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GITEX 2019 TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS

Inspires Transformation

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GITEX TECHNOLOGY WEEK tahawultech.com

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

Injazat announces two Ajman Crown Prince strategic partnership at debuts Ajman Pay GITEX 2019

Dell EMC on having a datafirst approach

Injazat has announced important strategic partnerships at this year’s GITEX. Khaled Al Melhi, Injazat – A Mubadala Company

Dell EMC is encouraging their customers to develop a “data-first” approach.

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Palo Alto Networks to showcase cloud and Alpowered security

“You should expect big things from us”: HPE HPE is showcasing their new Digital Life Garage at this year’s GITEX Technology Week.

Marc Waters, HPE

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Marketing is key as true VAD StarLink aims high

As StarLink restructures and aims to become a $1 billion company, having a first-rate marketing operation is essential.

Mary Aji, StarLink www.tahawultech.com

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Fluke Networks using AI solutions to reduce certification time

SmarTek21 specialises in enterprise technology for businesses worldwide. Abdul Solanki, SmarTek21

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Crowdstrike delivers high-quality threat intelligence solutions

Werner Heeren discusses AI and the new Fiber Inspection product at GITEX Technology Week. Werner Heeren, Fluke Networks

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“AI acceptance into our daily lives certainly helps vendors like us”: SmarTek21

Palo Alto will be highlighting its role as a leading cybersecurity provider and cloud enabler at GITEX. Ercan Aydin, Palo Alto Networks

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Charbel Zreiby, Dell EMC

Daccache delves into Crowdstrike’s unique platform based on a single agent. Roland Daccache, Crowdstrike

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Ajman Crown Prince debuts Ajman Pay at GITEX 2019 H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman and Chairman of Executive Council, has launched Ajman Pay, a smart digital payment portal that is designed to keep up with the latest technologies in the areas of payment and government revenue control securely and speedily. Ajman Pay, developed in conformity with international standards, aims to provide multiple payment channels and options that will enable customers to pay government fees in Ajman with ease. The launch happened in His Highness’ office in the Rulers Court. H.H. also launched Ajman Pay’s e-wallet, the first e-wallet linked with UAE Pass, that provides flexibility and precision through one window wherein customers can always pay and review all their transactions with governmental departments in the Emirate of Ajman. This launch is aligned with Ajman’s Strategy 2021 that focuses on building a happy society that will contribute to building a green economy backed by a distinguished government in harmony with the UAE Vision 2021, National Agenda and Spirit of the Union. Conceptualised and developed to support

residents towards adopting a digital economy, Ajman Pay offers flexibility and convenience to meet the lifestyle needs of various customer segments. Ajman Pay’s digital services also encourages customers to adopt paperless transactions, that will further contribute to building a sustainable economy and assuring customers’ satisfaction towards the services provided. H.H. Ahmed Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Representative of H.H.

The launch of Ajman Pay is an important step towards transforming the efficiency of the services provided to the corporate and retail customers.” www.tahawultech.com

Ruler of Ajman for Administrative and Financial Affairs and Chairman of Ajman Department of Finance, said: “The launch of Ajman Pay is an important step towards transforming the efficiency of the services provided to the corporate and retail customers. This will also help to review all the financial transactions taking place across government entities in the Emirate of Ajman using the latest international technology.» “As for governmental departments, Ajman Pay provides a unified, flexible payment system that meets all needs when it comes to the control of transactions. It also offers them comprehensive financial and statistical reports that will help them in decision-making, as well as ensuring a speedy dispensing of services, guaranteeing customer happiness.” H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Al Nuaimi added.

Discussing its additional benefits, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed further added: “The launch of Ajman Pay is the result of the efforts and cooperation of the Department of Finance and all government institutions in Ajman; therefore, we wish to thank them for this strategic project. In order to grasp a modern technology structure that suits their requirements and future aspirations, we consider these government institutions as a genuine partner that play a key role in achieving the objectives of Ajman Pay.” Ajman Pay will offer a variety of payment options including Ajman Pay Card, Ajman Pay e-Wallet, Global e-wallets such as Apple Pay, Samsung Bay, Credit Cards, Debit and Prepaid Cards, Direct Debit from Bank Account, Checks, Cash Payment, Service Centers, Self Service Kiosks and SMS. @tahawultech

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Dell EMC on having a data-first approach Recently, organisations have started to have a cloud-first mindset – they move everything to cloud and then they think about what to do. But I strongly believe the future will be data-first.”

Charbel Zreiby, Dell EMC

As data grows at an ever-fasting rate, organisations need to focus on their ‘data capital’ to succeed in today’s digital economy, says Charbel Zreiby, Senior Manager, Channel Specialty Sales for META at Dell EMC. Dell EMC is encouraging their customers to develop a “datafirst” approach to their business to leverage the real power of their data. “Part of any organisation’s digital transformation journey is now powered by data. IDC expects the digital economy to account for 60 percent of global

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GDP by 2022 – this means data is becoming a very important asset for organisations. “In the same way human or operational capital used measure an organisation’s success, now it’s all about data capital. Organisations should focus on this capital to drive their digital transformation journey,” said Zreiby. However, explained Zreiby, harnessing the power of data is not an easy task, and organisations should make sure to implement the right solutions to overcome these challenges.

