle East. Open source and middleware are growing and exciting technologies and we believe that regional customers will respond positivelytothisoffering.”

Evanssion partners with Avi Networks

Dilip Kalliyat, Evanssionanand choudha, Spectrami

Evanssion, a regional value-added distributor for cloud transformation and information security solutions, has signed a distribution agreement with Avi Networks,avendorofnext-generationApplicationDeliveryControllers(ADCs).

According to the distributor, the partnership will broaden its product offeringsinitsstrategicpillarsofcloudtransformation and security. Evanssion will now provide enterprise customers from acrosstheregionwithsoftware-definedapplication services while enabling them to accelerate application delivery on-premises or in the cloud with services including application visibility and analytics, micro-segmentation, autoscaling, and self-service for app developers.

“AviNetworksbringsasophisticatedsolutiontotheADCmarketwhichhasbeen quiet for a long time when it comes to innovation. We are excited to beworkingwithAviNetworkstodeliverunprecedented agility in application delivery and insights into application performance and security for private and public cloud environments,” said Dilip Kalliyat,President,Evanssion.“Forward-looking enterprises see the need to drive automation and self-service for application services in the face of multi-cloud networks.WiththeAviVantagePlatform,customers will be able to speed up time-to-marketforcriticalapplications,lowerTCO,and dramatically improve IT services for lines of business.”

As part of the agreement, Evanssion will provide pre-sales, sales, vendor accredited trainings, lead generation support, and a vendor support team for resellers and end-customers.

Ingram Micro has announced enhancementstoitsCiscoXCHANGEprogramme for reseller partners in EMEA region.

TheenhancedXCHANGEprogramme, according to the company, nowoffersgreaterdiscountsacrossallCiscoarchitectures,comprisingrouting, switching, wireless, security, collaboration and data centre. The streamlined process does not require deal registration or approval.

Working with Ingram Micro, resellers are able to deliver life cycle solutions and capture incremental business as they refresh existing customer product withCisco-certifiedsolutionsthroughtheXCHANGEprogramme.

Ingram Micro enhances XCHANGE programme in EMEA

XCHANGEsupportstheenvironmentand contributes to the circular economy by rewarding, with discounts, the removal and destruction of old products from Ciscoandotherselectednetworkingvendors in an environmentally-friendly way and in line with local requirements.

Theprogrammeisspecificallyforpartners who are looking to do deals between$5,000–$25,000.Generatingthe promotion code and applying the discount to the order is extremely easy and quick to do using the specially-developed and intuitive programme tool.

MarkChlebek,SeniorDirector,Advanced Solutions EMEA , Ingram Micro, said, “We had a very positive experience withthelaunchofthefirstversionofthis programme in Europe. We believe thisisatrulyattractiveandbeneficialprogramme for our reseller partners. The programme enables resellers to be more competitive in the market and be more profitablewhensellingCisco.”


Alpha Data has announced itsupgradetoVeeamPlatinumProPartnerstatus.

The company was upgraded after achieving $1.5millioninMSRPrevenueandinvestinginVeeamCertifiedEngineerTrainingCoursetrainingstodeliverPSin2015.AsaVeeamPlatinumProPartner,AlphaDatawillenjoyspecialbenefitssuchasaccesstoadedicatedVeeammanagerandrecognitionasaVeeamExpertandcustomer reference.

Alpha Data receives Veeam Platinum ProPartner status

Al-Futtaim Technologies has won theawardforConvergedPartnerof the Year at Alcatel Lucent Enterprise’s(ALE)annualPartnerDay held in Dubai.

The award was presented by MarcoPasculli,VicePresident,ChannelSalesforSEMEA;andMorenoCiboldi,VicePresidentand Sales Leader for SEMEA

from Alcatel Lucent Enterprise to Dawood Bin Ozair, Senior Managing Director, Al-Futtaim Engineering andTechnologies;andVenkatRaghavan, General Manager, Al-Futtaim Technologies.

Raghavan of Al-Futtaim Technologies said, “We are extremely delighted to receive this recognition from our partner Alcatel Lucent Enterprise. This award is further testament to our commitment and ability to deliver best-in-class products and services to our customers. We are confident this award will motivate us to work even harder to ensure we provide added value to all our customers.”

Al-Futtaim Technologies receives partner award from ALE

Criteo releases reports on mCommerce trends in the Middle East By earning the status, Alpha Data

assures customers of exceptional expertise and excellence in deploying solutions thatintegrateadvancedVeeamSoftwaretechnologies. Alpha Data now joins an elite groupwithinVeeam’sglobalnetworkof37,000ProPartners.

Amar Singh, Sales Director, Alpha Data,said,“Virtualisationisanintegralcomponent of enterprise IT and has been a top priority for Alpha Data ever since we laid out our comprehensive cloud services roadmap. Last year we focused sharplyonenhancingourVeeamsupportcapabilities in particular and deploying Veeam-poweredsolutionswiththeaimofexceeding our clients’ expectations. As a VeeamPlatinumProPartner,wehavetheprovenabilitytointegrateVeeam’saward-winning backup, disaster recovery and virtualisation management solutions to help organisations, especially today’s modern datacentres,enjoyVeeam’spromiseof‘Availability for the Always-On Enterprise.’ WethankVeeamforthisprivilegeandhonour and for its untiring support.”

CriteohasreleaseditsQ42015 ‘State of MobileCommerceReport,’ which examines mCommercetrends on a quarterly basis and provides insight into online

shopping behaviour as consumers’ path to purchase continues to evolve.

Thecompany’srecentdiveinto1.4billiononlinetransactionsfindsthatfourin 10 purchases occur across multiple devices or channels globally. Of that figure,closetoone-thirdarecompletedon a mobile device, indicating that consumers are using numerous devices along their path to purchase and are regularly buying on mobile.

TheproliferationofmCommerceis further fueling the desire for more personalised brand experiences from consumers. Digital marketers can no longer look at device use alone to identify and convert consumers into buyers.

AccordingtoCriteo,forcompaniesto be successful, understanding user profilesacrossmultipledevices,browsers,and apps is key to provide them with a meaningful and relevant experience throughout their shopping journey.

“Criteo’squarterlyMobileCommerceReport demonstrates that mobile is an essential component of commerce today, with most consumers browsing and buying across multiple devices,” said JonathanWolf,ChiefProductOfficer,Criteo.“Inordertobetterunderstandthedigitally-savvy consumer, marketers need to stop looking at each device on its own, and start understanding the user behind them. Multi-device behaviour is the new normal.Criteo’snewUniversalMatchsolution enables advertisers to zero in on shoppers at the time they are most likely to purchase, with a targeted message across all of their devices.”

Jonathan Wolf, criteo

hIghLIghTS

amar Singh, alpha Data


For More information on Gigamon, kindly email us on [email protected]

hIghLIghTS

A OChasappointedTrigon, as the authorised distributor for its entire range of monitors for

UAE,Oman,Qatar,Bahrain,Kuwaitand Iraq.

ArunChawla,CEO,Trigon,said,“ItisourpleasuretopartnerwithAOCand today it marks the beginning of a long-lasting relationship between TrigonandAOC.Weareconfidentthatwith our network of resellers and time tested infrastructure will play a key role

AOC appoints Trigon as authorised distributor

inincreasingthepresenceofAOCbrand in the region.”

VineethSebastian,RegionalsSalesDirector-MEA,AOC,said,“We are excited to expand our relationship with Trigon, who is also our distribution partners for our group company MMD, the brand licensepartnerforPhilipsmonitorsin the region. Their region wide channel base and experience in the local market, combined with their knowledge for display solutions enabledPhilipsmonitorstoincreaseits footprint in the region.

We are confident that this partnership with Trigon will enable us to increase our presence in the market place as well as allow existing and new channel partners to benefit from accessing more businessopportunities.AOCboastsa comprehensive range of monitors that can be used in business, home or gaming applications,” said Sebastian.

Commvaulthasrecentlyannouncedits continued customer momentum driven by the increased demand forCommvaultdatamanagementsolutions.

Newandexistingcustomersthathave expanded their investment intoCommvault’sportfolioofdatamanagementsolutionsand/orservices in Q3 FY 2016 include, but are not limited to, the following organisationsBP2–BNPParibasPartnersforInnovation,CIECHGroup,CityofSeattle,Dataline,DataSpring,Guthrie Healthcare Systems, Hero CyclesLimitedandAssociates,MetropolitanCouncilofMinnesota,NTTData,Reasonnet,TinkoffBankand the University of Melbourne

Commvault announces global customer momentum

(L to r) Sameh Gamal, aOc; arun chawla, Trigon;

Vineeth Sebastian; aOc and Kamran Khayal; Trigon

Protects Against Dynamic Security Threats

Simplifies IT Security Structure

Provides Security for Email, Web and Database Systems

“Data backup and protection is critical for high-availability data centres,”saidMartinSmekal,CEO,DataSpring. “Those were the main reasonswhywechoseCommvault,asitwillallowustoofferthebestservices for backup, protection and deduplication in cloud environments withVirtualinfrastructurefriendlylicencing policies.”

N.RobertHammer,Chairman,PresidentandCEO,Commvault,said, “We are excited to bring on these customers in our third quarter and believe our growth speaks volumesaboutCommvault’sabilityto meet emerging data management requirements in the marketplace today. We look forward to continuing this momentum based on the recent launch ofourmarketleadingCommvaultDataPlatformandnext-generationsoftware,which provide organisations with a modern, holistic data management solution to tackle emerging and existing challenges facing customers today.”

Dubai: P.O. Box: 32610, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 3426060, Fax: +971 4 3547779, E-mail: [email protected]: P.O. BOX 75149, Manama, Bahrain Tel: +973 17292904, Fax: +973 1729 5183, Email: [email protected]: Office 508, Al Rossais Commercial Center, Olaya Street, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Tel: +966 11 460 3114, Fax: +966 11 460 3112, E-mai: [email protected]

D ell has announced the availability of the Dell DataProtection|Endpoint Security Suite Enterprise, which

integratesCylancetechnologyusing artificial intelligence and machine learning to proactively prevent advanced persistent threats and malware.

As part of this solution, Dell also announced the availability of a new post-boot BIOS verification solution forDellcommercialPCs,whichallows customers to ensure their device remains free from malware during the boot process. The post-boot BIOS verification solution will be integrated on Dell commercial PCswiththepurchaseoftheDellDataProtection|EndpointSecuritySuite Enterprise licence.

The new endpoint security suite availabletodayintegratesCylancetechnology that employs artificial

Dell unveils new BIOS verification and ATP Technology

ProgressDistributionhasannouncedthat it signed a distribution agreement with Entrust Datacard to promote its certificateservicesintheMiddleEast.

Aspartoftheagreement,Progresswill strengthen Entrust Datacard’s channel network and organise regular channel development activities such as training workshops, events and exhibitions to help increase its market share in the region.

“We are happy to sign this distribution partnership with Entrust Datacard for the Middle East region. Entrust Datacard is a channel friendly company with a comprehensive range ofcertificates,softwareandservicesthat support it and we felt they were a perfect match to our existing solutions portfolio. We are looking forward

to working closely with their team to increase their market share and sales across the Middle East and are confidentourchannelnetworkwillgo all out to promote it,” said Gareth Morgan,SalesDirector,ProgressDistribution.

As part of its distribution plans,ProgresswillpromotetheEntrustportfolioofCertificateServices, SSL digital certificates, as well as management and signing certificates through roadshows, focused workshops and tradeshows throughout the Middle East. The distributor will also organise focused channel development activities including enablement programmes, training, incentives and promotion.

Progress, Entrust Datacard sign distribution deal

intelligence to protect against the execution of advanced persistent threats and malware including zero day attacks, and targeted attacks such as spear phishing and ransomware.

DellDataProtection|EndpointSecurity Suite Enterprise is now available for both Dell commercial PCsandasasecuritysolutionacrossheterogeneous IT environments.

hIghLIghTS

Dubai: P.O. Box: 32610, Dubai, UAE. Tel: +971 4 3426060, Fax: +971 4 3547779, E-mail: [email protected]: P.O. BOX 75149, Manama, Bahrain Tel: +973 17292904, Fax: +973 1729 5183, Email: [email protected]: Office 508, Al Rossais Commercial Center, Olaya Street, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Tel: +966 11 460 3114, Fax: +966 11 460 3112, E-mai: [email protected]

89%OF MIDDLE EAST ENTERPRISES BELIEvE

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SOURCE: ORACLE

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Exclusive Group has announced an underlying organic growth of 31 percent and total pro forma annualised revenues of EUR1.04billionfor2015.

According to the company, the results prove the success of its value-centric approach, relentless focus on cybersecurity and data centre transformation opportunities, and astute acquisition strategy. The performance underlines the Group’s momentum to grow beyond EUR 1 billionannualrevenues;atargetachievednearly two years ahead of plan.

“We have now entered unchartered territoryastheveryfirst‘SuperVAD’businessto retain and extend its value-added model

Exclusive Group announces 2015 financial results

Avayahasannounceditsfirstcomplete,multichannelunifiedcommunicationsandcontactcentrecloudofferstargetedforthemidmarket.

AvayaMidmarketCloudsolutionsoffertwoflexibledeploymentoptions,enablingthe company’s channel partners to evolve into midsized companies with capabilities needed for digital business.

According to the vendor, both options, PoweredbyAvayaIPOfficeandOnAvaya–GoogleCloudPlatform,canenablehybridclouds that allow customers to maximise their investments in more than 1 million Avaya systems worldwide.

BasedontheAvayaIPOfficePlatform,AvayaMidmarketCloudSolutionsallowsunifiedcommunicationsandcontactcentrecloudoffersformidsizedbusinesses in the market that utilise the

same code base as those installed on-premises.

FadiMoubarak,ChannelDirector,MiddleEast,Africa,andAPAC,Avaya,said,“Avayachannelpartnershaveasignificantrole to play in cloud deployments for midsized companies with their established knowledge of the customer and expertise withAvayaproducts.Now,theyhaveevenmoreflexibilitywithwhichtoapproachthecustomerbyofferinghybridcloudsolutions in a market that has considerable growth potential and is looking for acost-effectivepathtoadvancedcommunications.”

Currently,partnersoutsidetheUSareonlyeligibleforthePartnerPoweredbyAvayaIPOfficeoptionand,therefore,mustbe able to provide the infrastructure or host in the data centre of choice.

Avaya unveils new multi-channel solutions for mid-market companies

on a global basis,” said Olivier Breittmayer, CEO,ExclusiveGroup.“Sincethestartofthisjourney we have doubled revenue every two years with a strategy blending together accelerated organic growth with hand picked acquisitions that have supported our value and local knowledge qualities to deliver a unique proposition.”

Adjusted to remove the added 2015 turnoverofTransitionSystems–thepan-AsiancybersecurityVADacquiredinDecember2015–ExclusiveGroup’scorebusinessdivisionsreturnedrevenuesofEUR840million,upnearlyEUR 200 million on the previous year’s results.

The company highlighted that a strong performancethroughouttheNordicsandBaltics saw the region post revenue growth ofover40percent.FranceandAfricademonstrated healthy returns, growing 33 percent and 63 percent respectively. In the Southern Region (Iberia, Italy, Turkey), collectivegrowthof41percentunderlinedthe strength of the business despite slow economic recovery and other challenging factors.TheUKcontinuestoreporthealthytrading and solid sales momentum with over 55 percent annual growth.

hIghLIghTS

Olivier Breittmayer, Exclusive Group

FireEye has announced an enhanced FireEye Fuel partner programme designed to increase customer security andpartnerprofitability.

The new programme expands go-to-market opportunities for partners with the introductionofthenewPowerandEssentialsproduct editions announced today.

As part of FireEye’s commitment to growth through the channel, the reward for ValueprogrammehasbeenupdatedtoofferFireEye Fuel partners the opportunity to earn up to twice their normal discounts in 2016, while expanding their security practices with new products, services and threat intelligence opportunities.

According to the cybersecurity vendor, they aim to reimagine how security is delivered so partners can build new, differentiatedsecuritypracticesthatprovidecustomers an improved threat posture that adapts to cyber risk across their organisations. By utilising FireEye assets, the

FireEye unveils enhanced partner programme

EMWme has recently announced that it hasbeenupgradedfromPremiertoElitepartner status by Brocade.

According to the systems integrator, theupgrademakesthemBrocade’sfirstelite direct value-added partner in the UAE.

EMWme has been closely working with the vendor for more than twelve yearstodelivertheentirestackofIPand software networking data centre solutions to enterprise customers across the hospitality, government and education sectors.

SerjiosHage,PresidentandGroupCEO,EMWme,said,“Wehavesharedacordial relationship with Brocade for many years, and with this achievement I am sureourcustomerswillreapthebenefits.We are elated to share this success with themtoprovideaddedbenefitsandcompetencies including superior service

andsupportfromourcertifiedspecialistsatcompetitiverates.Ourdifferentiatorfrom the competition in terms of highly qualifiedpre-andpost-salesresourceshashelped us achieve all the pre-requisites to claim this prestigious title.”

The systems integrator has been operatingintheUAEsince2004.Thecompany specialises in designing and implementing end-to-end IT infrastructure and business enablers which include various vendor specialisations and partnerships that are best of breed across theglobe.Thefirmtodayservesawiderange of clients from law enforcement, government and semi-government agencies to commercial enterprises. The company has thrived by staying abreast of today’s technologies keeping a watchful eyeontechnologytrendsfuture-proofingsolutions delivered to customers.

EMWme named as Brocade’s Elite Partner in the UAE

company emphasises that partners can extend theirsecuritycapabilitiesandhavetheflexibilitytooffernewservicessuchastheAuthorisedFaaSDeliveryPartnerProgrammeandiSIGHTValueAddProgramme.Thenewpartnerprogrammeoffersapay-for-performanceprofitabilityapproach,wheredistributorsandresellers will be rewarded based upon the value they bring to each transaction.

FireEye also announced an expansion of the FireEye Global Threat Management Platformtoincludetwoneweditions–FireEyePowerandFireEyeEssentials.“Withanewproductofferingtailoredforthechannelandan innovative mix of industry partnerships, we’re expanding the security market to create newwaystodeliverprofitabilitytopartners,”saidDavidDeWalt,CEOandChairmanoftheBoard, FireEye.

hIghLIghTS

David DeWalt, FireEye

APPOINTMENTS

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

Riverbed Technology announced thatPhilHarris has joined the CompanyasSeniorVicePresidentandChiefStrategy

Officer,anewlycreatedpositionreportingtoChairmanandCEOJerryM.Kennelly.

In his new role, Harris will be responsible for shaping Riverbed’s architectural approach to next-generationsoftware-definednetworking, providing counsel and direction on long-term technology and business strategy, overseeing corporate development activities including M&A, and leading the company’s go-to-market approach with strategic technology alliance and OEM partners.

“Riverbed is right in the middle of many of the most pressing challenges facing IT today, as businesses continue to migrate apps and data to the cloud, build-outsoftware-definednetworks,drive optimisation to the edge, and go through a digital transformation,” saidPhilHarris,SeniorVicePresidentandChiefStrategyOfficer,Riverbed.“The company’s current technology and product roadmap, along with our technology, service provider and channel partners, positions us to help customers through these market shifts.”

Harris joins Riverbed from BMCSoftware,wherehewasCTO,responsible for business, technology and overall company growth transformation strategies.

Riverbed announces new SVP and CSO

Phil harris, riverbed

VeritasTechnologieshasannouncedrecentlythatitisnowofficiallyoperating as an independent company ledbynewCEOBillColeman.

“In the era of the cloud, many organisations won’t own their data centre and many might not even own their applications. Other than your team, data is the most critical asset of value in the 21st century,” said Bill Coleman,CEO,Veritas.“We’reinaunique position as the company that manages and protects the world’s information, and I am honoured to becomepartoftheVeritasfamilytoserve our customers and partners.”

According to the company, they are well-positioned to innovate and deliverthebenefitsofinformationmanagement.Thefirmpursuesmarketsegments that in aggregate represent a$24billionmarketopportunityby2018. These markets include backup and recovery, integrated appliances, information availability and archiving solutions,whereVeritasholdsnumberone or number two market share positions.NowwiththebackingofTheCarlyleGroup,thecompanyisaccelerating new solutions in this fast-growing market.

RamziItani,RegionalChannelDirector, Emerging Markets, said, “Our channel partners can expect an even stronger commitment to

the Middle East channel community and distribution partners in the region. Following our re-launch as an independentcompany,Veritaswillbeable to drill down into its core areas and create stronger solutions for ourcustomers.TheVeritasbusinessstrategy will focus on three key pillars –dataprotectionthroughbackupandrecovery, data governance through archiving, ediscovery and data analytics andfinallyhighavailability.”

ThenewVeritasleadershipteambrings together a strong mix of industry expertise and entrepreneurial success. PartneringwiththeexecutiveteamisaseasonedboardledbyChairmanBillKrause,formerlyPresidentandCEOof3ComandDavidScott,formerchairmanandCEOof3Parwhowasuntil recently senior vice president andgeneralmanageroftheglobalHPstorage business.

Veritas introduces leadership team

Bill coleman, Veritas

“Other than your team, data is the most critical asset of value in the 21st century. We’re in a unique position as the company that manages and protects the world’s information, and I am honoured to join.”


Maan Al-Shakarchi, HeadofNetworkinginEurope, Middle East and Africa,andAsia-Pacific,Avaya,said,“Aflexibleand reliable network is essential for forward-looking businesses that want to capitalise on the megatrends of today

andtomorrow–includingnetworkvirtualisation, cloud, mobility, andvideo–todrivecompetitiveadvantage. In my new role, I’ll be supporting Avaya customers in achieving their ambitions to become digital businesses, and helping them to future-proof their technology investments by adopting what we believe is the most advanced fabric-definednetworkingsolutiononthemarket today.”

Mindware has named industry veteran Gilbert Lacroix as its new general manager.

He was previously advisor to theCEOofMidisGroup,whichowns Mindware. As part of the management restructuring, the distributor has also promoted Arkan Saleh, who was heading financefunction,totheroleofchiefoperatingofficer.

“Beingpartofthe$4billionMidis Group, we have a solid foundation and the right set up to face any crisis to emerge stronger. We are moving to a solutions-based distribution model and the plan is to bring out plug-and-play type of solutions, especially targeted at the SMB sector in the region. We are not trying to cover all the brands and products, but to focus on products we know we can add value to,” said Lacroix.