“Data is very complex and comes with a lot of challenges – complexity of data is one problem, but also where it is located and the way we should protect it. All of these are very important aspects for an organisation to take care of. “At Dell Technologies we have developed a strong storage and data protection portfolio to cater for all the types of data, whether it’s structured or unstructured data. Moreover, our data protection solution goes from protecting the data to cyber recovery solutions. This allows

organisations to make sure they always have a solid copy of their data available in the data centre at any point in time. Dell Technologies offers a one-stopshop for all of the data solutions an organisation may need,” added Zreiby. Zreiby also believes that organisations should start focusing on a data-first approach rather than moving blindly to the cloud. “Since the mainstream adoption of the cloud, organisations have started to have a cloud-first mindset – they move everything to cloud and then they think about what to do. However, I strongly believe the future will be data-first. “Organisations should look and evaluate the data to decide what should stay on private cloud and what to have on public cloud. The decision of moving to cloud should be based on the data itself,” added Zreiby. Dell Technologies, enables organizations to modernise, automate and transform their data centre using industry-leading converged infrastructure, servers, storage and data protection technologies. The IT leader is showcasing their solutions at GITEX Technology Week in Hall 6, booth H6-D1.

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Palo Alto Networks to showcase cloud and Al-powered security at GITEX By combining the best-in-class prevention with the power of AI, we produce a solution that is capable of dealing with the ‘blind spots’ that some organisations face when depending upon a fragmented solution.”

Ercan Aydin, Palo Alto Networks

Global cybersecurity leader Palo Alto Networks will be exhibiting at GITEX Technology Week 2019, showcasing the latest innovations from its enterprise, cloud and AIpowered security solutions portfolio. Highlighting its role as a leading cybersecurity provider and cloud

enabler within the Middle East market, Palo Alto Networks will hold workshops for visiting guests and offer live demonstrations of its products. The company will also host several executive meetings with customers throughout the course of the annual technology event.

As it stands, cloud security solutions are complex — the world needs a simpler but more secure, more complete solution.”

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From its product portfolio, Palo Alto Networks will showcase its recently launched Prisma offering, a novel cloud security suite that simplifies access, data protection, and application security. Boasting an estimated 9,000 global enterprise customers to date, Prisma has become the largest cloud security business in the world. Ercan Aydin, Vice President, Middle East & Africa, Palo Alto Networks, said, “As the biggest tech show for the Middle East, GITEX gives us the opportunity to showcase our capabilities and to solidify our place as the leading cybersecurity specialist for the Gulf region. The two key areas that we are currently focused on are cloud and AIpowered security solutions. As it stands, cloud security solutions are complex — the

world needs a simpler but more secure, more complete solution. Ensuring safe access for branch offices and mobile users is a huge plus as well.” “By combining the best-in-class prevention with the power of AI, which has the ability to analyse multiple data sources and learn new ways to respond to threats, we produce a solution that is capable of dealing with the ‘blind spots’ that some organisations face when depending upon a fragmented solution,” he added. Aydin highlighted that the company’s recent acquisitions are around IoT security. As many of the large enterprises are emerging their OT systems with IT systems, Palo Alto Networks’ new IoT security solutions prevent attacks that may come to a different angle. Visitors can find Palo Alto Networks in Hall 6, Stand H6-B10

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Injazat announces two strategic partnership at GITEX 2019

Khaled Al Melhi, Injazat – A Mubadala Company

Our new partnership with Abu Dhabi Customs furthers Injazat’s vision of adding value to the services of government organisations and helping them achieve high ROIs for their IT capabilities.” 6

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Injazat Data Systems, a Mubadala company, has announced two important strategic partnerships at this year’s GITEX Technology Week. The UAE-based organisation will support the development of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) from a traditional OnPremise model to a hybrid cloud model where most of the data is held on the cloud with only crucial data held on premise. Khaled Al Melhi, CEO of Injazat, said “We are pleased to partner with Shurooq on this venture and provide them with a digital haven. With this transition, Shurooq will be able to conduct its operations with higher sophistication and efficiency. Our work with Shurooq will only further the UAE’s digital stature in a time of rapid technological growth. Injazat has always been an advocate for innovation and a facilitator of digital development for both private and public entities.” Injazat has also signed a strategic agreement with Abu Dhabi General Administration of Customs to be responsible for their mission-critical IT infrastructure. Injazat is committed to delivering Data Center services of the highest standards and provide a secure and reliable environment for AD Custom’s mission-critical IT infrastructure and systems through its Tier IV Data Center, the first certified commercially available facility of its kind in the region. “This strategic agreement will be beneficial to Injazat business operations in the region. Injazat is honored to be awarded this agreement by a company with a stature of Abu Dhabi customs www.tahawultech.com

and we will repay the faith put into us with the highest quality standards available globally, which will include supporting Abu Dhabi Customs in their current and future endeavors by providing high quality customer-centric services. This partnership furthers Injazat vision of adding value to the services of government organisations and helping them achieve high ROIs for their IT capabilities,” said Al Melhi. Injazat has been supporting national public and private organisations in their digital transformation journey. Al Melhi said they are proud to work with these organisations to manage their infrastructure and technology services. “We are very glad to have concluded two very important strategic signings at this year’s GITEX. Both of them are part of a mutual leadership decision that will allow us to serve them and their core infrastructure and technology services.” www.tahawultech.com