In line with its move towards solutions distribution, Mindware is planning to expand its portfolio this year. “We have to flesh out our solutions portfolio, which will require us to bring some niche vendors to the region. You will also see our volume business shrinking over the next couple of years as the focus shifts towards solutions,” added Lacroix.

Mindware announces new GM

Gilbert Lacroix, mindware

Epicor Software Corporationhas appointed ColinSummersas its new RegionalVicePresidentforits operations across the Middle East,

Africa and India.Summers brings with him more

than three decades of experience from various leadership roles in the global and regional technology industry. Summers’ forte includes building businesses and managing high growth organisations. He draws upon a wealth of knowledge working with world-class technology companiessuchasCommvaultSystems,Intermec,and3Com

Avaya has announced the appointment of Maan Al-Shakarchi as the Head of NetworkinginEurope,MiddleEastandAfrica,andAsia-Pacific.

In his new role, Al-Shakarchi will be responsible for driving sales of Avaya’s next-generation networking solutions across the region with a focus on its state-of-the-artSDNFxnetworkingtechnology.HewillbereportingdirectlytoNidalAbou-Ltaif,President,Europe,MiddleEastandAfrica,andAsia-Pacific.

Al-Shakarchi began his career at Avaya in2005aspartoftheNortelteamandmost recently led Avaya’s networking business for the Global Growth Markets Theatre, overseeing key networking implementations with customers such asAlNoorHospital,BurjKhalifaandtheDubai Financial Market.

AvayaappointsnewEMEAandAPACHeadofNetworking

maan al-Shaka, avaya

Epicor names new Regional VP of MEA and India

colin Summers, Epicor

Corporation.Hewasalsothemanaging director and founder ofComputer2000,theregion’sfirstinformationtechnologydistribution company.

“It is a privilege to have the opportunity to lead the company’s growth strategies in MEA and India,” said Summers. “We have a great opportunity to capitalise on the company’s current market success and continue to grow in this region. As Epicor remains committed to ensuring impeccable customer service and satisfaction, the company will further reinforce itscollaborativeeffortswithitsstrategic channel partners. Our goals are to sustain the company’s status, strengthen its market foothold and deliver increased value and support to customers.”


success of the iconic iMac, iBookandiPod.

In2004,hewasappointed by Microsoft as CountryManagerforXboxinFrance, delivering double-digit growth through to 2010, before moving to its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. While there, he served as Senior Director, Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Microsoft

Hardware, before heading up planning andoperationsforHoloLensasCOOofMicrosoftNextGenExperiences,theaugmented reality platform recently released jointly with Windows 10. In 2013, he joined Amazon at its Seattle headquarters as Worldwide Marketing DirectorforDigitalProducts,coveringtheUS, Europe and Asia.

Sony Mobile has announced the appointment of Hirokazu Ishizuka as its MiddleEastandAfrica’sVicePresident,in a restructuring of its Global Sales Development division and will primarily be responsible for the sales development in the region.

Ishizuka has been Sony Mobile Communications’CVPforGlobalSales and Development since his appointment in February 2013. He was, in that role, responsible for the capability development of sales

Parrothasannouncedthat François Ruault has been appointed to run the worldwide sales and marketingforitsConsumerDronesandConnectedDevices division.

Ruault, according to the vendor, brings outstanding expertise in sales, marketing, operations and innovation toeffectivelysupporttheGroup’s growth ambition. He worked in the advertising industrywith BBDO in the United States and then France, he joined Apple in 1992, heading up communications, consumer marketing then retail sales for Europe through to2004.Heplayedanactiverolein successfully turning around the European business, contributing to the

VMwareannouncedtheappointmentofHenrivanderVaerenasVicePresidentforSouthernEurope,MiddleEast and Africa.

BasedinParis,vanderVaerenwill be responsible for the strategy, development and management of VMware’soperationsthroughouttheregion. He will report directly to Jean-PierreBrulard,SeniorVicePresidentand General Manager for EMEA.

vanderVaerenhasnearly25years of management experience in the IT and telecoms sector. He waspreviouslywithSAP,wherehewas managing director for France and BeLux, and a member of the EMEAExecutiveCommittee.Priortothat,hewasreportingtotheCEOofColtTelecom,workingasmanagingdirector of a region covering up to 12 Western Europe countries, after holding various management positions for Belgacom and France Telecom. He was also a Syntec Numériqueboardmember,theFrenchICTcompaniesassociation,and chaired the Belgian Telecom OperatorsPlatform,Belgium’stelecomoperators association.

“I am delighted to be joining VMware,tohelpourcustomersintheirdigital transformation using software-definedtechnologies,”saidvanderVaeren.“Iamreadyforthechallengeofaccelerating our business growth within the southern region, further developing partnerships with our customers and partners, based on a mutual desire to transform business processes and deliver value through IT innovation.”

VMwareannouncesnewVPforSouthernEurope and MEA

Parrot appoints Marketing Director for Consumer Drones business

Francois ruault, Parrot

henri van der Vaeren, Vmware

Sony Mobile appoints MEA VP

hirokazu Ishizuka, Sony mobile

execution, consumer retention, channel development, strategic partner support and store-front excellence.

According to the company, he was also was the driving force behind Sony Mobile’s objective of maximising the value share of key markets and accounts.

A long-standing Sony senior executive, Ishizuka has previously held several senior positions with the corporation. He was appointed Sony’s PresidentofDisplayComponentsandDeviceCompanyofAmericain1999, before heading Sony’s Europe TVBusinessUnitin2004,andmovingthereafterintoanumberofCVPpositions, which included Head of Region for Japan, followed by a wider oversightasHeadofRegion,APAC,before assuming his current role.

His additional assignment now sees him take over the responsibilities of Ruediger Odenbach, a veteran from the days of Sony Ericsson.

APPOINTMENTS


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Digital transformation has become a major focus for many

organisations in the Middle East. Today, businesses need to focus on newer technologies, which can help them transform into a ‘digital business’. In fact, in the era of Internet of Things (IoT), organisations will need to rethink how they approach rapid digitisation.

According to Gartner, by 2020, 75 percent of businesses globally will be a digital business or will be preparing to become one. While many organisations have digital business transformation initiatives planned or underway, Gartner predicts that only 30 percentoftheseeffortswillbe successful due to lack of talent and technical expertise.

Faced with mounting costs and an increasingly complex IT environment to manage, organisations are now more than ever looking at managed IT services and cloud as an alternative to in-house IT infrastructure management.

Why cloud? CloudservicesintheMiddleEastaregrowingsignificantlyas businesses are seeing tremendous value in having

EhOSTINg DATAFORT OPINION

ascalableandflexiblepoolofresourcesattheirfingertips.The assurance of lower IT costs and scalability has drawn IT decision makers to move their business-critical data and applications to the cloud. Also, the popularity of the pay-as-you-go model and having clearly measureable predictable IT costs is another driver towards cloud adoption in the Middle East. In fact, many organisations are considering to move to a hosted private or hybrid cloud model. Having said that, public cloud is not far behind.Cloudhostingwithareliable

cloud services provider is more secure than in-house server hosting. Service providers not only have a team of experts across technology domains, but they also constantly invest in and upgrade their technology, knowledge, skills and expertise inordertoofferthelatesthosting services to their customers.

A reputed services providerisalsocertifiedforvarious quality and security certificationsandconductregular security system audits. Owing to the fact that they run and manage systems for multiple customers, they continuously keep themselves

updated about the changing security threat landscape across verticals.

Managed IT services – the obvious choiceAccordingtoIDC,themanagedand data centre service markets in the UAE will grow at a compound annual growth rate(CAGR)of19.8percentbetween 2013 and 2018 to reach a total of $971.8m by 2018. This acceleration is due to the increasing demand from core growth industries such as retail, healthcare, and manufacturing. Data centre hosting makes up approximately 18 percent of the Managed Services market revenue in the UAE. Industry sectors such as banking andfinance,aviation,media, government, IT and telecom in particular, have taken to managed services as ensuring a ‘secure and reliable system’ is critical. managedITservicesoffercompaniesmultiplebenefits:•Atthestrategiclevel,itallows companies to focus and leverage their resources towards their core business activities, rather than spending too much time on operational activities. •Attheoperationallevel,itofferstheskillsandexpertise

of a service provider to competently manage complex data centre requirements. •Atthefinanciallevel,ManagedIT services reduce total cost of ownership and provide the benefitofasubscriptionbasedOPEXmodel.

This means that companies can continue to focus on their strategic business objectives;relocatefundsondeveloping new applications andinnovation;andindirectlywin access to skilled resources, latest technology and best-in-class IT infrastructure. CloudandmanagedIT

services can help organisations cutcostssignificantlyand improve operational efficienciestremendously.But where do they start? Companiesneedtoputtogether a comprehensive plan for assessing their business objectives and goals so that theycanbeconfidentthatthey are making the right decision for their business. In the end, it is all about striking the right balance.

In the era of digital transformation, technology is a great enabler and cloud and managed IT services will help organisations in the Middle East become agile by providing them stability, scalability and mostimportantly–security.

Sachin Bhardwaj, Director Marketing and Business Development, eHosting DataFort, explains how the Internet of Things will increase the demand for cloud and managed IT services in the Middle East.

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attack against Ukrainian power companies in December resulted in the disruption of electric power. For many attackers, this represents a shift in focus from financial espionage into active disruption of business within the organisation and also the society where these capabilities are offered.

At RSA Conference 2016, we caught up with Robert Griffin, Chief Security Architect, Security Evangelist, RSA, to learn more on the current threat landscape and insights on how organisations can strengthen their security posture.

strategy For security

“We see that there is a tendency to attack new classes of

enterprises, which were not as attractive to attackers before. Critical infrastructure is now

being targeted more often than compared to two years ago.”

rsainterview

Today we see that there is a tendency to attack new classes of enterprises, which have been relatively not as attractive to attackers, untilnow.Criticalinfrastructure is now being targeted more often than compared to two years ago.

Are there more threats when it comes to information security?There seems to be less risk of information breaches as opposed to infrastructures itself being targeted. This was true in the Saudi Aramco breach as well as the Ukrainian incident.

Back in 2006, it was clearly espionage attacks against the manufacturing sector. However, today it is

What are the biggest security threats

organisations should be wary of in 2016?There are merchant threats, especially in terms of disruptions of enterprises and infrastructures. These are new and important. For example, the recent

Robert Griffin, Chief Security Architect, Security Evangelist, RSA


adifferentclassofattacksintended to achieve social and economic damage.

There is a reflection of change in the goal of the attackers to create a social impact rather than for financial advantage.

What are the cybersecurity trends that you see around the globe?There are new trends in attack mechanisms, especially in terms of the growth of the dark net. For example, RSA announced the discovery of two fairly significant new sets of malware in late2014.OnewascalledTerracotta, which was a malware-supportedVPNnetwork. Attackers could rent and have access tothisVPNinordertosecure communications among themselves.

The second one was called GlassRAT, a new remote access Trojan, explicitly directed towards being able to gain control of enterprise environments. Both were clearly a new generation of malware with some resemblances to previous classes of malware.

Therearedefinitelyon-going developments of new malware within the attacker environment. The other change is in the direction and goal of the attackers.

What do you think is the future of cybersecurity?Well, the first point to note is that attacks will

continue to grow in complexity, in frequency and in the range of attackers.Presently,we have three most common categories of attackers–nation-state,cybercriminals and hacktivists. Most likely, there will be further differentiation of these categories and the introduction of potential new kinds of attackers.

We are most certain to see a shift in the direction of response. At RSA, we have strongly advocated that the model of defensive and preventive strategies such as firewalls will no longer suit the modern enterprise or government.

Today’s employees are always on the move, so most of their communication doesn’t happen within the home office over secured networks but via the cloud. Therefore, we need to have models that fit the cloud-based approach and support mobile users. The only way to do this is through mechanisms such as identity and analytic-based approaches. I believe that the strategy of analytics and investigation will be the dominant response model in terms of how we deal with achieving cybersecurity going forward.

How can businesses enhance their security posture?

The first aspect to this is to have a fundamental change in attitude and perspective. We have to think of security as a spectrum of capabilities. Organisations should start by identifying what are the assets, if attacked or breached, would damage the company or its customers the most. What can be done to mitigate the risks around that impact? If we begin there, we will quickly come to the conclusion that very little should be spent on anti-virus or things that provide such little protection against attacks. Instead the most effective methods show up in areas such as identity management, analytics and risk management. That is the strategy one has to have in place and is the best way forward in order to respond to threats.

Gaining complete visibility across networks is what most organisations are aspiring towards.

But what are the key elements to keep in mind to help achieve this?There are three main aspects. One is that, the more you can instrument capabilities in that environment to provide information, the better off you are. If you don’t have that, then you miss out on a whole body of information, which you could otherwise use.

The second aspect is that you need to gather kinds of information that may not be the direct indicators themselves but provides really good context about what is going on.

The third element is that organisations really need to think about the privacy questions. They need to assess if this kind of information is collected, does it pose a risk of exposure of important user information or risks in terms of national regulation and company liabilities.

“We need to have models that fit the cloud-based approach and support mobile users. The only way to do this is through mechanisms such as identity

and analytic-based approaches.”


DO MOREWhether you’re managing your business, or overseeing your com-pany’s IT, ESET’s security products are fast, easy to use, and deliver market-leading detection. We deliver the protection that allows you to DO MORE. Find out more at ESET.COM/ME/BUSINESS

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Reseller ME profiles top vendor channel executives whose primary responsibility involves interacting

with channel partners and ensuring they are given all the support required in order to be the

company’s representative in the market. We take a closer look at their role and how they are shaping

the regional channel ecosystem.

Channel masters

CHANNEL EXECUTIVES


Ganguly comes with more than 20 years of experience in IT and has worked at Lenovo for the last 12 years across roles such as sales, marketing, product, retail and SMB. Her current role involves channel management in the capacity of operations.

What she loves the most about her role is the possibility of driving positive change through processes and programmes in the diverse Middle East and Africa channel environment.

In terms of challenges she says,

“Fragmented channel structure and the massive scale of the Middle East and Africa geography, which covers almost 72 countries, have its unique requirements in channel management.”

Over the course of the coming two years, Ganguly expects the retail channel to evolve to the next phase of its growth while the distribution landscape will see consolidation and reach.

She says, “I believe vendors will move ahead with a renewed focus on coverage and capacity.”

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AdITI GANGULy

ALEXANdEr ForoozANdé

CHANNEL EXECUTIVES

Foroozandé introduces himself as “a direct-touch sales professional with a knack for uncovering solutions to complex customer-partner-vendor challenges.” He attributes his success to the fact that he never loses focus on channel enablement, transparency and profitability to drive loyalty.

His current role involves identifying and recruiting new partners across the region, ensuring distribution and partner profitability, planning and executing channel enablement programmes and maintaining a well-balanced communication channel between all stakeholders.

He says, “The best part of my role is fulfilling my passion to build great

networks of business partners, learning and growing as an individual while making close friends along the way.”

In terms of the regional channel evolution, he says, the last few years have seen the emergence of a kind of VAD who directly interacts with customers and in many cases bypass SIs all together.

“While customers are the biggest beneficiaries of this model, I also believe there should be a more balanced approach for our region.

“We will see the emergence of niche channel players in the market – highly specialised SIs focusing on a few key areas of expertise as differentiators in the market.”

Director, Channel Operations, MEA, Lenovo

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

Gale is an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience working for tier-1 technology vendors including A10 Networks, Digital Equipment, Sun Microsystems, Dell, NetApp, VMware and Unisys. He has been instrumental in managing the partner community for A10 networks across EMEA and Russia including 26 distributors, 400 resellers as well as strategic partners and ISVs.

He heads the overall direction and management of all sales and business development operations of the channel network.

“The aim is getting the virtual team focused on helping customers with their business challenges – right help, right place and right time. Once you have the customer

happy everything else should fall into place,” he says.

Gale is most passionate about solving customer challenges and always emphasises to his channel partners the importance of a ‘customer-centric’ approach to business as opposed to a ‘product-focused’ one.

“Once you are seen by customers as an advisor and expert, you have their loyalty for years to come.”

The biggest challenge is remembering that business is about relationships, he says. “People buy from people and new media should be used to support and complement this and not replace it. I would hate to see the inevitable use of IT to reduce interaction between people.”

CCHrIS GALE

Senior Director, EMEA Partners, A10 Networks


Postel has spent the last 11 years at Red Hat and has grown with the company. He has worked in three different countries but has always covered the Middle East and Africa region.

He says, “I was part of a small team of three that opened the Red Hat office in Dubai, eight years ago.” His current role largely involves being the conduit between the company’s global partner programme teams and the local channel managers across the META region.

“Managing relationships with global alliance partners (OEMs and SIs) hands on and assisting the GM with the regional sales forecast are some of

my responsibilities. I also have to keep abreast of the ever growing Red Hat technology portfolio, enable partners and close deals.” He says building alliances is what he likes the best about his job. “Taking a large global partner organisation and getting the relationship going and seeing significant opportunities stemming from it is satisfying.” He believes the Middle East channel will continue to morph to adapt to the third platfom. “This will see a growing number of service providers proposing Everything-as-a-Service, and an entire ecosystem around them to get and keep them going.”

Porter has lived in the Middle East for the last 23 years, working in a variety of roles across channel, sales and marketing for companies such as IBM, HP, Sun and Cisco before joining NetApp.

In his current role, he is responsible for channel strategy and business planning in the region through high level engagement with value-added distributors, partners and alliances to drive revenue growth.

He says, “I oversee the channel sales team to promote NetApp’s solutions portfolio. What I love the most about my role is the time I spent with customers and partners discussing opportunities, this is very rewarding.”

The biggest challenge, he says, is the bureaucracy in vendors.

“At NetApp, we try to free up our sales team to spend more time selling and less time doing admin work. The other issue is managing channel conflict and being fair and transparent with our partners.”

NetApp works on data centre projects with partners who offer a portfolio of data centre related vendor products such as Cisco, VMware, Microsoft, Veeam, Commvault, Symantec including NetApp.

Porter says, “Partners will build their portfolio and invest in their services business and people skills in the coming years.”

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GrAHAm PorTEr

FrIdA KLEImErT KNIbbS

Currently, piloting the channel and commercial sales teams at Cisco UAE, Knibbs was running the channel and commercial team in Cisco North Europe for over three years. In that role, she had played a key role in developing new approaches to capture additional market share, strengthening relationships with some of the vendor’s top partners, and in driving double digit growth.

“I am committed to professional development and diversity in the workplace and as an active member of Cisco’s Connected Women network, I act as a mentor to several Cisco employees,” she says.

In her current role, Knibbs along with

her team are responsible for inspiring, managing and supporting partners who represent the company’s primary route to market.

“The channel team is responsible for implementing strategic initiatives that create profitable growth for Cisco and our partners, as well as delivering exceptional customer satisfaction. With Cisco’s full product and services portfolio, we ensure that partners have the right capabilities and skills to serve existing customers and to develop new market opportunities.”

In the commercial management role, her team is responsible for overseeing sales and strategy for all of the vendor’s SMB and partner-led go-to-market model.

Partner and Alliances Leader Middle East, Turkey and Africa, Red Hat

MENA Channel Sales Manager, NetApp

Head of Channels and Commercial UAE, Cisco


Passionate about all things related to innovation, cloud technology, entrepreneurship and SMEs, Salloum’s current role involves a number of aspects, such is the diversity of managing the SME business for Microsoft.

He says, “I love coming to work and seeing how overnight the SME landscape may have altered in some way – be that through the introduction of a new disruptive business model or a new innovative product launch.

“SMEs are agile and highly competitive so it’s important for me

to always ensure that everything Microsoft is offering to an SME is relevant and adds value to their business. It is equally important to ensure that our partners understand the value of selling Microsoft solutions and how it can increase the valuation of their business.”

One of the biggest challenges he faces in his role today is helping customers overcome their concerns about moving to the cloud.

“It’s about understanding what is best for our customer’s business and what is the need or pain point that Microsoft can help solve,” he adds.

HH

HAIdEr SALLoUm

HANy HUSSEIN

CHANNEL EXECUTIVES

Being a channel head for the region essentially means you need to be a big picture thinker and have a clear vision laid out for the business.

And that’s what Hussein does in his role day in and day out.

“My motivation comes from recognising and working closely with various stakeholders to ensure that plans are carefully thought through and then executed.”

Through working closely with his team at Huawei, he is able to leverage the knowledge and understanding of the company’s core mission to ensure that every action taken has a customer-centric approach.

“The same applies when building our channel ecosystem. To achieve this, it is essential to nurture the customer-centric ethos within the team and with our partners across the countries.”

For Hussein, the opportunity to help impact the industry for the better is a key driver. And staying in sync with the evolving nature of the business is a critical aspect.

He says, “We believe that our partners will be key in addressing markets that demand the flexibility to change in an economy that is volatile. Nurturing relationships and enabling them with the right tools and platforms to go to market with our partners is therefore an essential component of our channel business.”

SMB Channel Director, Microsoft Gulf

Regional Vice President, Channels and Alliances, Huawei, Enterprise Business, Middle East

With more than 10 years of senior sales and channel experience under his belt, Chib heads the MEA operations for the security vendor, Sophos.

He says, “My core focus is to strengthen the sales and channel strategy for the Sophos Group in MEA. My role involves leading the team, scaling sales operations in the region and leveraging the partner ecosystem to drive the company’s strategic growth.”

He is passionate about two aspects of his job. First is working closely with partners to ensure the company products reach more customers and

second, making sure partners are able to grow their business by joining hands with the vendor.

“The challenge I face is not restricted to my role but concerns everybody associated with the IT security industry.

“Increased attack surfaces, targeted attacks and the growing sophistication of these attacks is a challenge that needs to be dealt with. In order to address these challenges, we need IT security solutions that are one step ahead of cyber attackers and which are advanced and comprehensive, yet simple to deploy and maintain.”

HHArISH CHIb

VP MEA, Sophos


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Refas has recently relocated to the region after having spent 11 years working with Eaton in Europe in a variety of regional channel management positions. In his most recent role, he was the Channel Manager for Eaton’s IT Business in EMEA.