Al Melhi also discussed Injazat’s digital ventures – strategic solutions that look into the healthcare and smart cities sectors. “We have two strategic digital ventures, Hassantuk and Malaffi. We are proud to be entering this race into healthcare and smart cities, which is allowing us to be a true partner for government organisations. These two digital ventures are based on a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) model – this allows us to invest at the beginning of a project, operate the investment and then transfer it to our customer later on. “We are diversifying a lot in terms of areas we want to enter. Our purpose is to empower human achievement, so we are focusing on a citizen-centric approach with our solutions. We strongly believe that whatever we do needs to serve our citizens in the UAE, and eventually beyond.” Hassantuk, one of the strategic digital ventures mentioned by Al Melhi, is revolutionising the UAE’s

We are diversifying a lot in terms of areas we want to enter. Our purpose is to empower human achievement, so we are focusing on a citizen-centric approach with our solutions.” ability to respond to emergency events, as part of the country’s goal to be one of the safest places in the world, by making use of smart monitoring equipment, a private secure mobile network, and advanced AI capabilities in the control centre. Injazat, since its restructuring this year, has become an important regional digital transformation enabler. It has already partnered with some of the

largest organizations in the region to provide quality digital solutions that will eventually change the facilitate companies to adopt digital technologies swiftly. As part of the Mubadala, Injazat currently operates with more than 1,500 employees and has significant public and private projects that include digitizing Abu Dhabi’s healthcare database and building emergency response capabilities in the UAE. @tahawultech

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“AI acceptance into our daily lives certainly helps vendors like us”: SmarTek21 Are you launching / announcing new products and services at this year’s GITEX? In terms of product line, our strategy at the moment is to focus on what has already been promoted to the regional market. We are seeing splendid acceptance across the industry for our services. However, we do intend to promote some very specific services this week, while incorporating our existing solution lines from our portfolio. This will focus around Sales Performance Management and helping the existing SPM vendors in uplifting their conversation with clients, offering a higher ROI and improved solution business outcome. Why is GITEX such an important platform for your company to connect with the Middle East’s technology industry? GITEX has established itself as the most successful IT show in

What are the most exciting developments that you have seen in the Middle East’s technology landscape over the past 12 months? As I said before, IT evolves on a daily basis. However, if I had to pick up a specific development, it would be the acceptance to the cloud infrastructure. This is evident by the fact that most of the large CSP’s or ISV’s have either already established themselves in the region or are in the process of having UAE as a hub for their cloud driven offerings.

Abdul Solanki, SmarTek21

The acceptance to the cloud-based infrastructure is evident by the fact that most of the large CSP’s or ISV’s have either already established themselves in the region or are in the process of having UAE as a hub for their cloud-driven offerings.”

the Middle East. Over the years, it has become a premier forum for building dialogue between professionals in the region’s technology space. Organisations that understand the importance of IT, understand the industry landscape that IT evolves on a daily basis and its growing innovations must be present at GITEX; not only for networking, but also to discover and learn what’s coming next.

What do you think are the biggest trends that will transform the the market you’re are operating in? We are a well-established vendor within the space of conversational AI. For the past two years, we have been consistently well endorsed by the leading industry champions, including Gartner. Aligning with its digital efforts, the UAE has already taken a huge lead into the AI space by setting up a special Ministry of AI. The results are in front of us; those visiting GITEX 2019 can see for themselves the encouraging and exciting AI-driven solutions everywhere. The constant maturity level of the AI acceptance into our daily lives certainly helps vendors like us, where our offerings touch everyone into their daily lives, whether it’s a customer conversation experience enhancement or internal employee conversation experience enhancement.

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

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“You should expect big things from us”: HPE The world is undergoing a massive change, and every day new challenges arise that risk to compromise the future of our planet. Besides delivering some outstanding tech solutions, Hewlett Packard Enterprise has never lost focus of their core values – developing technology that will help humanity. Marc Waters, Managing Director for the UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa at HPE, is very proud of the strong purpose of the American IT leader and believes this is what sets them apart from the competition. “The purpose of an organisation is critical to success, and I believe the most important thing to a business is people – ultimately they make the difference. The tech industry is highly competitive, but ultimately, it’s all about creating something meaningful, impactful, having a vision people want to be part of. “Our CEO Antonio Neri has set out a real purpose for the company – having smart people and great technology to advance the way people live and work,” explained Waters. HPE’s purpose has been embedded in the company’s core since the very beginning. Bill Hewlett and David Packard founded the company with the core purpose to advance technology and humanity, said Waters.

Marc Waters, HPE

“We have made sure to create an environment to innovate, but also to support our people. We have been through a lot of changes over the years, but our values have never changed. “Something we truly believe in is tech sustainability. This is a huge issue as we look into the future as technology consume more and more energy by the day. It’s our responsibility as tech leaders to understand this and take actions to promote tech sustainability. HPE is focusing on efficiency, reusability,

Change always concerns people, so it’s understandable there is some scepticism surrounding AI. I believe AI is an impressive technology and it will help harness the power of data.” www.tahawultech.com

recycling and upcycling technology to be put back in the economy in a continuous circle.” Discussing the power of Artificial Intelligence, one of the main topics at this year’s GITEX Technology Week, Waters says organisations need to be progressive and embrace this impressive technology. “Change always concerns people, so it’s understandable there is some scepticism surrounding AI. I believe AI is an impressive technology and it will help harness the power of data. “The answers to the biggest challenges are all buried in tons and tons of data. We need to find the way to unlock it and having intelligence embedded within technology is what will actually help us to drive value from it,” continues Waters. “Making use of AI is imperative to every single country on the planet, but I also believe we need to be mindful and focus on using technology for the benefit of everyone on the planet.”

GITEX is incredible – what really struck me is the energy surrounding the event. People here have huge ambitions and that really motivates me and HPE to deliver groundbreaking solutions and grow the business in the region.” This is Waters first GITEX, and he explained the energy at the event has really made a great impression on him. “GITEX is incredible – what really struck me is the energy surrounding the event. People here have huge ambitions and that really motivates me and HPE to deliver groundbreaking solutions and grow the business in the region. “I have recently been appointed to take on the Middle East and Africa. It’s a statement from the company around the investment we are making here. HPE has a long heritage in the region and we are going to be investing even more. You should expect big things from us.” HPE is showcasing their new Digital Life Garage at this year’s GITEX. The global initiative, launched in the UAE first, will see a series of innovation centre bringing partners, customers, students, researchers and tech leaders coming together to develop innovative technologies in a collaborative environment. @tahawultech

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GITEX HIGHLIGHTS

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GITEX HIGHLIGHTS

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Marketing is key as true VAD StarLink aims high As StarLink restructures and aims to become a $1 billion company, having a first-rate marketing operation is essential. Running this vital element at the value-added distributor (VAD) is Mary Aji, StarLink's marketing director. She says that StarLink has always had a “two-pronged” marketing strategy that consists of direct customer-centric marketing and supportive partner-centric marketing. “We work closely with the vendors to ensure that their go-to-market strategy is strongly supported by our marketing strategy and tactics,” said Aji. “For each vendor, depending on their regional focus and product focus, we work on a plan to support their key goals and KPIs[key performance indicators].” In line with StarLink's twopronged approach, Aji says that for every marketing activity rolled out to customers, partners are, in parallel, supported with relevant marketing assets so that they too can spread the word to customers. StarLink has more than 45 technology vendors in its portfolio and a channel network of over 1,100 partners serving thousands of enterprise and government customers. Founded by Nidal Othman,

the managing director, and Mahmoud Nimer, the general manager, the company is described as one of the fastestgrowing “true” VADs in the region. Turnover has reached $400 million and the recent appointment of Bashar Bashaireh as CEO, a newly created position, is aimed at continuing growth towards the $1 billion sales mark. Among the 20 countries where StarLink has an on-the-ground presence are the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain. Marketing is managed centrally from StarLink's Dubai headquarters, where the team includes designers, web developers and marketing operations staff who produce the digital content and assets used by the company worldwide. “We also have marketing operations teams regionally that support us with on-theground tactics, especially event management,” said Aji. “Moreover, we work with our regional partners across the globe to roll out our marketing plans with their customers in their regions.” Aji says that “everyone in the region knows about StarLink”, including that it started as a specialised value-added distributor in cybersecurity.

Mary Aji, StarLink

Looking ahead, she says the company's focus is broadening. “We are evolving into a DC & C specialised VAD to complement our security offering. One cannot treat these two fields as exclusive anymore. Our marketing efforts will be focused a lot more on our DC & C business growth in 2020,” she said. “Furthermore, along with our vendor solutions marketing, I would like to see more branding

Turnover has reached $400m and the recent appointment of Bashar Bashaireh as CEO is aimed at continuing growth towards the $1bn sales mark.” www.tahawultech.com

and brand-building for StarLink in other regions,” she said. Aji says that she has an “amazing” marketing team behind her and, just as importantly, full backing from StarLink's top management. “Internally, I have the most supportive and pro-marketing leaders in Nidal and Mahmoud. Together with our new CEO, Bashar, and Zaidoun [Arbad], our COO, the marketing team enjoys unconditional support,” she said. Aji says that becoming a trusted business partner happens “when organisations live their values and respect their stakeholders, and build strong relationships”. “StarLink is the epitome of strong values and exemplary relationships; I'd like to believe that these values extend to the success of my team too,” she said. @tahawultech

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Fluke Networks using AI solutions to reduce certification time Werner Heeren, Regional Sales Director at Fluke Networks has highlighted how the worldwide leader in certification, troubleshooting, and installation tools for professionals who install and maintain critical network cabling infrastructure is dramatically reducing the certification time for integrators. Heeren spoke to CNME Deputy Editor Giorgia Guantario at GITEX Technology Week, which attracts participation from some of the world’s leading IT companies. Fluke Networks has established itself as a global market leader in network cabling infrastructure and is the go-to player for system integrators, data centers whilst it also provides consulting services. Heeren explained in more detail, “At Fluke Networks we test, certify and troubleshoot infrastructure, copper and fibre and our solutions can drastically reduce certification time for the installers. The message we’re trying to convey is that by using our solutions, installers can save up to 65% of their certification time by utilising different technologies. We can do this by using the cloud and Internet of Things.”