“In this role, I oversaw the delivery of Eaton’s Power Management solutions for data centres to hundreds of ICT distributors and an extensive channel partner base across the region. Having recently moved to the Middle East, at present I am enjoying getting under the skin of the channel market locally.”

He says there is no greater a feeling in this role than in working alongside

partners who are passionate about the company’s technology and look forward to promoting it.

“We work closely with our partners to ensure that they are provided with all the right information and training, as any Eaton product manager would have, and they work as an extension of our team to deliver the same core objectives.”

In terms of challenges, there tends to be longer lead times in the ability to measure ROI due to the channel business’ indirect nature and the multi-tier supply chain.

“We work with our partners to provide them with support in recording the relevant information from resellers.”

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KArIm rEFAS

LArA yoUSUF

CHANNEL EXECUTIVES

Yousuf’s current role involves devising and executing distribution and channel strategies while ensuring that these strategies are implemented effectively within a solid business plan framework.

Additionally, she also manages and drives partner incentive programmes, monitor their inventory levels, as well as plan lead generation marketing events.

“I also work with our sales team in their deal analysis and account planning sessions to ensure successful channel alignment during the sales cycle,” she says.

Her passion for the job stems from a conviction that what is done as a

company contributes to making its customers more competitive.

“I strive to establish this belief as the foundation of my work with our partners,” she add. “It steers our daily interactions, and makes our engagements gratifying, especially when we collaborate in finding solutions to complex challenges they are facing. I also thrive on successfully equipping them with the right tools and proper enablement to better position our products and to increase our market share.”

She believes ‘focus’ and ‘specialisation’ will drive the evolution of the channel in the coming years.

Head of Channels, Middle East, Eaton Middle East

Channel Manager, Gulf and Distribution Manager, MENA, Polycom

Jiang has been in the Middle East market for more than three years, during which he has overseen many countries. Currently he is heading operations for UAE and Oman markets as Country Manager.

He adds, “I am taking care of all the business in my markets including channel, retail, ISP and SMB. My role involves tracking the sales and managing the team to ensure the development of each business is going on well. Meanwhile, I also guide and encourage my team to do more and better.”

Jiang is most passionate about the sales and marketing aspects of his role.

“I’m always excited about high sales number and successful marketing

activities that we do in the region. This motivates and makes me happy,” he adds.

For him the most challenging aspect of his job is to make do with limited resources in an unlimited business environment.

“We need to work more efficiently to achieve our business goals and leverage the market opportunities with a limited workforce.”

Over the next two years, the regional channel will keep expanding and growing, he says.

“Meanwhile, the channel players will become more professional and they will focus on specific niche areas extensively, which will help them in the long run.”

LLUCAS JIANG

Country Manager, TP-LINK Middle East


Over the last 13 years, Zakhour has worked at leading IT organisations such as Microsoft and Dimension Data, building expertise in account management, consulting, channel management and marketing. Her focus has been on channel management and the development of small to medium market sales, as well as building strategies to increase mind and market share. In her current position, she oversees the management of Fortinet’s strategic channel partners for all Middle East sales territories.

“Along with my team, I focus on expanding and raising the business

and presence across the region, while driving the company’s go-to-market strategy across all solutions.”

She says her relentless passion for the company’s channel business, honesty and persistence makes it easier for her to win partners’ trust and earn their loyalty.

“I strongly believe that a brilliant strategy, class-leading products, and cutting edge technology can put you on the competitive map, but only solid execution can keep you there. With this in mind, I have developed a strong execution plan that is implemented by my team, with the help of our authorised distributors.”

Akhtar joined the company to help spearhead the start-up of Veeam Middle East. He leads a team of six channel managers and is responsible for developing and managing strategic channel partner and distribution relationships while also overseeing technology alliances for Veeam’s Availability and Management Solutions for VMware and Microsoft.

On a day-to-day basis, his role involves working with the channel team to ensure partners have the correct support to develop their Veeam proposition and go to market strategy

“This ensures that the Veeam partnership is of value to them and their clients,” he adds.

“The best part about my job is evangelising to new partners as to why Veeam is the leader in Availability and watching their mindset change from just back-up and embracing the company’s technology and offering availability for the modern data centre to their customers.”

According to Akhtar, seeing partners not being educated or prepared to offer cloud services in the region to their clients is challenging.

“However, Veeam is well-positioned to assist partners capitalise in this space due to our established Cloud Provider Programme and CloudConnect feature, which enables partners to offer cost effective BRaas/DRaaS.”

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mAyA zAKHoUr

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moUrAd zoHNyZohny has been part of IBM for close to four decades, having first joined IBM Egypt as a Customer Engineer. He has the experience of several roles ranging from technical, sales and management positions across countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Canada. He has been the Channel Leader for IBM Middle East since 2002. What he loves the most about his role are the relationships that he has nurtured over the years with business partners’ executives.

“This,” he says, “is built on trust and personal responsibility, and is based on clear understanding of the mutual objectives and roles of IBM and its

business partners to achieve the best customer satisfaction in our region.”

According to him, the biggest challenge is around the business partners’ ability to adopt the necessary transformation to be more responsive to changing customer demands.

He says, “Clients are looking for innovative solutions in cognitive computing, cloud infrastructures, and ‘as-a-service’ offerings, all based on the highest security standards. IBM and its business partners should be prepared to respond to those clients’ requirements with the most advanced solutions based on IBM technology and services.”

Channel Director, Middle East, Fortinet

Regional Manager, Channels, ME and SAARC, Veeam

IBM Global Business Partners Leader, Middle East and Saudi

Arabia, IBM Middle East


Hayati has worked in IT for over two decades. And after joining SAP about more than a year ago, the team that he has been a part of has driven double-digit growth in business for SAP MENA’s channel programme and presence.

He says, “Our team spearheads growth strategies and leads channel development, continuing SAP MENA to be one of EMEA’s fastest-growing market units for both the channel and general business segments. General business in 2015 contributed 35 percent of revenue, demonstrating the channel’s importance.

“The team and I drive channels sales, inside sales, partner recruitment,

certification, alignment, and coverage, aligned with SAP Global Alliance Partner Programme and SAP MENA goals. We meet with channel partners, and speak and network at channel events such as our SAP MENA forums.”

Hayati’s passion is providing a winning team spirit and individual career development, which enable high-performance teams to succeed in their goals of helping partners and their customers embrace the digital economy.

Over the next few years, he expects to see a strong take-up of cloud-as-a-service, which will help organisations to simplify and drive innovation.

In her current role, Ansari leads and motivates her team to achieve and execute the company’s vision.

She says, “An exciting and motivating factor about the job is definitely within the current market dynamics. As emerging technologies are reshaping the world the way we know it, we are witnessing the transformation of IT, entering the mobile cloud era, serving billions of users with millions of applications. And the only way to deliver this is through IT-as-a-Service, which is founded on virtualisation.

“This is a huge opportunity for IT to deliver competitive advantage and for VMware ecosystem of partners to grow with us and add value to their customers and business.”

Ansari’s strongest assets include her passion for the business, positive attitude, the ability to focus and to deliver collectively with the team the biggest impact.

She believes that everything that is done today within the regional channel begins with orientation around applications.

“What businesses care about is expedient access to applications. But the application landscape within most businesses is diverse – there are traditional, client-server applications and there are new modern, cloud-native applications. And IT needs to manage all of them,” she adds.

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PATrICK HAyATI

rEEmAN ANSArI

rAmzI ITANI

CHANNEL EXECUTIVES

Itani comes with 26 years of experience, out of which two decades have been spent in Dubai, looking after markets in Middle East, Africa, Emerging Markets and Europe.

He has worked in several roles from sales, marketing and channels across global vendors such as 3M, Imation, Microsoft, Cisco, Symantec and Veritas. With about 90 percent of the company’s business done through the channel, Itani’s role is to ensure the company and its partners have both strategies aligned for exceeding its goals and to grow the business as well as be a profitable vendor for the partners.

“I also have to make sure that our partners and our sales team are reaching out to different customers to scale reach and help developing new logos. To meet the rising complexity of our customer projects, one major responsibility is to make sure our partners are fully enabled and equipped to fulfil on these projects.” What he finds most challenging about his role is building a two-way loyalty between Veritas and its partners.

“This is done through a self-running ecosystem to focus on generating incremental business with the end user by providing solutions, which address the challenges of the customer,” he adds.

Vice President, General Partner Organisation (General Business and Partner Ecosystem), SAP MENA

Regional Channel Manager MENA, VMware

Regional Channel Director, Emerging Markets, Veritas


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Having more than 18 years of experience with the Middle East IT industry, Hussain brings high dynamism, innovation and diligence to his current role.

He says, “Going about the operation’s objectives with the required diplomacy to keep all partners constantly motivated is one of my key strengths.”

His role includes different aspects such as planning and implementing sales strategy for different countries in the region for various verticals, creating and running the partner programme, promotions and marketing activities, sales and product training for sales team, partners and distributors.

What drives him on the job is working with the sales team, distributor and channel

partners across various countries and making new partnerships.

“D-Link as an industry leader in networking, introduces many new technologies and products to the market throughout the year, which keeps me busy on a daily basis.”

According to Hussain, in 2016, the regional channel will see many opportunities as well as threats in the IT sector.

“While we do see a negative growth in some ME countries, there are also factors that spur growth such as regional attractiveness for different types of establishments. Trends such as cloud, IoT, home and business utomation will gain further popularity.”

Kidwai manages sales and business development for WD in the Middle East and Africa. He has had the opportunity to oversee sales operations of the vendor in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Africa. He was previously working at NetCom in various sales positions.

“I work very closely with our distributor and channel partners to ensure there is consistent dialogue between the company and them. We work towards fostering mutually beneficial relationships with them, which is beyond monetary perks,” he says. “ I believe my role is to empower them, become a trusted advisor to our consumers by giving them relevant information, hearing their feedback, offering

adequate support and ensuring they get trained on our latest products and offers. I also explore and evaluate new business opportunities in my region and different ways of reaching out to new consumers.”

Over the next two years, Kidwai expects to see a lot of growth coming from the surveillance and data centre storage verticals.

“With security and surveillance becoming priority, specialised surveillance products will be relevant. Similarly, proliferation of Big Data and tier-2 and tier-3 data centres in the region are likely to drive the need for data centre products. The regional channel with align its focus to fulfil the changing needs of the region.”

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SAKKEEr HUSSAIN

SHUJA r. KIdwAI

SANdy AUdI With over 13 years of experience in Information Technology and channel across EMEA Emerging Markets, Audi is currently the Channel Strategy and Programmes Lead for Dell in the MEA region.

Her day-to-day responsibility includes leading a team of programme managers and evangelist fully dedicated to channel development and enablement.

“Our priorities are rolling out strategic channel programmes, aligning partners with our strategies and ensuring that partners are leveraging the full potential and benefits from their partnership with Dell. It is also imperative for me that we maintain a high level of channel satisfaction and ensure our channel value

proposition and our programmes remain competitive and attractive,” she says.

Audi’s answer to what about her role is she most passionate about has two dimensions – internal and external.

“Internally, our entrepreneurial spirit and the freedom to innovate that translates into our ability to strategise and come up with innovative ideas and then immediately execute externally. Externally, supporting our partners and enabling them to develop, win and grow with us.”

According to Audi, the challenges in her job are around the dynamic nature of the business, which she believes can be solved by being agile and staying one step ahead.

Director, Sales and Marketing, D-Link MEA

Senior Sales Manager, Middle East and Africa, WD

Channel Strategy and Programmes Lead, Dell

CHANNEL EXECUTIVES


Kajaria boasts over 17 years of experience across IT systems integrators, distributors and vendors, out of which 15 were in the Middle East, Africa and Mediterranean region. Over the last one and half years, in her current role, she works closely with the MEA partner community with other security, wireless, networking and storage vendors to recruit and develop their partner base.

She is responsible for the channel management and strategic business planning of the company, working closely with distributors and partners alike.

“During my tenure, I have

successfully combined sales leadership with sound business practices to achieve long term growth and profitability for partners and vendors. HDS has seen substantial growth in partner-led opportunities and in turn contributed to its growth as a whole.

“Having spent years in MEA IT industry where ‘relationships’ act as a key component to succeed in channel roles, I believe in leveraging these relationships to implement and execute strategic goals.”

For Kajaria, the biggest challenge, or “opportunity” as she sees it, is the changing technology landscape.

Kapoor has over 15 years of experience with leading multinational companies in the software IT industry, primarily in the ERP business application space.

He says, “All my roles have been channel-focused so I literally live and breathe the channel. In my current role, the focus is on building the Infor Alliance partner network and optimising the current channel partner ecosystem across Middle East, Africa and India. The role involves planning meetings with key executives of partners and working with our internal team to make sure that partners are enabled to represent Infor in the market.”

Motivated by the ability to mentor

partners and coach them to be solution providers and consultants rather than simply box-pushers, he says, “Partners that have implemented this model are reaping the benefits; something that I take great pride in.”

According to Kapoor, the biggest challenge is around the channel mindset.

“I consistently challenge our business application providers to go beyond seeing themselves just as ‘box-pushers’ and ‘implementers’ and instead focus on serving as ‘trusted advisors’ to our customers by providing industry expertise and process consulting in addition to the best in class solution implementations.”

S

VT

SUSHmA KAJArIA

VIbHU KAPoor

TAJ ELKHAyATElKhayat’s role includes a mix of operational, strategic, functional, customer and channel centric tasks.

However, the core part of his job is to ensure his team is executing on the company’s go-to-market and operational strategies as well as delivering well against their KPIs focused on customer and partner satisfaction, solution selling, creating repeatable business, and leveraging the power of channel.

He says, “I devote a large portion of the week to being in the field, hand-in-hand with my team, our partners and customers to ensure we are delivering as per our promise. I also exert my

utmost efforts to ensure that the environment my team works in is based on rewarding hard work.”

ElKhayat says his role is about providing the platform to make everyone around him and those he interacts with successful – be it customers, partners, colleagues or family.

“Striking the balance to achieve that with the type of work I do and the demands my role has is the challenge. However this challenge keeps me driving forward, as the mission to positively influence people around me is very rewarding and fulfilling. It is a positive challenge.”

Head of Channel, Middle East and Pakistan, Hitachi Data Systems

Director, Channels and Alliances Ecosystem, India, Middle East and Africa, Infor

Regional Vice President, Middle East and Africa, Riverbed Technology


Regional organisations need to have robust cybersecurity solutions in place to be prepared to face threats that are increasingly growing according to recent reports. Reseller ME investigates how channel partners can maximise opportunities present here.

combatting cyber tHreats

cybersecurityFeature

The online threat landscape has evolved over the years and the

traditional methods of securing your data and networksnolongersufficethe increasingly sophisticated attack mannerisms devised by the adversaries.

Trends such as Internet of Things (IoT), mobility, cloud computing and other collaborative technologies are exposing newer areas of cyber risk, which would have been hard to fathom a couple of years ago.

Rabih Dabboussi, General Manager,UAE,Cisco,says,“Simple attacks that caused containable damage have given way to organised cybercrime operations that are sophisticated, well-funded, and capable of significanteconomicandreputational damage to public and private sector victims. Furthermore,new

classes of devices and new infrastructure architectures offerattackersopportunitiesto exploit unanticipated weaknesses and inadequately defended assets.”

Also, BYOD trends further mean employees tend to access enterprise resources via multiple mediums, adding its own complexity and cybersecurity concerns.

Channelpartnershaveasignificantroletoplayherein educating customers and enabling them to stay ahead with the right tools and solutions.

According to Savitha Bhaskar,COO,CondoProtego,MiddleEastchannelpartners can guide their customers’ cybersecurity in twodifferentways.

“One by being data-focused, which is the inside-out approach, while the other is an outside-in approach that understands cyber threats


andtheirorigins.Channelpartners who start with an understanding of the data first,areagileindevelopingcybersecurity strategies,” she says. “Alarmingly, the Middle East faces a major gap for cybersecurity partners, as many are technology generalists that cannot keep up with the rapidly changing threat landscape.

“Todifferentiatethemselves, Middle East channel partners need to upskilltheirstaffwithvendorandindustrycertifications,and in turn guide clients’ cybersecurity strategy in a wider digitisation strategy.”

Another revenue stream for enterprise-focused partners is to offercustomisedsecuritysolutions.

Agreeing, Nandini Sapru,SalesDirector, emt Distribution,adds, “This includes consulting agreements, penetration testing and security trainings and managed custom security services for theircustomers. Otheropportunities lie in the SMB space where bundling ofproductsandofferingaffordablesolutionsintheSIEM,DLPandMDMspace can be of good benefit. Securitytraining

and general awareness programmessuchasCEHwill have good prospects.”

MayaZakhour,ChannelDirector, Middle East, Fortinet,says,“Partnersshould build up their credentials by completing vendor trainings, so they receivecertifications.”

Through vendor training, partners can gain insights into the solutions and learn about the current trends in the security space.

“This immediately makes them more credible within the market. Then it’s a case of looking for opportunities, and working with vendors, when required, to convert them into long-term business.

“We believe that the goal for any partner should be to go from approaching customers to being sought out by customers.”

It is really up to the partners to educate end-

New classes of devices and new infrastructure architectures offer attackers opportunities to exploit

unanticipated weaknesses and inadequately defended assets.”

Rabih Dabboussi, General Manager, UAE, Cisco

Partners are also urged to enable new business or newer operating models, which includes peer-to-peer

product innovation or customer service.”

Rohit Aggarwal, CEO and Founder, Koenig Solutions

users on the importance of implementing a holistic security strategy, which offersmultiplelayersofprotection.

“This protection,” says SébastienPavie,RegionalSales Director, MEA, Gemalto, “should include aspects such as encryption, access controls,encryptionkey management, network security,MDM aswellas strong authentication technologies.”

Combattingcyberthreatscan be more challenging for partners than the usual issues they face, simply because of the high dynamism in this space. They need to be constantly on their toes, stay updated on the latest developments and solutions.

AccordingtoNicolaiSolling, Director of Technology Services, Help AG, with resellers focusing more on products rather

than on solutions, the market trend continues to adjust to that. “Because of this, a number of resellers are seen as being only as good as the vendors they partner with. However, with the challenges of security driving new models such as zero-trust architecture, emphasis on user behaviour and policy development and compliance with regulatory frameworks, the need for value beyond solutions delivery is what is now going toreallydifferentiatethetraditional resellers from the true experts.”

RohitAggarwal,CEOandFounder,KoenigSolutions,says, “Resellers across the MiddleEastregion arecurrently faced with key challenges like working with and against hardware and software vendor partners andstaffingneedstohelpaddress the requirement placed by technology resellers.”

He also adds that partners should enhance their interactions among its customers, suppliers, stakeholders and employees to create a niche for themselves in the cybersecurity space.

“Improving management decisions as algorithms crunch Big Data from social


technologies or the Internet ofThings(IoT).Partnersarealso urged to enable new business or newer operating models, which includes peer-to-peer product innovation or customer service.”

Maged Eid, Regional Director,Nexthink,adds,“By adopting award winning IT analytics solutions for security, partners can differentiatetheirofferingsand create better niches for themselves.”

Also, to be able to succeed in this space, focus is a crucial element. Identifying which are the key areas where a partner’s strengths lies is just as important as delivering custom solutions to customers.

AjiJoseph,GM,Radarservices, says, “It is important to have the right technology partnership in place to support such activities.”

Therefore, understanding where a reseller can bring in the most value is key. Partnersshouldworktowards being a customer’s trusted advisor, which can only happen if they work on enhancing their capabilities.

HarishChib,VPMEA,Sophos, adds, “They have to emerge as a trustworthy partner who can strengthen organisations in bringing a security transformation.”

As technologies such as IoT, mobility, analytics and digital transformation continuetobesignificanttrends over the next few years, the type of attacks and breaches are only expected to increase.

DabboussifromCiscoadds, “The number of connected devices alone

cybersecurityFeature

Value-added serViCes iN CyberseCuriTy

“Theservicethatwillbenefitcustomers in the region the most is Managed Security Services (MSS). Currently,CAPEXbudgetsarebeingcurtailed and spending is shifting over toOPEX.Thelargeenterprisecustomers have already invested in

best-of-breed security solutions but lack the manpower and expertise to utilise these to the best of their potential. They also don’t view security as a 24x7operationwhileinrealityattackersdon’tfollowatninetofiveworkday.”Nicolai Solling, Director of Technology Services, Help AG

“Partnerscanofferregularpenetration tests, security awareness programmes, programme and productupgradesthatarespecifictoa customer’s needs. Also suggestions onimprovingtheefficiencyofsecurityarchitecture as it is integrated across

differentproductsinanetworkcanbeconsideredavalue add.”Nandini Sapru, Sales Director, emt Distribution

“Enterprise customers are looking for servicessuchasPenetrationTests(Security Audits), Security Awareness Training, Security Monitoring, CertificationslikeISOandNESA,Server hardening and Managed SecurityServices.Customerswhoget

compromised look for services like IT Risk Management,DigitalForensicsandFirefighting.”Aji Joseph, GM, Radarservices

“Partnerscanoffertrainingandcertificationstotheirclientsasmanyorganisations are keen to train their trustedITstaffformaintainingtheircritical data and networks. These programmes also give partners a chance to interact with customers

and understand their pain areas. Additionally, the partners can run security assessments where they canofferfreevulnerabilitytestingfororganisations’networks.” Harish Chib, VP MEA, Sophos

is expected to grow to 50 billion sensors, objects, and other connected ‘things’ by the year 2020. With this, the attack vectors will increase along with the amount of data, creating a daunting challenge for companies and those responsible for defending the infrastructure.

“We will see an increased demand for network security products, technology and services over the next 12-18 months.”

Paviesays,“Giventhefrequency and magnitude databreachesintheMENAregion during 2015, in 2016 we will continue to see companies investing further in encryption and crypto management services combined with user access control and strong authentication, which are significantlybecomingmoreand more the foundation of any organisation’s security strategies.

“The growing sophistication of these cyber threats has prompted businesses, government agencies and critical infrastructure operators to transform their strategies and implement policies around cybersecurity in order to mitigate the threat impacts and lower down the expenses,” he adds.