Werner Heeren, Fluke Networks

The Regional Sales Director at Fluke Networks also revealed how the company has harnessed the capabilities presented by AI in order to enhance the services it can provide for its customers across its industry verticals. Heeren added, “We can

The message we’re trying to convey is that by using our solutions installers can save up to 65% of their certification time by utilising different technologies.” www.tahawultech.com

also use AI which can enable installers to find out in realtime where the problem is and how they can resolve it, which obviously results in a much more efficient, faster and affordable process.” In addition to this, Heeren discussed some of the products the company has launched in the last twelve months which are display at GITEX. He said, “We’ve launched three new products and we’re displaying them here at GITEX. One of the new products is called Fiber Inspection which is perfect for the data centre environment. The product has multiple automated cameras that can take pictures which can analyse to fibre end-face. The second product is related to Internet of

Using AI can enable installers to find out in realtime where the problem is and how they can resolve it, which obviously results in a much more efficient, faster and affordable process.” Things and the third product is focused onFTTH connections.” He concluded by outlining the key industry verticals the company is focused on. Heeren said, “Fluke Networks are focused on three main verticals which include system integrators who are responsible for installing the infrastructure. The other verticals include data centres which require a lot cabling and when problem occur we do the troubleshooting for them and finally we have consultants that define how specific project needs to be delivered.” @tahawultech

STANDS TO WATCH

RING

HID

MINDWARE FORTINET

REDINGTON VERITAS

Z3-C12

H7-D42

H6-B2 H7-E20

H3-E1 H7-D1

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www.tahawultech.com

BUSINESS FRANCE

HACHI

MINDWARE HPE

REDINGTON DELL TECHNOLOGIES

H4-E30-F30

H3-E1 H7-A1

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H8-8

H6-B2 H6-D1

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Crowdstrike delivers high-quality threat intelligence solutions

Roland Daccache, Crowdstrike

Crowdstrike, the leader in cloud-delivered endpoint security, is showcasing their unique offerings at this year’s GITEX Technology Week 2019. Roland Daccache, Senior Consulting Sales Engineer,

META at Crowdstrike explained how the security leader offering features a unique platform based on a single agent and single management consult. “Our platform offers endpoint protection and Endpoint

Detection and Response (EDR) capabilities, infused with threat intelligence feeds. This is a unique offering in the region and globally which help us protect organisations from the smallest SMB up to customers who have hundreds of thousands of endpoints. This is what makes us unique in the market,” explained Daccache. Crowdstrike’s approach to cybersecurity reflects Gartner’s predictions for the following years. By 2022, according to Gartner, 50 percent of all security operations centers (SOCs) will transform into modern SOCs with integrated incident response, threat intelligence and threat hunting capabilities, up from less than 10% in 2015. Daccache also fully understands that in today’s digital economy, as data grows at a faster rate than ever before, organisations demand the best security solutions out there. “Today data is no longer confided to a data centre. Data is sitting on virtual machines, VDI, cloud assets, and we even see customers deploying multi cloud structures. Crowdstrike is in the best position to protect these workloads, whether they are on-premise, on the move or in the cloud.

We have built our cloud-based engine with the best data scientists in the world to protect our customers based on artificial intelligence technology as well infused threat intelligence.” 22

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“Crowdstrike offers a single unified management consult to offer visibility and protection into these assets. We are helping customers in their digital transformation journey by protecting their workloads no matter where it is,” continued Daccache. Crowdstrike is also leveraging artificial intelligence to provide comprehensive solutions for their customers as their demands change and signature or behavioural indicators are not enough to protect their assets. “Third party reports from the likes of Gartner constantly feature Crowdstrike as a top technology platform. The reason behind this is that we think differently – we believe that the old approach of protecting endpoints using signature or behavioural indicators needs to shift towards machine learning and artificial intelligence,” explained Daccache. “In light of this, we have built our cloud-based engine with the best data scientists in the world to protect our customers based on artificial intelligence technology as well infused threat intelligence.” CrowdStrike Falcon® platform, their flagship product, offers instant visibility and protection across the enterprise and prevents attacks on endpoints on or off the network by leveraging artificial intelligence. Crowdstrike is using their presence at GITEX 2019 to connect to customers, prospects and partners, and to showcase the “latest and greatest” of their technologies, said Daccache. www.tahawultech.com

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A force to be reckoned with

Arun Nair, Centena

Arun Nair is not just the Group Head – Marketing and Corporate Communication at Centena Group, but a marketing force to reckon with among the line up of marketing thought leaders at GITEX. For the last 5 years, Arun has been spearheading the corporate direction of the Centena Group

which has concerns in marine electronics, industrial automation, life and analytical sciences, identification and security and educational training systems. With the support of his dynamic team, he has created a wow experience for ScreenCheck - a Centena Group company at GITEX, which has been well received by visitors, delegates, stakeholders and business associates. Experts say that a great marketing mind has four common traits: Discipline, Curiosity, Appetite for Growth and Confidence. Over the course of two decades, Arun has exhibited all four traits during his tenure in top notch advertising agencies, software companies and now, at the diversified Centena Group. Of all the four traits, it is Discipline that is the hardest for marketing leaders to master.

However, Arun has spent considerable time to understand the nuances of Centena Group’s target audience, the broad spectrum of its services and the innovative possibilities of the brand. It’s those who are disciplined who get the most results in the shortest period of time and under Arun’s leadership the marketing of the Group has taken a disciplined approach to reach the broadest spectrum of people using strategic digital marketing initiatives. When it comes to creating a culture of innovation it is the ability to remain curious that determines the possibilities of the company. Without curiosity, it’s more often the case that people stay stuck in the work behavior habits that they’ve had their entire lives. Arun has created an environment of ongoing learning in the Centena Group which

IRIS Technology achieves platinum partner status by Fortinet

IRIS Technology, a leading IT company specialising in cyber security solutions across the Middle East region, announced its achievement of the Platinum Partner status by Fortinet this week.