Channelpartnersneed to be on top of their game in order to maximise opportunities in this space and to gain the trust from customers. They need to identify their core strengths and build niches so that they are relevant in the evolving threat landscape. Those who delve into the opportunities earlyon,willstandtobenefitthe most.


Register your team today to transform your organisation from smart to secureGive your security strategy this year’s most crucial upgrade with insights from an international speaker

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29 - 31 MARCH 2016Dubai World Trade Centre

Security Innovation for a Connected Future

SEATS ARE LIMITED, SECURE YOURS TODAY! www.gisec.ae/visit [email protected] +971.4.308.6481

John BumgarnerOne the world’s foremost authorities

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Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox The former UK Secretary of State for Defence

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Tudor Enache A leading Penetration Test expert

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Mark HughesPresident, BT Security Enterprise,

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Engineer Ammar AlmarzooqiCISO, Abu Dhabi DepartmentOf Economic

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Amr Gaber CISO, Dubai Media

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summarise the highlights of 2015 and plans for this year. We exchanged and shared company strategies and business partner evolution. Under theValue4Partnerprogramme, we are progressing well on our company transformation and collaboration with channels. And over the course of last year, we have released many

Moreno Ciboldi, Senior Vice President, South Europe, Middle East and Africa and Marco Pasculli, Vice President for Channel Sales and Strategy, South Europe and Middle East and Africa from Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, discuss the channel roadmap for 2016 at its annual regional partner event.

FortiFying partnersHips

alcatel-lucent enterprise vendor Focus

Can you share what was communicated to your partners

at the event?MP: This year’s annual regional partner conference brought together our top partners from both systems integration and distribution space. The event serves as an ideal platform to

simplifications,newtoolsand variations for our channels. Therefore, 2016 will be the year to dive into it more extensively.

We strictly follow the three pillars from theV4Pstrategiesthat are dramatically cutting the cost of our collaboration–simplifyall processes, double the revenue with partners and co-investments. In

line with these pillars, we have massively co-invested last year in opening new markets such as cloud. We have co-invested with a select number of companies to start doing business or communication in the cloud. It is an opportunity for us to transform and evolve our customers into new directions. In terms of the on-demand business,


We strictly follow the three pillars from the V4P strategies that are dramatically cutting

the cost of our collaboration – simplify all processes, double the

revenue with partners and co-investments. it is an opportunity

for us to transform our customers into new directions.

we have also announced the next release of network-on-demand. We are now not only in communication and cloud but also in the networking space.

MC: 2015 has been a year of changes. It wasourfirstyearasanindependent company since we were part of the bigger organisation, Alcatel-Lucent earlier. Therefore, operationally and structurally, there have been many activities. We believe this is a great opportunity for us to start from scratch and do the businessinadifferentwaybut with the same positive energy. Today we are capable to grow market shareinbothareas–communication and digital networking. In fact we grewsignificantlyindigitalnetworking, especially if we consider our regional entities, South Europe, Middle East and Africa, in spite of all those transformations that we had to implement. Also, at the same time we grew three percent in the region overall. In 2016, now that we have completed the set up, we look forward to working with partners utilising the right tools to address the market opportunities.V4Pisakeyprogramme

for us. We have a consistent strategy across the history of Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise. Our success is based on the

success of our business partners. To help our partners, we need to have a very consistent strategy that is based on following the market trends and evolution, which is now more about applications and mobility, and help customers perform better ontheirspecificbusinessusing our solutions.

What aspects of the company’s transformation are partners most excited about? MP: They are excited as they feel and recognise our transformation. They seetangiblebenefitsin their business. They feel that we really care about them. Many of our partners are working with us for a long time. Technology is accelerating the space. They appreciate oureffortstobeasimple

company to work with. They like the way we are targeting the market and our creation of dedicated vertical solutions, through which they have the chance to make more profitsandselleasier.

MC: The market is movingfromCAPEXtoOPEXandweunderstandthat. So partners see and identify with that and they believe in us. They appreciate the fact that we are seeing the evolution of the market in the right way.

Where do you see Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise in two years from now?MC: I think we have clearly stated where we are going. What is paramount for us is that the business partner understand the trend that we as a company are taking. We see ourselves going in the

right direction in terms of focusing on our energy where it counts, from technology development to the way we position our technology in the market and engage with our business partners. Today, we are engaging with our end-users together with our business partners. So I see a company that is becoming more and more a key player in the market where we operate.

What are the challenges you are seeing in the Middle East region? MP: The challenge is to be a step ahead of market growth. We need to be everywhere, which is why channel engagement is key. We need to be in front of as many customers as possible with the right partners.

What is the business focus for 2016?MP: To become a solution business outcome provider rather than products.

What is your message for your partner community? MP: The message to our existing partners is–staywithus,wearedramatically investing to beamuchmoreefficientcompany. And to the new comers–joinus,wearegoing to surprise you in terms of new solutions and new tools for making business together.


Powering smart and connected enterprises, government and consumers

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Powering smart and connected enterprises, government and consumers

Book to make connections that matter Iotx.ae/book [email protected] +971 4308 6805

Internet of things expo29-31 march 2016dubai world trade centre

ioTx.ae/book

BookNow

Internet of Things Expo@IoTDubai facebook.com/iotdxb

Organised by Diamond SponsorKeynote Sponsor Gold Sponsors

Arabic Broadcast Partner

OfficialPublication

Digital PartnerOfficial Media Partners

Silver Sponsors

Official English Radio

Official Business Publication

Platinum Sponsors

BOOK NOW for unparalelled Knowledge and Networking

Premium Conference Interactive Demo ArenaThe Hive-Startup Pitch in

collaboration with Dubai SMEIoT Hackathon

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Be inspired by global innovators and visionaries at the regions pioneer IoT event

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Smart City Future

DR JANUSZ BRYZSEKFounder

Exo SystemsThe Father of Sensors

JONNY VOONIoT Lead

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JAMIE CUDDENHead of Smart Cities Programs

City of DublinSustainability through smart

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Lumia 950 XLThe Lumia 950 and 950 XL are great options for those looking out for straightforward smartphones with the unmatched experience of Windows 10.

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RATING

Microsoft’s recent launches Lumia 950 and 950 XL are impressive smartphones equipped

with a number of interesting features.

The devices come in a compact sleek design, with no sharp edges, making for a smarter look. The CorningGorilla4displayonthe950XLislargerthantheCorningGorilla 3 display on 950 by 0.5 inches. Both devices come with 32 GB of on board storage and 3 GB of RAM. Gone are the days of the micro USB, Microsoft’s new devices are powered with the latest USB Type–C,whichisdefinitelyawelcomed change.

While the XL comes with a better chipset than the smaller Lumia950,bothhavethe20MPCarlZeisslensattheback,whichenables for some good quality images and videos.

Users don’t have to worry about running out of juice while on the XL,thankstothe340mAhbiggerbattery. But that being said, having a larger screen real estate does bringthepixeldensitydownby46ppi compared to the Lumia 950.

The key selling point for both the Lumia devices this year is the Windows 10 OS and the newly introducedContinuumfeature.Continuumisprettysimpletouse - connect the Lumia device to the Display Dock and in turn to anexternaldisplayunit.Connecta wireless mouse and keyboard to this setup and the whole

smartphone experience is enhanced toadifferentlevel.Customersarethen able to use the smartphones’ features and extend the OS onto a larger external display.

The performance on the Continuumwasgreatwithonlyaslight shudder from time to time. But this does not take much from the whole experience. Also, it is worth noting that the build quality of the display dock was quite robust.

Windows 10 does promise immense potential if Microsoft can find a way to get rid of the slow loading apps. Updating the software and the pre-loaded apps on the devices were a bit tiresome as it was extremely time consuming. Also, the build quality of the devices could have been much better and would have only added more to the users’ experience.

Both Lumia 950 and 950 XL meet the expectations of an average user in every possible way. Also, retailing under $650, the devices are a decent option for those looking out to move from the crowded Android and iOS space.


Canon Middle East has launched the Océ Arizona 1200 Series of UV flatbed printers.

Designed for print service providers (PSPs) Océ Arizona 1240, 1260 and 1280 are ideal for businesses in the sign and display industry, speciality print producers, reprographers and photo labs. PSPs can print directly to unusual materials with varied shapes such as canvas, wood, ceramics or glass and are able to print multiple times for high density or textured applications, such as packaging or wall cladding. A stronger vacuum system provides reliable drawdown of even

warped, rigid media, whilst the new UV curing system reduces surface heat for printing up to the thinnest, most heat-sensitive media, making it a perfect solution for retail displays and POS signage.

The devices use up to six-colours and can also be equipped with white and varnish. The optional addition of light cyan and light magenta ink enables superior print quality for photographic and fine art applications. Both printers use Océ VariaDot imaging technology for sharper text and lines, alongside smooth gradients and solid colours.

Canon launChes oCé arizona 1200 series

linksys unveils Max streaM ea7500

Linksys’ latest device is

powered by a 1.4 GHz

dual-core processor and

can deliver speeds of up

to 1.9 Gbps. According to

the company, the AC1900

provides Next-Gen Wi-Fi

AC technology capable of

handling three simultaneous

data streams to multiple

screens and Wi-Fi devices

without lag or buffering.

Featuring Multi-User

MIMO technology, the

AC1900 brings Next-Gen

AC Wi-Fi to the home for

simultaneous streaming,

online gaming, video chatting

and more to multiple screens

in multiple rooms.

Delivering speeds up

to 2x the speed of current

routers, the Next-Gen Max-

Stream AC1900 can connect

as many as 12 devices at

the same time to your Wi-

Fi, including six screens

streaming 4K video. You

can also control your home

Wi-Fi from anywhere on you

mobile device using the

Smart Wi-Fi app.

TP-LINK has recently released two

smart home products that offer energy

savings, the HS110 and the HS200.

The HS110 is a smart plug with

energy monitoring that allows you to

plug in your devices or appliances to

start enjoying effective remote access

and control. While the HS200 is a smart

light switch that packs similar features

into a wall-mounted switch that also

functions like a traditional light switch.

Just connect your electronic device

to the HS110 smart plug and start

tP-link releases sMart hoMe ProduCts

enjoying remote access and control,

using your smartphone to activate

and deactivate the power supply from

anywhere. The scheduling function

allows you to establish a customised

schedule for turning your devices on

and off automatically.

Similarly, the HS200 smart light

switch offers many of the same

control features as the HS110 smart

plug. Remote access and control,

programmable scheduling, and away

mode help create a more convenient

and energy efficient lifestyle for

you and your family. A smart switch,

however, provides the additional option

of turning connected lights on and

off using the built-in physical switch,

allowing you to use it just as you would

with a traditional light switch.

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Hot products


The new Philips Brilliance display features UltraClear 4K UHD resolution at 3840 x 2160 pixels.

According to the vendor, this 4K resolution is four times higher than Full HD, presenting stunning, crystal clear images with exceptional detail.

The display features an advanced IPS 178/178-degree technology that permits extra wide viewing angles while maintaining the monitor’s remarkably crisp images and vivid colours. IPS displays are ideal for professional projects that require specific colours and brightness, as well as for general use for viewing and editing photos, watching movies and for web browsing.

The device is also equipped with Philips’ MultiView technology makes complex multi-tasking duties much simpler. MultiView 4K, transmits up to four video feeds in full HD on one screen. The display enables picture-by-picture

(PbP) and picture-in-picture (PiP) for monitoring multiple systems in a variety of viewing modes.

It also has a pair of high quality 7-watt stereo speakers built-in. The display is equipped with ample connectivity options, which includes VGA, DisplayPort and universal HDMI connector; and a convenient USB 3.0 hub deploys a 5.0 gigabyte per second transfer rate.

InnJoo has launched of Fire2 Plus in UAE

and Saudi Arabia. The Fire2 Plus is the

extension of successful Fire series.

The InnJoo Fire2 Plus is a 5.5-inch HD

display 4G LTE smartphone crafted in a one

piece metal body. The new smartphone

is powered by 4600 mAh powerful batter,

which only takes 1.5 hours to full charge.

“The success of Fire series has

encouraged us to introduce more features

and incorporate advance technology. Fire2

Plus is a step in same direction and we are

confident that our new smartphone with

smarter design, sleek looks and brilliant

features at the most affordable price will

set the market on fire once again,” said,

Tim Chen, Co-founder and CEO, InnJoo.

The dual SIM, Fire2 Plus has a

1.3 GHz Quad-Core processor, 2 GB

DDR RAM, Android 5.1 operating

system, 16 GB internal memory, 128 GB

expandable storage slot, micro USB

port and Bluetooth. The latest 4G LTE

smartphone is exclusively available at

Souq.com for AED 399 in UAE and SAR

399 in Saudi Arabia.

PhiliPs launChes 43-inCh 4k ultra hd Monitor

innJoo unveils Fire2 Plus

aMd introduCes a10-7890kSetting a new APU Standard,

the new AMD A10-7890K,

according to the company,

is the fastest AMD desktop

APU released to date, with

1.02 TFLOPS of theoretical

compute performance. This new

processor has been paired with

the AMD Wraith Cooler to deliver

a high-performance combination,

enabling online gaming, while

offering near silent operation

for a premium experience.

Gamers will be able to enjoy

playing the most popular online

and eSports games right out of

the box on high settings with

the new AMD A10-7890K APU,

which is capable of providing

smooth frame rates in some of

the most popular online games

like League of Legends, DOTA2,

and Counter Strike: Global

Offensive. AMD APUs combine

the power of AMD processors

with the performance of discrete

Radeon R7 class graphics in one

convenient SoC, and support

DirectX 12, OpenGL, Vulkan, and

FreeSync in addition to Microsoft

Xbox One game streaming on

Windows 10.

Brought to you By:


NEC Display Solutions Europe has expanded its portfolio of high brightness displays with the launch of a 75-inch display.

According to the vendor, the new display has been designed for areas with high levels of ambient light, and where the harsh environment of sunlight would affect the performance of normal displays. The X754HB large format display offers a consistent solution for environments where lighting conditions are changeable but the information on the display always needs to be visible.

The 75-inch display intelligently adapts to its surroundings, using an integrated ambient light sensor. During the day, the display provides a bright, clear image regardless of the lighting conditions. At night, it dims down, reducing power consumption and creating cost-efficiencies for the organisation while keeping readability. With a display size of more than 190 centimetres, the X754HB matches the industry demand for life-size signage applications that effectively operate in these demanding environments.

The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy

S7 Edge are equipped with Android

6.0 (Marshmallow) and are constructed

with 3D glass and metal. From work to

play, both devices have a new Always-

On Display, giving users a zero touch

experience where they don’t need to

worry about missing a call or important

notification.

Without compromising design,

Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge both have

increased utility with IP68 water and dust

resistance. The devices are powered

by Octa core (2.3GHz Quad + 1.6GHz

Quad), 64 bit; and Quad core (2.15GHz

Dual + 1.6GHz Dual), 64 bit processor

respectively.

Additionally, the hybrid SIM card tray

allows users to insert a microSD card

for up to 200 GB of additional storage

and in some select

countries, the tray

can be used with a

dual SIM card.

Galaxy S7 and

Galaxy S7 Edge

introduce the first

Dual Pixel camera

on a smartphone, delivering brighter and

sharper images, even in low light. The

Dual Pixel technology gives the devices

brighter lens with wider aperture, and

bigger pixel, the camera also has a faster

shutter speed and a more accurate

autofocus even in low-light conditions.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge

will be available at all major retailers in the

UAE. The recommended retail price for

Galaxy S7 is AED 2,499, with the Galaxy

S7 edge available at AED 2,799.

neC launChes 75-inCh disPlay

saMsung Flaunts new galaxy s7 and galaxy s7 edge

Brought to you By:

Hot products

synology introduCes diskstation ds216+Synology has launched

DiskStation DS216+, a two-bay

NAS server aimed at home and

small office users.

Equipped with an Intel Celeron

Processor N3050 with Intel AES

New Instructions (Intel AES-NI)

encryption, DS216+ delivers high-

speed performance, exceeding

111 MB/s reading and writing,

while ensuring encrypted data

transmissions at over 113 MB/s

reading and 109 MB/s writing. In

addition, DS216+ can perform on-

the-fly H.264 4K to 1080p video

transcoding, making it possible

for high definition enthusiasts to

stream to their multimedia files,

regardless of bandwidth or device

potential limitations.

By implementing Btrfs file

system, DS216+ offers advanced

data protection by enabling point-in-

time snapshot and restore, built-in

data integrity checks, metadata

mirroring, as well as quota control

for shared folders.

DS216+ also runs DiskStation

Manager (DSM) and features a wide

range of applications from backup,

network management to multimedia.


Brocade has announced the Brocade

G620, which is a Gen 6 Fibre Channel

switch for storage networking.

According to Brocade, the Gen 6

Fibre Channel is especially significant

for new technologies such as flash-

based storage, which is accelerating

the transformation of the data centre.

The Brocade G620 switch delivers

performance across 32 and 128

Gbps links and shatters application

performance barriers with up to 100

million IOPS. The Brocade G620 includes

four Q-Flex ports the can support 128

Gbps or be split out into four 32 Gbps

links. Delivering the industry’s highest

port density in a one rack unit (1RU)

chassis, the switch offers 24 to 64 ports

for ‘pay-as-you-grow’ flexibility and

scalability.

The switch now includes the IO

Insight feature for more visibility into

performance monitoring. This new

capability helps ensure critical SLAs

can be met by monitoring IO statistics,

including device latency and IOPS

metrics, to provide intelligence for

early detection of storage performance

degradations. The Brocade G620 Switch

with Gen 6 Fibre Channel technology is

available now through Brocade and its

channel partners and will be available

through Brocade’s OEM partners in the

second quarter of 2016.

VariCam LT, according

to Panasonic, can shoot

in both 4K (4096 x

2160) and UHD (3840 x

2160) and features high

sensitivity, low noise, wide

dynamic range and a

cinematic depth of field.

The device is

equipped with a 35mm

single-chip MOS sensor,

originally developed for

the VariCam 35 and has

a same wide dynamic range. This ensures

accurate image rendering over the entire

image, from dark areas to highlights.

The device’s sensor has two native ISO

settings of 800 and 5000.

It also has two dedicated analog

circuits for higher sensitivity without

increased noise. In addition, Panasonic

highlighted that the VariCam LT offers

the ability to change the mount from

an EF mount 1 (standard) to a PL mount

(optional), increasing the range of usable

lenses. The ‘V-Gamut’ in the VariCam LT

gives the camera a wider colour gamut

than traditional film.

The ‘V-Log’ gamma curve has evolved

further to extend the dynamic range to 14+

stops. Capable of 60fps in 4K, the camera

also has a new sensor center crop mode,

allowing 240fps for slow motion in both

HD and 2K.

BroCade unveils new gen 6 FiBre Channel switCh

PanasoniC’s variCaM lt

sandisk ultra usB tyPe-C

SanDisk Ultra USB Type-C Flash

Drive designed specifically

for next-generation devices.

The new drive features a USB

Type-C connector for quick file

transfer between USB Type-C

enabled mobile devices, laptops,

tablets and future devices.

The new Ultra USB Type-C

Flash Drive, according to

SanDisk, can deliver USB 3.1

performance of up to 150MB/s.

The USB drive features a slim,

retractable design to protect

the reversible connector. The

new drive complements the

company’s suite of USB Type-C

flash memory solutions which

range from dual USB drives to

portable SSDs.

The SanDisk Ultra USB

Type-C Flash Drive is the

company’s first dedicated USB

for Type-C ready devices. It is

compatible with the SanDisk

Memory Zone app for Android,

which is available for free

through the Google Play.

The app auto-launches upon

insertion of the drive into a

compatible device, allowing

immediate access to the

user’s content and easy file

management.

Brought to you By:


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

Channel surfing

The SMEs of the region are at crossroads in their business paths where they understand the power of technology but are lagging behind in keeping up with the digital transformation. There still exists a certain amount of reluctance in investing in digital technologies, and understandably so, as the main focus is in getting the business up and running. Also, some SMEs may think ‘not yet’ when confronted with the question of digitising. I believe this represents untapped revenue stream for the channel partners.

IDC has predicted that ICT spending in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa will top $260 billion in 2016. This means over time, businesses will increasingly be inclined to transform into the digital era, in an attempt to cut costs and achieve flexibility. And as they explore the advantages of Internet of Things among other technologies, integrating and building up their networks and

creating a robust digital presence with more focus on actionable data, resellers have a very good opportunity to be true value-added partners in their transformation.

Partners also have a responsibility here. They need to step up to take on the role of a leader and help SMEs create more efficient business models and provide the guidance to enable that. Those resellers who identify this responsibility and capitalise on the opportunity have a chance to be a genuine differentiator in the market. And the potential is enormous. Saudi Arabia’s market boasts of 90 percent of these type of businesses while in UAE alone, there are approximately 350,000 companies falling under the SME category. The opportunity is definitely there, but the question is - are partners willing to move out of their comfort zones and undertake new challenges?

We do see a handful of resellers looking beyond the norm and aiming

at true innovation and value. Others need to get the ball rolling to keep up with the race, else risk missing out on the returns.

This month, we have put together a list of top channel executives from the vendors in an attempt to understand their everyday jobs better and recognise their endeavours in sculpting the regional channel community. Other highlights include the cybersecurity feature and interview with RSA’s Robert Griffin. As I discussed last month, we cannot have any conversations around any technologies without thinking of security first. Griffin shares some great insights for rethinking security in a radical manner.

On an ending note, a reminder on our Reseller Middle East Partner Excellence Awards 2016 coming up in May this year. Keep an eye out for related communication and look forward to those nominations soon.

Janees Reghelini, Deputy Editor, Reseller ME

column

the sMe play


Gulf Software Distribution, is the region’s smarter choice for reselling IBM’s world-class leading software. We realize that our network of IBM Business Partners is the heart of our mission. Each of our strategies will have positive impact to your business, and your success will be the index of our achievement.

Our experience of the market is incomparable and we build on it. We bring into the recipe all the ingredients required to proceed in this market. Our passionate team is ready to support during the full opportunity lifecycle, from building the solution to financing your deal, and much more. Take action now and join our network of success.

Dubai Internet City, Building 2, Premises 09 If you wish to become an IBM Software Business Partner, contact us on [email protected] | www.gulfsoftware.com

Reseller Middle East March 2016

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