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The Platinum partner status has been awarded to IRIS Technology in recognition of attaining the highest level of technical accreditations and significant revenue growth this year. As cyber security threats are increasing world-widely, the need

The Fortinet Platinum Partner status affirms the breadth of our abilities when it comes to working with diverse business models.”

has reflected in the innovative approach of the Group. It has been seen that energy and perseverance are required to accomplish anything significant, which is why those who have a lot of it are destined for growth. Arun has not only been energized by his own growth but has the drive to create the culture of growth which has spread across the Group. Having a long-term career vision is critical for the growth of employees and a brand as a whole. The Centena Group is lucky to have visionaries like Sanjay Raghunath, the Chairman and Managing Director of Centena Group, who is leading the Group to greater glories. “The key for us was to build beyond business and create a transformational impact on people’s lives. Our efforts have been focused on giving back to society,” says Raghunath.

for more specialised solutions and technical assistance have been evident. IRIS Technology offers valued expertise gained over years of implementing different projects and leading security solutions in the region. IRIS Technology has been working in partnership with Fortinet for more than 10 years and has built a wealth of skills and experience around Fortinet. “Alongside recognising our dedicated and professional approach to delivering high level services and solutions, the Fortinet Platinum Partner status affirms the breadth of our abilities when it comes to working with diverse business models,” said Mohammad Al-Qurashi, Business Developer at IRIS Technology. IRIS Technology is proud of its Fortinet Platinum partnership and is looking forward to reach further milestones. “We remain committed to providing top-notch cybersecurity solutions to our valued customers” said Al-Qurashi. www.tahawultech.com

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GITEX 2019 HIGHLIGHTS

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GITEX 2019 HIGHLIGHTS

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HCI becoming the ThreatQuotient accelerates reactive de facto enterprise IT platform: Nutanix and proactive White, regional director – METI at security strategies Aaron Nutanix, shares insights into the latest trends Anthony Perridge, VP of International, ThreatQuotient, explains how the firm’s threat intelligence platform can bolster the security strategies of regional enterprises.

Anthony Perridge, ThreatQuotient

WHY IS GITEX AN IMPORTANT PLATFORM FOR THREATQUOTIENT? This is ThreatQuotient’s first GITEX participation. We believe that this is the perfect platform for us to spread awareness about our offerings and expertise. We’re participating this year as part of our distributor StarLink’s stand. We believe that they are the perfect distributor for us here in the region because many of their other vendor partners complement our solutions. As an example, they have LogRhythm, Cofense and FireEye, who are also our technology partners, in their vendor portfolio. So, when partners come over to our stand here at GITEX, they’re not only going to be able to learn about one solution instead they’re going to know about the whole ecosystem that ThreatQuotient is a part of.

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CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THREATQ? Many organisations deploy solutions that don’t necessarily talk to each other, hence, security teams face challenges in understanding the threat data they have. This then hinders their strategies from taking action against these threats. The ThreatQ platform enables a shared understanding across teams and tools within an organisation’s defense infrastructure. It supports both reactive and proactive use by synchronising threat intelligence across systems. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST SECURITY CHALLENGE REGIONAL FIRMS ARE FACING TODAY? HOW CAN THREATQUOTIENT HELP THEM ADDRESS THESE ISSUES? The biggest challenge organisations are facing in this region is the same as anywhere else – the skills shortage in the IT security space. ThreatQ help security teams manage intelligence by automating several historically manual, time-consuming and repeatable tasks, saving them a significant amount of time and further augmenting their ROI. It helps organisations prioritise their threat data and translate that information into actionable data.

that will transform the IT landscape.

Aaron White, Nutanix

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BIGGEST TRENDS THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE IT INDUSTRY? Below are some of the macro trends we believe will have an impact on every aspect of our technology lives in the coming years: Infrastructure will miniaturise and decentralise in 2019 and beyond. Global trends like tariff and immigration wars, GDPR-like sovereignty movements and IoT will converge, leading to more decentralised and miniaturised infrastructure. As a result, hybrid consumption models for IT where enterprise agreements straddle both on-prem and off-prem consumption will emerge Escalating cyber wars will expedite the virtualisation of security perimeters. As cyber becomes the next battlefront of geopolitical warfare, technologies like microsegmentation, cloud brokers (CASB) and cloud-based

security will become mainstream The increasing sophistication of AI will shift technology from automation to autonomic operations, but AI itself will remain an unsolved problem. Data and machine learning will come together to make machine ‘recognition’ of all types possible, with image recognition becoming the killer app for IoT. And infrastructure operations that are slowly being automated will shift toward self-management. But the true promise of AI will still remain elusive. HOW ARE YOU INNOVATING TO ENSURE THAT YOUR OFFERINGS ARE FUTUREPROOF? In our nearly decadelong journey, Nutanix has pioneered the hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) market – enabling IT leaders to re-architect and modernise their data centre for the cloud era. HCI is rapidly becoming the de facto platform for enterprise IT and, in the process, awakening complacent IT vendors to address the evolving requirements of their customers with greater urgency. Often lost in the noise of marketing-led product bundling and unsubstantiated claims of market share leadership, is the fact that Nutanix continues to out-invest and out-innovate other HCI vendors. We believe that we have more engineers, more developers and smarter data scientists working to advance the state-of-the-art HCI than the others. www.tahawultech.com

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Virtual meeting rooms are becoming more mobile: Barco

With new 4K collaborative solutions, Barco now has a Ekta Puthran, Regional Channel Manager, Barco Middle East and Africa, complete shares insights into the evolution of virtual meeting rooms. solution offering of intuitive, ITWHAT ARE YOU HIGHLIGHTING AT THIS YEAR’S GITEX friendly TECHNOLOGY WEEK? experiences for At GITEX this year, we are presenting the Barco ClickShare every meeting CS-100 Huddle and the ClickShare room in the CSE-200+, the latest from our enterprise range. This new solution enterprise.” from Barco was launched earlier this year at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) conference. With new 4K collaborative solutions, Barco now has a complete solution offering of intuitive, IT-friendly experiences for every meeting room in the enterprise. The ClickShare CS-100 Huddle is designed for huddle rooms and small meeting spaces while ClickShare CSE-200+ has a range of features including annotation, blackboarding, and touch back to provide new ways to conduct collaborative meetings. Furthermore, the CSE-200+, eliminates stress and hassle of having to switch manually between wired legacy sources (such as cameras) through the ClickShare wirelessly presented content. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BIGGEST TRENDS THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE MARKET YOUR BUSINESS? The culture of virtual meeting rooms has grown increasingly popular over past few years. A recent global study by Barco

as it offers freedom to employees while empowering them. Because of these trends, we have seen more companies adopt our flagship product, Barco Clickshare, as it offers them freedom to conduct virtual meetings through personal devices while offering various layers of protection.

Ekta Puthran, Barco Middle East and Africa

revealed that not only does the current workforce prefer virtual meeting rooms, but they also want to use their own devices to connect to the meetings. While virtual meeting rooms are believed to improve workforce productivity, the respondents of the study

also find that their personal tech devices are far more effective and productive than those used for work. This informs us that Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is on the rise and has become a key component of the digital workplace strategy of many organisations

BYOD is on the rise and has become a key component of the digital workplace strategy of many organisations, as it offers freedom to employees while empowering them.” www.tahawultech.com

WHY IS SECURITY IMPORTANT IN ENABLING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE REGION? While digitally-enabled work environments have numerous benefits, companies need to invest in reliable security systems. Cyber-threat is the hard reality of our times. Companies need to have proper security controls in place to protect their data and creative ideas. As technology providers it is our responsibility to ensure that any security compromise is responded to quickly and decisively. ClickShare obtained the ISO 27001: 2013 to offer our customers security and peace of mind. Technology providers should make it a standard practice as risk modelling can provide a powerful tool when it comes to mitigating threats and minimise the risk of a breach. @tahawultech

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Security-aware culture key to staying resilient: ManageEngine ManageEngine vice president Rajesh Ganesan delves into the latest trends in the security market and highlights why constant education is key to staying cyber resilient.

WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE LATEST TRENDS IN THE REGIONAL CYBERSECURITY MARKET? The cybersecurity market is evolving rapidly, especially with targeted and sophisticated cyber-attacks on the rise. Digital Transformation has set the pace for network and IT security across verticals especially in the banking and finance sector. Cryptojacking, nation-state attacks, attacks on smart devices, advanced phishing attacks are a few of the latest cybersecurity trends and the region will also see increased data privacy regulations in the days to come. HOW SHOULD ORGANISATIONS EVOLVE THEIR SECURITY STRATEGIES? In addition, sophisticated cyber threats have evolved in the wake of digitisation. As a result, IT security players need to be more proactive and preventive. Today, no enterprise is completely immune to cyber threats and vulnerabilities. We all learned that painful lesson when crucial attacks like the WannaCry and NotPetya ransomware crippled institutions around the world. Maintaining a secured network with robust cybersecurity solutions must be an ongoing activity rather than a once-a-week security check. Any organisation that fail to take action remains vulnerable to the next wave of cyber-attacks, whenever it comes. www.tahawultech.com

Today, no enterprise is completely immune to cyber threats and vulnerabilities. We all learned that painful lesson when crucial attacks like the WannaCry and NotPetya ransomware crippled institutions around the world.” Rajesh Ganesan, ManageEngine

INSIDER THREATS REMAIN TO BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT ORGANISATIONS FACE TODAY, HOW CAN MANAGEENGINE HELP THEM ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? There needs to be constant education and training within the workplace. Organisations need to instill a security-aware culture by ensuring that everyone within

the enterprise have a proper understanding of the cyber risks and the proper steps to take action. We provide our customers with training sessions focused on the skills needed to simplify IT management and maximise business productivity by aligning IT operations with business strategies. These programmes enable IT teams and partners

to better understand how IT management tools can be used to enable cyber resilience. Additionally, we will soon launch a new product called PAM360, which is focused on providing organisations with a holistic security solution that will enable security teams to manage and control employees’ access to the company’s resources. @tahawultech

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Puppy Robot’s Hachi enters the Middle East market with GITEX debut Tang Song, VP of Technology and Lead of IoT at Hachi, tells us more about Puppy Robot’s line of cutting-edge robotics and smart home technology.

Puppy Cube will be retailing at Dubai Mall – one of the largest shopping malls in the world – starting in January 2020.”

PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR PRODUCT. Puppy Cube is a portable, ultra-short throw projector and standalone entertainment system that turns any flat surface into an interactive touchscreen. Providing a unique interactive experience, users can enjoy unlimited built-in Android apps, entertainment and social media possibilities with its impressive touchscreen functionality. Unlike projectors with basic touchscreen capabilities, Puppy Cube utilises a proprietary 10-point multitouch technology called AnyTouch that works on all surfaces and enables responsiveness on par with capacitive displays. The ultrashort throw projector can also be paired with other Android and iOS devices at home or on the go via screen sharing, AirPlay, DLNA, Miracast, HDMI and Bluetooth. WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE AT GITEX THIS WEEK? Parents have been a large proportion of those interested in purchasing Puppy Cube on-site at the event. Given the large amount of time children spend on mobile phones and tablets today, Puppy Cube provides families with a unique alternative to harmful screen time, as the device is expertly designed to protect a user’s eyes. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO PARTICIPATE IN GITEX THIS YEAR? There are a lot of reasons why we came to GITEX and why we are entering the Middle East market. www.tahawultech.com

Tang Song, Hachi

Firstly, we found the consumers in the Middle East are just like the US – they have a great passion for new technology, and how it can affect their daily life. Second, we met some great business and cooperations last time we attended GITEX, and since then we have built a full chain from distribution, marketing, and customer service. We are hoping to find some new partners and distributors to develop the Middle

Eastern market together. WHAT IS YOUR NEXT STEP IN THE MIDDLE EASTERN MARKET? Puppy Robot’s participation at GITEX 2019 celebrates the brand’s recent and highly anticipated entrance into the Middle East market, where its products are now available throughout the region on Amazon and worldwide at puppyrobot.

com. In addition, Puppy Cube will be retailed at Dubai Mall – one of the largest shopping malls in the world – starting in January 2020. HOW CAN RESELLERS AND DISTRIBUTORS CONTACT PUPPY CUBE? If you are interested in becoming a distributor or reseller of the Puppy Cube, please contact Kevin at wangkai@puppyrobot.com or overseas@puppyrobot.com. @tahawultech

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SolarWinds on the huge potential for hybrid IT environments Pinpointing GITEX as the technology event for the region, Sascha Giese, head geek at SolarWinds, discusses the company’s main focus at this year’s event. ARE YOU LAUNCHING/ ANNOUNCING ANY NEW PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AT THIS YEAR’S GITEX? We feel it’s important for us to strengthen the relationships we started building last year, and continue to drive our message of monitoring, security, and managing IT, including the latest updates. WHY IS GITEX SUCH AN IMPORTANT PLATFORM FOR YOUR COMPANY TO CONNECT WITH THE MIDDLE EAST’S TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY? GITEX is the technology event for the region and not to be missed. It’s a great opportunity to meet with customers, new prospects, and our channel partners but also the show on its own, the various panels, booths, and speaking to other vendors. Last year, we attended for the first time, and it was a successful event for us. WHAT ARE THE MOST EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST’S TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS? Government-driven digital transformation and 5G preparations are both equally important for the region and go hand-in-hand with other recent developments. WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BIGGEST TRENDS TRANSFORMING THE MARKET YOU’RE OPERATING IN? We believe there’s a significant market opportunity for broad hybrid IT management solutions purpose-built to serve the needs of www.tahawultech.com

Sascha Giese, SolarWinds

A continued five-year growth in on-premises infrastructure, coupled with the ongoing explosion of the public cloud, will create the need for solutions providing visibility into hybrid IT environments.” technology professionals. A continued five-year growth in on-premises infrastructure, coupled with the ongoing

explosion of the public cloud, will create the need for solutions providing visibility into hybrid IT environments.

Our growing portfolio allows us to offer more products, and our increasing partner landscape helps us increase delivery, and reach. Furthermore, we see softwaredefined-everything SDx as a transforming trend. CAN YOU HIGHLIGHT ANY MAJOR REGIONAL CUSTOMERS YOU HAVE ONBOARDED OVER THE LAST 12MONTHS? HOW ARE THEY USING YOUR TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES TO GROW THEIR BUSINESS? We’ve onboarded many new customers from both the public as well as the private sector, including the Dubai Police, the UAE University, Saudi Telecom STC, as well as the General Authority of Civil Aviation GACA. HOW ARE YOU INNOVATING TO ENSURE YOUR OFFERINGS ARE FUTUREPROOF? We keep a finger on the pulse of our customer base to identify trends and new technologies in use. We encourage our customers to play an important role in our product development process, by engaging with us via our online community, THWACK. THWACK connects more than 150,000 tech pros worldwide, providing educational IT content and creating a forum for tech pros to solve problems by sharing technology and best practices with one another. We’re constantly engaging with our customers through the THWACK community and interactions via training and onboarding, so we understand firsthand the needs of our customers. WHY IS SECURITY IMPORTANT IN ENABLING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE REGION? Digital transformation deals with detailed citizen information on various layers. This is extremely sensitive information, and unfortunately, of high value for cybercriminals. @tahawultech

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STANDS TO WATCH

HPE

QNAP

LENOVO

HUAWEI

H7-D40

H7-E20

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SR-B2

SM-D1

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STANDS TO WATCH

A10 NETWORKS

STARLINK

2CRSI

BITDEFENDER

SR-J10

SR-J1

SR-E2

H8-C32

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